Rob Thomson weighed in on the possibility of moving Bryce Harper to the leadoff spot in 2025

Bryce Harper Leading Off? The Philadelphia Phillies have made one thing clear this offseason: they’re ready to shake things up. After another year of falling short of the ultimate goal—a World Series title—the team is exploring all avenues for improvement. One intriguing possibility? Moving Bryce Harper to the leadoff spot.

Rob Thomson was asked about the idea of Harper batting first, and while he didn’t confirm it’s happening, he didn’t shoot it down either. “It might take some convincing,” Thomson said, referring to Harper, who’s been a fixture in the No. 3 spot.

Kyle Schwarber was the leadoff hitter for the Phillies in 149 games in 2024. He hit 38 home runs and led the National League with 106 walks, joining Aaron Judge and Juan Soto as the only players to have over 100 walks.

Harper batted third in all 145 games he played in 2024, where he belted 30 home runs and continued to be the offensive engine of the Phillies lineup.

The idea of Harper leading off may seem unconventional—after all, he’s built for run production—but it underscores the Phillies’ willingness to think outside the box.

Bryce Harper Batting Leadoff? I absolutely Love It and Ryan Spaeder Broke It Down Perfectly.

…you don’t need a “golden at-bat,” just stop wasting Bryce Harper plate appearances. This goes for every team — your best hitter bats leadoff. It took a Mookie Betts injury for the Dodgers to figure that out with Ohtani. It shouldn’t take something so dramatic.

…38.4 is A LOT.

— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) December 4, 2024

Full Tweet:

Despite how incredible Bryce Harper has been with the #Phillies, he has averaged just over 100 runs and fewer than 100 RBI per 162 games played over the last five season. Again, that is not per season, rather per 162 games played. During that same period, he has excelled as one of the best hitters in baseball with RISP, boasting a .311/.454/.571 slash-line.

Clearly, he is not the issue; rather, it seems that he is not being utilized efficiently by the club. Worth noting that he and Schwarber — who routinely bats leadoff for Philadelphia — have nearly an identical number of opportunities with RISP on a per-game basis in their three seasons together. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it now, and I will say it again: Bryce Harper should bat leadoff every single game.

Schwarber hitting a leadoff home run presents a problem for the opposition, but Bryce Harper doing ANYTHING productive as the first batter of the game is a problem. Harper gives you 130 runs scored and 115 RBI over the course of a season out of the leadoff spot.

We can also note that Harper has batted .306/.386/.545 leading off any inning over the last five seasons, and that over the course of the last five seasons, the #Phillies leadoff spot has seen 38.4 more plate appearances per season than their three-hole.

A move like this could jumpstart the lineup, and puts Bryce Harper at the plate more often while adding a little chaos at the top of the order. The question is whether Harper, at 32 years old and accustomed to his role in the heart of the order, would embrace the change.

This isn’t just about Harper, though. The Phillies are clearly in the midst of a potential overhaul. Trade rumors surrounding Alec Bohm have swirled, and the team has been linked to international pitching phenom Roki Sasaki.

Rob Thomson told reporters that the Phillies are not ‘shopping’ Alec Bohm >>

Thomson admitted he’s still waiting to see what the final roster looks like before making concrete plans, but the message is clear: nothing is off the table.

Would moving Harper to leadoff help the Phillies finally break through and win their first World Series since 2008? It’s impossible to say right now, but it’s a sign that the team is willing to explore bold moves to address what hasn’t worked.

And after years of coming close but falling short, maybe bold is exactly what they need.

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