This Philadelphia Phillies player could break out for one major reason.
The Philadelphia Phillies could certainly use an offensive boost after not really improving their lineup at all this offseason.
Yes, the Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto, and they essentially replaced Nick Castellanos with Adolis Garcia, but they are basically running it back with the same team as 2025, minus a couple of key players.
Philadelphia definitely needs some more firepower alongside of Schwarber and Bryce Harper, and it may wait until the MLB trade deadline to try and find it.
Or maybe the Phillies will get it from an unexpected source?
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter has tabbed second baseman Bryson Stott as the team's most likely breakout hitter in 2026, citing Stott's impending 2028 free agency as a major reason for the potential jump.
"Stott doesn't fit into the same obvious breakout boxes as the other guys on this list, but with a 4.3-WAR season on his resume and free agency on the horizon next offseason, the stakes are high for his 2026 campaign," Reuter wrote. "His OPS climbed from .637 during the first half to .855 after the All-Star break last season, and that could be the springboard to a career year."
Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott. Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.Stott slashed .257/.328/.391 with 13 home runs and 66 RBI over 560 plate appearances last season and has never been anything more than a league-average bat — at best — since entering the big leagues in 2022.
The 28-year-old was originally selected by Philadelphia with the 14th overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft, and while it's not necessarily fair to call him a bust, he certainly has not lived up to expectations. At least at the plate.
But perhaps Stott will finally start to emerge in 2026?
The Las Vegas native has two years of club control remaining, so if he wants to get paid a couple of winters from now, he better start producing.
Stott owns a career .256/.318/.383 slash line, with his best season coming in 2023 when he managed a .747 OPS and homered a career-high 15 times.
He will definitely need to be quite a bit better than that this year, both for the sake of the Phillies and himself.
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