Bryson Stott’s third big-league season didn’t go as planned. The Phillies were expecting big things from Stott, who had a solid sophomore season in the majors. But instead of big things, the former first-round pick had to grind through the woes of a junior slump in 2024.
Two seasons ago, Stott posted a .280 batting average and .747 OPS with 15 home runs and 32 doubles. All of those numbers decreased in 2024. Stott’s batting average dipped to .245 last season, with his OPS dropping to .671. He finished the year with 12 home runs and 19 doubles.
Stott did improve in some areas. His walk rate finished at a career-high 9.3%. But for the most part, he regressed. One major area of his game that fell off was his ability to hit fastballs. After struggling against heaters during his rookie season, Stott was much better against them in 2023, hitting .304 and slugging .439. Those numbers weren’t as good last season. Stott batted .220 against fastballs in 2024. He slugged just .350 against them.
Stott’s consistent lack of production in 2024 was unlike what we’d seen in previous years. He made adjustments throughout his rookie season. There were moments in 2022 when he flashed signs of being a more-than-capable big-league hitter after stretches of serious struggles. He experienced ups and downs in 2023, too. But outside of a hot three-week stretch in May, Stott never got going last season.
His lesser production now makes more sense. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski revealed to Jim Salisbury of PHLY that Stott dealt with a sore elbow for most of 2024. Dombrowski noted the issue affected Stott’s ability to drive the ball. Both Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson told Salisbury they expect Stott to improve offensively in 2025.
Numbers back up Stott’s inability to drive the ball as much. His average exit velocity dipped to 87 mph after being 88.1 mph in 2022 and 2023. His hard-hit rate dropped, too. It was a career-low 30.8% in 2024.
The now 27-year-old made comments back in October that hinted at the idea that he was dealing with an ailment. While saying he avoided serious injuries and time on the injured list, Stott said, “Obviously, you play through things throughout the year that are nagging and don’t seem to go away, and you kind of just put your head down and keep going and find a way to play through those things.”
Fully healthy, Stott could be an impactful hitter for the 2025 Phillies. His ability to work counts, drive the ball all over the field and generate contact at a high rate are qualities the front office is looking to add to the lineup this winter. Stott returning to the 2023 version of himself would be a big help in doing just that.
