Mar 29, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (5) hits a double during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images Reggie Hildred
WASHINGTON — If you predicted before the season that Bryson Stott would bounce back offensively in 2025, Saturday's 11-6 Phillies win made you look pretty smart.
Stott doubled in his first trip to the plate off of Nationals starter Jake Irvin, but was stranded on a sharp liner by Brandon Marsh that CJ Abrams caught at shortstop.
There was no stranding Stott in his second at-bat of the game, as he roped a two-run shot into the Nationals bullpen in the top of the fourth inning:
It’s Campanazo SZN
🎙️:@OscarBudejen calls Bryson Stott’s home run via @_piccone
pic.twitter.com/o1hL1A69eU
As NBC Sports Philadelphia's Corey Seidman noted, Stott homered and doubled in his first two at-bats Saturday after not having a single game where he did both last year.
Stott didn't deliver one of the big blows in a five-run sixth inning, but he did still walk and score on a wild pitch from Nationals reliever Lucas Sims.
It was hard not to be impressed by what Stott did Saturday.
"It was a good day," Rob Thomson said of Stott postgame. "He's swinging the bat well, and it looks like he was a couple years ago. He's seeing a lot of pitches ... not getting out of the zone ..using the entire field ... driving the ball in the gaps. Yeah, he was good."
For his part, Stott was happy that he was able to do damage on the fastball, a pitch he often times struggled to catch up with a year ago.
"That was a pitch last year that I struggled with and just to kind of see it come to life again two days in is awesome," Stott said.
In many ways, the second game of the season served as a reminder of the ceiling Stott potentially has. He hit just .241 with a .671 OPS in a disappointing offensive campaign last year that was affected to some degree by a nerve issue Stott had in his right elbow for much of the season. Even still, he stole 32 bases and posted seven defensive runs saved at second base. If he bounces back at the plate, he has a chance to be an All-Star.
Make no mistake, it's a pivotal year for Stott. The former first-round pick will continue to get more expensive as he progresses through the arbitration system in 2026, his second of three years of eligibility. If he disappoints offensively again, it's possible that the Phillies could trade Stott and move Trea Turner to second base, with top prospect Aidan Miller expected to arrive at shortstop at some point next season.
But if Saturday was any indication of what's to come from Stott at the plate, he's going to be in the lineup this year, next year and for many years into the future.
