Stott making case for Opening Day... but where will he play?

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Bryson Stott does not like to look too far into the future.

“I always like to be where my feet are,” he said Monday morning.

It is a healthy mindset, but it will not stop Phillies fans from wondering where Stott’s feet will be on Opening Day. At shortstop for the Phils? At third base? Triple-A Lehigh Valley? Stott, who is the organization’s No. 1 prospect and No. 45 prospect in baseball, is building his case to make Philadelphia’s Opening Day roster. He went 3-for-3 with one double and several nice plays at shortstop in Monday’s 7-1 victory over the Orioles. He is batting .533 (8-for-15) with one double, one home run, three RBIs, five walks and four strikeouts this spring. A year ago, Stott batted .179 (5-for-28) with one homer, two RBIs, one walk and 16 strikeouts in Grapefruit League action.

“The biggest thing I wanted to do coming in, just relax and be comfortable,” Stott said. “Last year, I was tense and I was trying to hit the ball, I mean, before the pitcher even threw it, I was already swinging and trying to do stuff that I know I shouldn’t be doing.”

“He’s playing great,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. “There’s no doubt about it.”

Stott entered camp competing with Didi Gregorius for the job. Gregorius is healthy and playing well, batting .313 (5-for-16) with one double, two homers and four RBIs.

It would be a surprise if Gregorius is not at shortstop on Opening Day.

“Didi’s playing well, but we’re still looking at everything,” Girardi said. “Didi looks great. The ball’s coming off his bat. His defense has been good. And again, the most important thing for this team is securing the baseball, right? Plays we need to make, we need to make. However you make ‘em, too. You can fall down and catch popups. I don’t care. Just catch ‘em. They count.”

It explains why Stott started at third base on Sunday against Toronto. The Phillies hoped that Alec Bohm would have seized the job at third, but he has not. He is batting .105 (2-for-19) with one double, one RBI, two walks and three strikeouts. Bohm’s struggles opened the door for Stott and Johan Camargo, who was the Braves’ everyday third baseman in 2018. Camargo, who started at second on Monday, is batting .278 (5-for-18) with two doubles, three RBIs, one walk and two strikeouts.

Girardi said he does not know when Stott might play third base again. Stott said he is OK with wherever he plays.

“Obviously I want to get to the big leagues and help this team any way I can,” he said. “If it’s at third, short or wherever it may be, it’s obviously not up to me. I’m going to catch the ball wherever I play.”

Of course, Stott moving around the field might give Phillies fans flashbacks to Scott Kingery in 2018. Kingery is a natural second baseman, but the Phils bounced him around the infield and outfield throughout his career, and he struggled. He is no longer on the 40-man roster.

But Stott is not worried about that, if it goes that way.

“Bobby [Dickerson] always says it -- we’re not infielders, we catch the ball,” Stott said about the Phillies’ infield coach. “I don’t mind going to either position. I mean, obviously, like I said, I have to catch the ball and throw it to Rhys [Hoskins] or whoever’s playing first. He’s got to catch it from me, so it doesn’t really matter to me where I play. I just want to get up there and help this team win. If that’s somewhere other than shortstop then that’s what it is.”