Phillies' lineup plan is bad news for Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh

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Phillies' lineup plan is bad news for Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Philadelphia Phillies have an interesting offensive dynamic coming into play for the 2026 MLB season. While most of the lineup isn't dealing with any platoons for the 2026 season, there look to be a few spots dealing with such uncertainty.

Thanks to a matchup against Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, the lefty who's won back-to-back Cy Youngs in 2024 and 2025, the Phillies lineup plan for 2026 has been revealed.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Rob Thomson made a big lineup announcement that is bad news for both Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott.

Phillies' lineup plan is bad news for Marsh and Stott​

"Phillies are facing Tarik Skubal tomorrow and they will start Edmundo Sosa at second base with Otto Kemp in left field," Gelb reports. "That, Rob Thomson said, will likely be the plan against lefties to begin the season."

While the Phillies will be giving Adolis Garcia and Justin Crawford full rein over right field and left field, respectively, the Phillies won't be doing the same with Marsh in left field.

Instead of playing every day, Marsh is looking to be in a platoon with Otto Kemp in left field, with Marsh starting against right-handed pitching, and Kemp against left-handed pitching.

That plan has been hinted at for much of the offseason, and it makes a lot of sense. Marsh has a .797 OPS against righties, but a .581 OPS against lefties. Sitting Marsh against lefties makes the most sense.

However, Stott's entering into a platoon with Edmundo Sosa is a new piece of news for the Phillies' second base spot. Stott's platoon splits are a .712 OPS against righties and a .666 OPS against lefties.

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Sosa, the right-handed hitting infielder, will be starting games against left-handed pitching this upcoming season, starting over Stott.

The beloved infielder has looked to be turning a corner recently, posting an OPS of .864 and .896 in the final two months of the regular season last year. But his .575 OPS against lefties isn't doing him any favors.

Thomson's plan for the Phillies lineup, to platoon at second base and left field, will be what the team begins the year with.

When it's a righty on the mound, Stott and Marsh will get the start. When it's a lefty, Sosa and Kemp will start. And if one player begins to go on a tear, they might get the chance to play more often.

More MLB news:​

• Blue Jays sign Joe Mantiply to minor league contract
• Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki will return to rotation, not bullpen according Dave Roberts
• Konnor Griffin projected to make Pirates Opening Day roster by two analysts
• Alex Cora announces Caleb Durbin is Red Sox starting third baseman
• Joey Wentz is out for the season with a torn ACL for the Braves
• Reds’ Hunter Greene to be out until July amid brutal injury news
• Braves predicted to trade Bryce Elder for Lars Nootbaar

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