Is moving Trea Turner to the leadoff spot enough to fix the Phillies’ offense?

Can Trea Turner save the Philadelphia Phillies?

The Phillies made a few, uninspiring changes this offseason after a brutal 2024 playoff collapse to their division rival New York Mets. Obviously, the question now is if the moves made by Dave Dombrowski will be enough for the Phillies to keep pace with other “stupid money” contenders to get them the entire way to the Fall Classic this season.

Bryce Harper Unfazed with Dodgers and Mets Spending: “It’s Great for the Players”

Trust me, I’ll be the first to tell you that the options in free agency over the winter outside of a few big names were basically slim-to-none.

That played a major part in the Phillies opting for two oft-injured pitchers (Jordan Romano and Jesús Luzardo) and a platoon outfielder (Max Kepler).

It wasn’t exactly the kind of offseason that screams, “We’re all-in for 2025” and instead of banking on external additions to help this ball club, the Phillies will rely on internal changes to get back in the mix, highlighted by the always fun conversation of who will be batting in the leadoff spot.

I hate this topic. It’s annoying how much it’s discussed and at this point, it’s almost lazy to even write about. Yes, we are back to talking about Trea Turner leading off instead of Kyle Schwarber.

Since arriving in Philly, Schwarber has smashed 131 home runs in the regular season and another 12 in the playoffs while embracing the leadoff role despite profiled more as a middle-of-the-order bat.

The case to move him is simple—Schwarber’s homers have been too frequently wasted as solo shots. Of his 143 home runs as a Phillie, 97 have been solo bombs, 10% above the league average. If he’s batting third or fourth instead of first, more of those long balls could come with runners on base.

Trea Turner at Leadoff? It’s About Time.

Turner discussed the possible switch with MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, admitting that leading off again would allow him to play to his strengths—speed and contact.

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

We need Captain America Trea Turner

When Trea Turner became Captain America 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/HtTvqjRRb3

— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) February 20, 2025

This isn’t just about speed, though. Trea Turner also admitted that batting ahead of Bryce Harper had him pressing too much at the plate.

Since joining the Phillies, Turner’s chase rate has ballooned to 34.7% compared to 27.4% in his first eight seasons. That’s a massive jump and helps explain why his offensive production has been so inconsistent.

If batting leadoff makes him more selective, it could go a long way toward solving the Phillies’ swing-and-miss problem.

Trea Turner on the possibility of leading off this season: pic.twitter.com/rovBY1KEGF

— Devan Kaney (@Devan_Kaney) February 20, 2025

Is This Enough to Fix the Offense?

The Phillies’ biggest issue last October wasn’t pitching—it was a complete offensive collapse in the NLCS. Their approach at the plate fell apart, and too many guys turned into free-swinging rally killers.

Turner moving to leadoff should help, but will it be the difference between another heartbreak and a title? That’s a lot to ask from one batting order tweak.

At some point, the Phillies will have to confront a harsh reality: their championship window isn’t getting any wider. This core is getting older, not better, and if a lineup shuffle is their biggest answer for 2025, they’re rolling the dice on internal improvement instead of real upgrades.

We’ll see how it all plays out but if just tinkering the lineup that has been known to go “cold” together all at once. I’m skeptical but production will heal all doubts once Opening Day rolls around.

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