Kyle, Kyle, Kyle

Kyle Schwarber is a career .231 hitter who is hitting .183 (and falling) so far this season. His best year, average-wise, was 2021 when he hit a combined .266 for the Nationals and Red Sox. 

In his last three games, which happen to correspond to him moving to hitting leadoff, Kyle is a big, fat 0 for 14 with 6 strikeouts. In his last 7 games, he's 2 for 26 with 12 strikeouts. He has 41 strikeouts in 120 at-bats this year. This is not what you want from a leadoff hitter. 

So why in the ever-loving hell is he still leading off? He's not getting on base at all, and even if he was in the middle of a career-average year, he'd be getting on base at a paltry .337 clip. He's not going to hit his way out of this slump. That's not who he is. He's a guy who hits a lot of homers, strikes out a ton, and not much else. 

He needs to be dropped down the lineup (if not out for a couple of days) immediately. Recent call-up Dalton Guthrie would have to be an improvement over Mr. 2 for 25. Kyle is in the second year of a 4-year, $79 million contract. This deal is looking worse than the Ryan Howard contract, a 5-year, $125 million deal he signed in April 2010. Howard tore his Achilles in a 2011 playoff game and was never the same after that. At least he had an excuse. 

Bryson Stott was hitting lead off and started to struggle. And guess what. Manager Rob Thomson moved him down in the lineup. The most consistent Phillie this year has been Brandon Marsh. Let him hit first. But Thomson can't keep Schwarber at the top, with both him and team in a terrible slump. It defies logic. 

Just because the Phils made the World Series last year with Schwarber up top is not a reason to keep him there. The Phillies need baserunners. Schwarber doesn't get on base. Either move him down or out of the lineup.