Philadelphia Phillies Lineup Given Surprising Ranking Entering Upcoming Season

The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the most fearsome lineups in all of Major League Baseball, and they have assembled an impressive core that forms a deep group full of star players.

The team's ability to reach base and slug has made them a perennial factor in the playoffs for three straight seasons, including an appearance in the 2022 World Series.

They have regularly held real estate in the uppermost tiers of the league in offensive stats during that time frame, sitting top five in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in 2024.

Coming off such a successful campaign, it should come as no surprise that analysts around the league view this as one of baseball's most elite units.

In fact, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com ranked the top 10 lineups in the league and placed the Phillies in the No. 4 spot.

"... the Phils finished fifth in MLB in runs scored last year and obviously have the pieces to be top-five again. When they run hot, it’s a beautiful, baseball-bashing thing to behold. And Kepler could be an underrated acquisition," he wrote.

Castrovince did point out some of the warts of this group, all of which the fans have rightly taken note of after two straight frustrating exits in the playoffs. But there is no denying the overall strength of the lineup.

Philadelphia has mainly struck out too often in the playoffs.

The team whiffed at a 25.5% clip in the 2024 postseason, the fourth-highest rate among playoff teams and the second-highest among squads that advanced past the Wild Card round.

It is likely that either Kyle Schwarber will continue as the club's leadoff hitter or Trea Turner will take over the role in a return to a more traditional conception of the first spot in their lineup.

The Phillies have plenty of prolific lefties between Schwarber, Harper and new addition Max Kepler, who has turned in a very solid spring training showing up to this point in his first experience not in a Minnesota Twins uniform.

Adding Kepler to this lineup gives Philadelphia a much-needed discerning eye at the plate who can hit for contact and power, and he fits like a glove with the team's other lefties and sluggers.

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