CLEARWATER, Fla. — The key to the Phillies offense being a juggernaut in 2026 might not be as simple as just flipping Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the lineup.
While the Phillies may very well have Harper hit second and Schwarber hit third this season — it was mostly the other way around last year — the two-time NL MVP says the protection, or lack thereof, in the No. 4 spot will be crucial.
"I think it's a huge impact in the four spot," Harper said Sunday. "I think anybody, doesn't matter if it's me or Schwarbs, cause if Schwarbs is hitting there, same thing is gonna kinda happen, right? So I think the four spot is a huge impact. I think the numbers in the four spot weren't very good for our whole team. I think whoever is in that four spot is gonna have a big job to do, depending on who's hitting three or who is hitting two."
The Phillies tried to improve the No. 4 spot by signing Bo Bichette, who either could have hit there or allowed the Phillies to move one of Harper or Schwarber down to cleanup. Instead, Bichette signed with the New York Mets.
That will likely leave the Phillies with either Alec Bohm or Adolis García hitting cleanup to begin the season. Bohm drove in 97 runs in both 2023 and 2024, but posted a .741 OPS over 120 games last season. García was an electric player from 2021-2023, but the Texas Rangers non-tendered him after consecutive down years. In an ideal world, both would probably be No. 6 hitters, as opposed to batting cleanup.
Thomson explained Sunday what attributes he would like about Bohm, if he's ultimately the selection as the cleanup hitter to begin the season.
"He puts the ball in play," Thomson said. "And so, if there's runners out there, he's gonna put the ball in play. Typically, he hits a lot of doubles. That's where a lot of his slug comes from. And I love doubles. I love home runs, but I love doubles as well, because that clears the bases."
All that is true of Bohm, but it would be a much easier sell if he was hitting a spot or two lower in the lineup.
The problem for Thomson is he may not have a better option. He said Sunday he wants to assure that Harper, Schwarber and Trea Turner all bat in the first inning, which means they'll occupy the top three spots in some order. Even if you think Bohm isn't qualified to hit cleanup, who else is more qualified if those three aren't a consideration?
Nick Castellanos — the most common cleanup hitter in Thomson's lineup — is no longer with the team, in case you haven't heard.
I asked Bryce Harper about Nick Castellanos @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/5peCnQLcQZ
J.T. Realmuto was the second-most common cleanup hitter last season, but he's coming off of a .700 OPS campaign. Set to turn 35 next month, Realmuto is probably more like a No. 7 or No. 8 hitter at this stage of his career.
Perhaps Aidan Miller could develop into a cleanup hitter, but it's hard to imagine the Phillies putting the 21-year-old in that spot as a midseason call-up.
For now, it appears that the Phillies are headed towards Bohm being their cleanup hitter to open the season. If he and/or García don't have a major resurgence — and perhaps even if they do — the Phillies will likely be in the market for a middle-of-the-order bat before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
