USATSI_18860815 — © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Bryson Stott is the Philadelphia Phillies Leadoff Hitter of the Future

After years of searching, the Philadelphia Phillies have finally found their leadoff hitter in Bryson Stott.

Author:
Alex Carr
Aug 13, 2022 11:00 AM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies' 2-1 win over the New York Mets on Friday was full of memorable moments: Ranger Suárez' dazzling seven innings, Alec Bohm's spectacular play at third base, Matt Vierling's pinpoint throw to nab Starling Marte at the plate, the list goes on.

Every last one of these clips will surely make the Phillies end-of-season highlight reel, but none of those instances carried with them the magnitude of Bryson Stott's night, which etched itself in the history books.

Stott became the first ever player to reach base four times in the same game against Mets ace and future Hall of Famer, Max Scherzer. It is almost unfathomable that, over his 15-year-long career, not one player had managed to do what Stott pulled off on Friday night: but that serves as a testament to just how dominant the 37-year-old has been over the last decade-and-a-half.

Simultaneously, it is a testament to just how formidable a hitter Bryson Stott has become. Friday's historical performance aside, the rookie shortstop has long displayed an intriguing toolset. Unfortunately, because of dreadful BABIP luck, that toolset has yet to convert itself to results on paper. However, those grey skies are due to give way eventually, and Stott's surface numbers are already starting to show glimmers of righting themselves.

With the set of skills that he's displayed at the major league level, it's safe to say that the Phillies young shortstop could very well be their leadoff hitter of the future.

Stott scores the go-ahead run in Friday's thrilling win over the New York Mets.
© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

It's been since the prime days of Jimmy Rollins that the Phillies had their last true, de facto leadoff hitter. In the offseason, the Phillies had signed Kyle Schwarber to fill that decade-long void, and he has owned the role for most of the 2022 season. However, the slugger's .314 on-base percentage suggests that he may be better valued further down in the lineup.

So, why not pass the torch to another homegrown Phillies shortstop in Bryson Stott?

The 24-year-old boasts every quality a good one-hole hitter should: he works counts, rarely strikes out, gets on base, and has shown he can hit for both average, as well as gap power.

This season, Stott ranks third among all Phillies hitters in pitches seen per plate appearance. He sees an average of 4.04 pitches per trip to the plate, third only to Kyle Schwarber's 4.38 PPA, and Rhys Hoskins' 4.33 PPA. This, of course, goes without accounting for Stott's slow start to the season, during which he struck out an uncharacteristic amount.

In that same vein, these days, Stott hardly swings and misses. He ranks in the top fifth percentile among all major league hitters in whiff percentage. Over his last 39 games, the young lefty has struck out a minuscule 10 times. In that same span, he's walked 13 times, and has logged more extra-base hits than he has K's. His plate discipline has ascended to another level, and remains the most impressive part of his game.

Of late, Stott has heated up even further at the plate. Across his last 25 games, he's hitting .308 with an OPS well north of the .800 mark.

By batting him leadoff on Friday night, Rob Thomson provided Phillies fans a brief glimpse at what Bryson Stott's future with this ballclub might look like. His growth as the season has transpired has been nothing short of astounding, and the same can be said for many of his young teammates, lovingly referred to as the Phillies' 'Daycare.'

Whether it's this year or next, the Phillies' 2019 first-rounder could very well be the solution to a problem they've spent years trying to fix.