Stott Must Remain in Philadelphia Phillies' Starting Lineup for Rest of World Series

Bryson Stott spat on ball four and began making his way down to first base in the seventh inning of World Series Game 2 on Saturday.

The Philadelphia Phillies' rookie was brought on as a pinch hitter for Edmundo Sosa, who started at shortstop with Houston Astros' left-hander Framber Valdez on the mound.

Stott drew the walk on the 12th pitch of the at-bat. After falling behind in the count 0-2 to 'Stros' reliever Rafael Montero, Stott battled. He fouled off six pitches, before eventually working a full count and walking on a 91.8 mph change-up in the dirt.

It was an impressive showing by the 25-year-old, and his gritty at-bats and plate discipline were missed in Game 2. While Manager Rob Thomson's reasoning for starting Sosa over Stott, and Matt Vierling over Brandon Marsh in center field makes sense, it may not be the best game plan moving forward.

Sosa was 0-for-2 with two strikeouts, and committed a throwing error that allowed another Astros' run to score in a nightmare first inning, in which starter Zack Wheeler allowed three straight doubles. 

Simply put, Stott is the stronger option offensively, and maybe even defensively, right now. While the rookie might not have flashy numbers to show for it, he's been solid this postseason, and his ability to work the count is invaluable. Small moments like these at-bats can lead to big results in postseason games, and may even get in the pitcher's head.

It clearly had that effect on Montero on Saturday, as Kyle Schwarber nearly had a two-run home run twice, but missed his fourth home run of the postseason by mere inches. The right-hander got lucky, and was able to escape the inning without further damage, despite Stott being 90 ft. from home plate.

Additionally, Stott's offensive numbers at home this postseason eclipse his numbers on the road by a notable margin. In fact, he has yet to record a hit in away games, but across 19 plate appearances at Citizens Bank Park, he's slashing .316/.316/.526 with two doubles, two RBI, and five strikeouts.

For the remainder of the World Series, regardless of who's on the mound, Stott needs to be in the starting lineup. He may just be the difference-maker the Phillies need in Games 3, 4, and 5.

Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Substack and Twitter!