Platooning Bryson Stott no longer makes sense for the Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (5) Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Platooning Bryson Stott no longer makes sense for the Phillies

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated May 6, 2026 2:57 PM ET

Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott has had something of an up-and-down career since the club drafted him 14th overall out of the University of Nevada in 2019. Mostly limited to a platoon role under former manager Rob Thomson, Stott is benefiting from seeing more playing time from interim manager Don Mattingly.

His increased play is showing results, and his teammates are noticing.

Bryson Stott has a co-signer to play every day in Bryce Harper

Stott's best chance to show he deserves to play every day is to continue producing, but he does have at least one champion in his corner in first baseman Bryce Harper. Harper made his thoughts clear after the Phillies' 9-1 win over the Athletics on Tuesday, stating that Stott is "someone that needs to play every day."

"I mean, he's an everyday player, you know," Harper said to the media postgame. “And when you have a guy that needs to play every day, and, you know, lefty, righty, don't matter. I mean, he's gonna keep having good at-bats. And he's an everyday guy. He always has been. You know, when you take an everyday guy to the lineup, it's tough for them to get it going each day. So I think you guys have seen that over the past couple of days.”

Stott's most consistent season came in 2023, when he hit .280 with a .747 OPS and career highs in hits (164) and home runs (15).

Bryson Stott has and is showing why he is an everyday player for the Phillies

Stott has found his stroke at the plate of late, hitting three home runs in his last five games.

Stott's power streak over the last several games has helped show why he shouldn't be limited to a platoon role. He's shown throughout his career that he is capable of hitting left-handed pitchers just as well as righties -- hitting to a .254 average and .704 OPS in 1,638 at-bats against right-handers and .252 with a .676 OPS in 484 at-bats versus lefties.

His main platoon partner, Edmundo Sosa, has also opened some eyes with his play this season, hitting .277 with a .710 OPS in 18 games.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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