The Philadelphia Phillies are struggling out of the gate, and you don’t have to look far to find the culprit.
Their three superstar hitters – Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber – have been ice cold to start the season.
The numbers are brutal.
Turner is hitting just 3-for-18 with one double, a walk and five strikeouts. Harper’s managed only 1-for-16 with a single, two walks and four strikeouts. Schwarber’s sitting at 2-for-16 with a home run, one walk and eight strikeouts.
Combined, that’s 6-for-50. A .120 batting average from your top three guys.
The rest of the lineup isn’t picking up the slack either. Alec Bohm’s at 2-for-14, J.T. Realmuto’s 1-for-9, and Adolis Garcia is 3-for-15.
There are a few bright spots. Brandon Marsh is swinging it well at 5-for-12, while Justin Crawford (3-for-9) and Bryson Stott (3-for-8) have contributed. But that’s not nearly enough to carry an offense.
Look, it’s early. These things tend to even out over time, and we’re talking about proven big league hitters here. But when your tone-setters at the top of the order are struggling like this, it creates a ripple effect through the entire lineup.
For Philadelphia to turn things around, they need Harper, Turner and Schwarber to start doing what they’ve done their entire careers. The Phillies’ season starts at the top of that batting order.
