It’s starting to look like Kyle Schwarber will lead off for the Phillies in 2025

There has been a lot of talk this spring about a possible new lead-off hitter. And I have been totally on board for it.

However, it is beginning to look like that will not be the case.

Kyle Schwarber has led off in five straight games for the Phillies. Trea Turner, who was the possible new lead-off hitter, has not been in that spot since March 16.

Rob Thomson is providing a possible Opening Day lineup review on Sunday:

1. Kyle Schwarber DH
2. Trea Turner SS
3. Bryce Harper 1B
4. Alec Bohm 3B
5. Max Kepler LF
6. J.T. Realmuto C
7. Nick Castellanos RF
8. Bryson Stott 2B
9. Brandon Marsh C
   Aaron Nola RHP

“Wherever my name gets written, that’s where I’m going to hit,” Schwarber said back in February. “I get paid to play baseball for these guys so wherever my name gets written, I’ll play. I just want to win the World Series and wherever we think our best lineup needs to go to continually win baseball games, that’s what I’ll do. I really don’t have a personal attachment to where I hit. I just want to go out there any try to win baseball games.”

Turner had led off nine times this spring and was doing it pretty consistently. However, his numbers do not really help his case. In 34 at-bats, Turner is hitting just .176 with a .348 OBP and a .613 OPS, along with one home run, five RBIs, and a stolen base. His one homer was to lead off the game.

Trea Turner keeps this one fair ☄️ #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/wpyQNgzJRl

— MLB (@MLB) March 13, 2025

“I think [leading off] would be fun, it would be a little different,” Turner said in February. “I haven’t done it for a few years now. Kinda get back to a little bit more speed.

“You take a few more pitches here or there. For me, I always looked at it as Bryce is hitting behind me, so I’m ready to hit. Obviously, they’re coming after me. They don’t want to face him. That’s kind of how I’ve always approached the two-hole, just because the three-hole is another great at-bat.

Turner batted .347 with a .948 OPS through July 19 of the 2024 season, chasing only 29.3% of pitches in that stretch. For the rest of the season, however, he batted .247 with a .676 OPS, chasing 38.2% of the time, including a weak postseason.

When you look at it, Schwarber has not been so hot either this spring. He is hitting just .159 with a .606 OPS and two home runs in 44 at-bats.

One of the things that, I would not say anger, but frustrates me with Thomson and the Phillies so much is how little of a chance they give their guys.

For example, we have been told so many times that Marsh cannot hit left-handed pitching. It is why they have had him in a platoon spot since 2023. But, Marsh has only faced a southpaw in 174 at-bats since 2023, compared to 648 at-bats against right-handers. In baseball, game reps are the most important thing a player can get. When they are not given the opportunity to get those reps and improve, they are never going to get better. That is how the Phillies are handing Marsh.

This ties back in with this Turner lead-off situation. He has had only nine opportunities to lead off this spring, and he is really only getting two or three at-bats a game. It is just utterly not fair after such a small sample size to call it quits with the experiment.

A proper timeline to try something out in baseball is at least a month. You have to give guys an opportunity. Baseball is a slow game, and it takes a long time to develop. In 2023, Turner led off for about two weeks, and then Thomson went right back to Schwarber at the lead-off spot. It just is not fair.

We all know what Turner is capable of doing. With his contact, base-running abilities, and 29.6 sprint speed, he is the perfect guy to lead off this Phillies team.

But, he is not being offered a proper opportunity, and it is very frustrating.

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