PHILADELPHIA -- Any time the Phillies' offense has hit a slump over the past few seasons, the conversation -- whether justified or not -- has immediately pivoted to lineup construction.
Take Kyle Schwarber out of the leadoff spot. Drop a struggling Trea Turner in the order. Move a rejuvenated Turner up in the order. Get Bryce Harper more lineup protection.
You get the idea -- someone always has a suggestion for how to spark the lineup when it sputters. The reality, though, is that history tells us swapping the order of a few players within the same overall lineup has an incremental impact, at best.
Still, it's been one of the most widely talked about and debated topics every spring -- and throughout the season -- in this era of Phillies baseball.
That figures to be the case once again in 2026, especially after manager Rob Thomson said recently: "I've got some ideas. I've got to talk to the players about it, but you could see a change this year."
Now, it's all but certain that the top three hitters will be, in some order, Turner, Schwarber and Harper.
So, what could the change be? And what are the pros and cons to each potential lineup?
Let's take a closer look at each of the possible configurations as the Phils prepare to head to Clearwater, Fla., for Spring Training.
KEEP IT THE SAME
1. Turner
2. Schwarber
3. Harper
Why it could work: This was the configuration the Phillies ultimately settled on for the majority of last season. This trio played 47 games together following the All-Star break -- and this was the order they used in all 47 (plus all four postseason games). The reasons to stick with it are obvious: Turner and Schwarber both had MVP-caliber seasons, the team went 28-19 in those games (a 96-win pace) and, overall, the Phils’ offense ranked fourth in OPS and eighth in scoring.
Potential problem(s): Without a serious offensive threat hitting cleanup behind him, Harper had his worst offensive season as a Phillie. His .844 OPS was his lowest since 2016, while his .357 on-base percentage was his worst qualified mark since his debut year in 2012. Alec Bohm is the most likely candidate for the No. 4 spot this season.
CHANGE IT UP
1. Turner
2. Harper
3. Schwarber
Why it could work: The reason for flipping Schwarber and Harper is simple: Give Harper more protection. But it might not be that easy …
Potential problem(s): The Phillies tried this, albeit briefly, last season. Wanting to get Harper more pitches in the zone, Thomson flipped the two on April 11 and rolled with that until Harper went down with a left wrist injury on June 6. Upon his return, the Phillies went back to using Schwarber in front of Harper instead of behind him.
But here’s the thing: none of that made a difference. In fact, Harper saw fewer pitches in the zone in April and May (42.5%) than he did from July onwards (43.6%). What this means it teams are essentially going to pitch Harper the way they want to pitch him, regardless of who’s hitting behind him.
THROWBACK LINEUP
1. Schwarber
2. Turner
3. Harper
Why it could work: This was the configuration the Phillies used for much of the 2023 and ‘24 seasons -- this trio’s first two seasons together. Schwarber was in the leadoff spot for all 149 games he started in 2024 and hit leadoff 108 times in ’23. He also hit leadoff in all 34 postseason games from 2022-24. But Schwarber's name was penciled atop the order just seven times last season, as the Phils went a more traditional route.
Potential problem(s): Though a leadoff Schwarbomb -- of which there has been many -- provides an immediate boost for the Phillies, they ideally would like to get Turner on base before Schwarber steps to the plate. Not a bad idea considering the latter hit a career-high 56 home runs last season.
DARKHORSE OPTION
1. Harper
2. Turner
3. Schwarber
Why it could work: Maybe this is the way to get Harper more pitches to hit. Now, as covered above, it’s not as simple as putting a good hitter behind him, but maybe putting two dangerous hitters behind Harper might help. This alignment also keeps the two left-handed hitters separated, though that’s less of a priority with Schwarber coming off a historically dominant season against left-handed pitchers.
Potential problem(s): Harper has made only 38 career starts in the leadoff position, including only two in the past six seasons. One came on Oct. 4, 2022 -- one day after the Phillies had clinched a postseason spot and threw together a hodgepodge lineup. The other was last season on Sept. 8, the first game after Turner went down with a hamstring injury.
Not to mention, this alignment would leave Schwarber with the same lack of protection in the No. 3 spot that the Phillies are concerned about with Harper.