Thanks to their blockbuster Bryce Harper signing, the Phillies now boast a lineup that should stack up with the best around the Major Leagues.

But where should Harper hit? Manager Gabe Kapler shared his initial thoughts when news of Harper's agreement with the Phillies broke, saying: "Bryce would hit third, fourth for us, most likely. But we've seen in the past that he can hit anywhere at the top of a lineup."

If that's in fact what the Phillies do, they still have to fill out the lineup around Harper. They have a trio of other new key bats in J.T. Realmuto, Andrew McCutchen and Jean Segura, plus returning core players such as Rhys Hoskins to slot in.

So what's the optimal 2019 Phillies starting lineup? How about this:

1) Cesar Hernandez (S), 2B
2) Andrew McCutchen (R), LF
3) Bryce Harper (L), RF
4) Rhys Hoskins (R), 1B
5) J.T. Realmuto (R), C
6) Jean Segura (R), SS
7) Maikel Franco (R), 3B
8) Odubel Herrera (L), CF
9) Pitcher

Here's how it breaks down.

1) Cesar Hernandez (S), 2B

An interesting pick for the leadoff spot would be Andrew McCutchen, especially after seeing the Yankees deploy him there with great success down the stretch last season. But Cutch's power makes him a little more flexible. He might fit better in more of a run-producing spot.

Hernandez is even faster than McCutchen and has similar on-base skills, making him an excellent leadoff candidate. The 28-year-old had an average sprint speed of 29.2 ft/sec last season (MLB average is just 27 ft/sec), making him the fastest projected Phillies regular. When he gets on, he can make things happen -- he's had 15-plus steals in each of his four full seasons. And he gets on a lot, posting an on-base percentage over .350 for three years running.

2) Andrew McCutchen (R), LF

McCutchen's multi-dimensional ability makes him a great fit for the No. 2 spot, which ideally yields both a high number of plate appearances and opportunities to drive in runs. McCutchen should be able to set up Philly's big bats -- the Steamer projections see him having a .360-plus on-base percentage for a third straight season in 2019 -- and also create offense himself, as he's reached the 20-homer mark eight years in a row and is projected to hit 25-plus in 2019. Cutch is the right type of hitter to transition the top of the order to the middle.

3) Bryce Harper (L), RF

Harper could hit second, where teams often bat their best hitter (for example, Aaron Judge with the Yankees or Christian Yelich with the Brewers). Really, he could even hit first (a la Mookie Betts), since he draws tons of walks to go along with his homers. Harper is projected for 90-plus walks and an on-base percentage approaching .400 next season, by far the highest on the Phillies.

But even if Kapler hadn't suggested it already, the traditional No. 3 spot might be the best for Harper in Philadelphia. Hernandez and McCutchen should be able to set the table for him often, and he's the team's most dangerous hitter. Bryce is projected for a team-best 146 Weighted Runs Created Plus in 2019 -- meaning he'd be over 40 percent better than league average offensively -- as well as a .925 OPS and 35 home runs.

It will be interesting to see if the Phillies move Harper around the lineup, as the Nationals did. Other elite hitters such as Mike Trout have batted throughout the top third of the order, depending on team needs.

4) Rhys Hoskins (R), 1B

Hoskins is more of a pure slugger. Slot him into the cleanup spot and wait for the home runs to roll in. The 25-year-old hit 34 long balls in his first full season in 2018, and he's actually projected to crush the most homers of any Phillies player this year -- 36 to Harper's 35. Hoskins' projected 129 wRC+ and .851 OPS are also second-highest on the team behind Harper.

5) J.T. Realmuto (R), C

Realmuto joins the Phillies coming off the best season of his career -- the 27-year-old set personal bests in home runs (21), OPS (.825) and wRC+ (126). Realmuto's 20-plus home run potential and overall offensive game make him the right player to follow Hoskins in the middle third of Philadelphia's lineup.

6) Jean Segura (R), SS

Segura probably isn't quite as much of a power threat as Realmuto (although he has reached double-digit homers three straight years), but he's established himself as a solid contributor at the plate. Segura just gets a lot of hits. The 28-year-old has been a .300 hitter the last three seasons, with a wRC+ over 110 in all three, too.

7) Maikel Franco (R), 3B

Franco has been up-and-down as a hitter, and he struggles to get on base, but his power's consistent. The 26-year-old has exceeded 20 homers in each of his three full seasons with the Phillies, and projects to do so again in 2019.

8) Odubel Herrera (L), CF

The Phillies could swap Herrera and Franco for lefty-righty balance. But Herrera's been trending in the wrong direction. While he hit a career-high 22 homers last season, his on-base percentage dipped to a career-low .310. The 27-year-old has seen his wRC+ drop every year in the Majors, from 111 as a rookie in 2015 to 110 in '16 to 101 in '17 to a sub-league-average 97 in '18. He could rebound, but for now Franco gets the edge in the order.

9) Pitcher

That wraps up a Phillies batting order that has the potential to be one of baseball's strongest this season.