The Phillies have enjoyed a very successful August, going 15-5. Alec Bohm (.947 OPS in August), Bryce Harper (1.004 OPS), and Justin Crawford (.865 OPS) have played a big part in the team’s hot month.
Equally useful has been Bryson Stott (.880 OPS). The second-turned-third baseman has maintained this production for much of the summer. Since June, Stott has ranked as the fifth-most valuable player by fWAR (2.9). His blend of consistent offense and solid defense has always made him valuable to Philadelphia. How has he taken his production to the next level to become elite?
His Offense Has Continued To Progress
Bryson Stott has been consistently productive at the plate since the start of the summer. His .293/.390/.431 slash line has showcased his best skills at the plate- good discipline and consistent contact. He’s still flashed some power, with 17 doubles, four triples, and three home runs in that time. Just as valuable has been his speed on the bases, going 13-for-13 on stolen-base opportunities.
How has Stott transformed his offense? Compared to his early-season Statcast numbers, more results seem to be going his way:
- Opening Day-May 31: 90.0 average exit velocity, 7.1 Barrel%, 36.3 HardHit%, .250 expected batting average (.217 actual), .398 expected slugging percentage (.380 actual)
- Since June 1: 88.5 average exit velocity, 5.0 Barrel%, 36.3 HardHit%, .283 xBA (.293 actual), .403 xSLG (.431 actual)
There’s evidence Stott is riding a hot streak that won’t hold up the rest of the season. But there’s another reason that Stott has been successful at the plate. Stott has shown great ability to make contact with pitches to all parts of the plate. Using Statcast’s breakdown of attack zones (shown in better detail here), we can see how well Stott has generated contact compared to the league average this summer:
- Heart Zone Contact- 89.3%
- Shadow Zone Contact- 88.4%
- Chase Zone Contact- 54.1%
Stott has been above the league average in all three categories, with big differences in shadow and chase zone contact:
- Heart Zone Contact- 88.9%
- Shadow Zone Contact- 77.4%
- Chase Zone Contact- 47.8%
He’s Maintained Elite Defensive Work
For much of his career, Bryson Stott has been an excellent defender. Stott has accumulated +33 outs above average at second base, contributing +16 fielding run value. This year, his range-based OAA of 10 ranks in the 97th percentile. Stott’s impressive defensive metrics at second base have compared well but fallen just short of his newest teammate Luis Arraez:
- Stott- +7 OAA, +3 fielding run value
- Arraez– +11 OAA, +9 fielding run value
The Phillies acquired Arraez and catered to his wish to stay at second base. As a result, it moved a Gold Glove-caliber fielder over to third base. In his short stint, however, he’s proven that he can handle the transition with ease. Stott has put up +3 OAA and +2 fielding run value in just 148 innings at the position. While he doesn’t have enough innings to qualify for leaderboards, Stott would rank tied third in OAA and fourth in fielding run value.
His Baserunning Has Stayed Elite
Stott’s baserunning has been incredible during his career. He’s been 90th percentile or better in Baseball Savant Baserunning Value, and this year ranks in the 99th percentile with +6 value. Despite a drop in sprint speed this year to 28.4 ft/s, Stott has been as valuable as ever. By Fangraphs’ baserunning runs above average, Stott’s 6.6 is second-best to Corbin Carroll (7.6).
Other Fangraphs stats for valuing speed have also supported his elite season on the bases. Speed Score is a four-part measurement of speed and baserunning skill, with 7.0 being excellent. Stott ranks at a 7.3, tied for fifth-best in baseball. XBR is a measurement of Statcast’s baserunning above average, and Stott sits in the top 10 at 2.7. wSB, meanwhile, measures stolen bases and caught stealings above average. Stott’s 3.9 wSB is third in baseball, behind Nasim Nunez (4.4) and Jose Ramirez (4.0).
By traditional offensive metrics, Stott still ranks well among his peers. Stott’s 23 stolen bases this year are among the top 15, and his six triples have already cleared a career-high. He’s just one of a few players with more than five stolen bases to not get caught.
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