Philly Leader

Bryson Stott, the Phillies' second baseman, is optimistic about overcoming last year's elbow injury and aims for a comeback in the 2025 season. Last year, while teammates Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Alec Bohm played in the All-Star Game, Stott watched from home due to his injury struggles.

In 2023, Stott had a strong performance with a WAR of 4.3 and was a Gold Glove finalist. However, an elbow injury last May affected his 2024 performance. “I messed up this nerve,” Stott explained at BayCare Ballpark during the Phillies’ first full-squad workout. Despite batting .245 with 11 home runs and 57 RBIs last season, the injury hampered his offensive capabilities.

Manager Rob Thomson considered placing him on the injured list but deemed him fit enough to play. Stott acknowledged that he played through discomfort: “It’s not an excuse,” he said. After their NL Division Series loss to the Mets, Stott rested his arm for a month.

Now preparing for spring training, he is hopeful about returning to form. “I swung a couple of times today in live BP... And I felt good,” Stott said. Thomson believes in Stott's potential for improvement this year: “I think he’s going to have a much better season than he had last year.”

Stott struggled against fastballs in 2024 but remains focused on using the whole field and leveraging his strengths as a hitter: “Just do what I did in ’23 -- use the whole field.” If successful, he may achieve his goal of making it to the All-Star team this summer.

“There’s a lot of good second basemen and infielders in the league,” noted Stott. “I’ve just got to play better than that.”