April 10, 2023
Should Joltin' Joe DiMaggio be worried? Definitely not, but Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott has begun the year on a nine-game hitting streak. The Phils' 2019 first-round pick is blossoming in his second big league season, making a name for himself even in a lineup filled with star power. With those big-money players all in their prime, the Phillies have a guy in Stott on the rise in his age-25 year campaign.
He's a gamer and a keeper.
With the Fightins rebounding for their first series win over their weekend and Stott's heroics playing a major part in giving Philadelphia baseball a much-needed spark, Stott is my choice for who "won the week in Philly sports," my recurring Monday feature here at PhillyVoice.
More on Stott heating up...
In a super-small sample size to begin 2023, Stott is hitting .428, the second-highest mark in the National League, trailing only the Marlins' Luiz Arraez (.471). He's tied for third in hits with Bryan Reynolds (15) behind Arraez and Los Angeles' Freddie Freeman. Superstar Trea Turner would still be a better bet to be the first Phillie to win the NL batting title since Richie Ashburn in 1958, but Stott's play through this short season showcases his long-term upside in red pinstripes.
Stott has been on a nine-game hit streak to begin the 2023 season. Here are the top hit streaks in franchise history he'll be trying to eclipse:
| Player | Year | Hit Streak | MLB Rank |
| Jimmy Rollins | 2005-06 | 38 | 8th |
| Chase Utley | 2006 | 35 | t-11th |
| Ed Delahanty | 1899 | 31 | t-26th |
Delahanty is in the Hall of Fame and people are going to be yelling about Rollins and Utley's respective candidacy for the next half-decade. That would be some great company if Stott can get this streak into the double digits.
Stott came up clutch on Saturday afternoon, delivering the Phillies a come-from-behind win and helping them pick up their third win of the year. Trailing 2-0 entering the bottom of the ninth, the Fightins got a spark. A Brandon Marsh RBI single and a sac fly from Edmundo Sosa tied things up. That brought Stott up to the plate. After Marsh swiped second to put a runner in scoring position, Stott delivered while facing a full count:
BRYSON STOTT WALK-OFF
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) April 8, 2023
PHILLIES WIN!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/7VE4WyLrAe
The team camaraderie is there. This core proved last fall they can break through and win even in the unlikeliest of moments. That sweep down in Texas could be a complete afterthought by next week.
Thank Stott for that.
Last week's winner: Well, no one won last week. I didn't write one because the state of the sports scene was putrid for the previous seven days. I probably should've given all of the Sixers, Flyers and Phillies a negative one in the leaderboard given that they were all in-season.
2023 Who Won the Week Tally:
Joel Embiid: 4
James Harden: 2
Bryson Stott: 1
Mac McClung: 1
Haason Reddick: 1
Kenny Gainwell: 1
DeVonta Smith: 1
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