How Segura brings new look to Phils' lineup

PHILADELPHIA -- Jean Segura is not like any other hitters in the Phillies' lineup.
Segura has hit at least .300 in three consecutive seasons, which no Phillies player has accomplished since Bobby Abreu (2002-04). He has stolen at least 20 bases in six consecutive seasons, while no Phillies player has stolen 20 bases since Odúbel Herrera (25) in '16. He is one of the most difficult players in baseball to strike out, with the fourth-lowest strikeout rate (10.9 percent) in baseball last season. The Phillies have not had a player with a lower strikeout rate since Ben Revere (7.8 percent) in '14.
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Segura, whom the Phillies acquired Monday in a trade with Seattle, should slide very nicely into the top third of manager Gabe Kapler's lineup. In fact, it is easy to see Segura hitting second and Rhys Hoskins hitting fourth with Carlos Santana sent to Seattle in the trade.
But a lineup with Segura hitting second and Hoskins hitting fourth could be short-lived. Segura is not expected to be the only position player the Phillies add before Spring Training. They would love to add at least Manny Machado to the lineup. If not him, then maybe Bryce Harper, Michael Brantley, A.J. Pollock or any number of others. Current Phillies players could be traded, too. Time will tell.

But clearly the Phillies have a hitter with a different style than the swing-and-miss Phillies of 2018. 
"I don't think we're seeing a shift in the way that we evaluate players," Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. "I still very much like the guys that grind at-bats and control the strike zone. I think that the interesting thing is that we think of players that control the strike zone as exclusively players that both strike out and walk a lot. Jean doesn't walk a lot, but he also doesn't strike out a lot, and I think that is reflective of a different form of strike-zone control.
"Obviously, he puts the bat on the ball at an extremely impressive clip and that is how you hit .300 for three straight years, but I wouldn't say philosophically we're changing how we evaluate players. We still like guys that see pitches and work walks, but we are not going to ask Segura to stop being the type of player that he is because what he is is a really good Major League player."