Bryson Stott is definitely one of the most valuable Phillies this season.

There’s one more player who also has been red hot (read on. Oh, the team has won nine straight, too).

Am I wearing Phillies’ red-colored glasses, or dipping into some of the Phillie Phanatic’s Kool-Aid?

No.

Over the past few months, Stott has been as reliable as any Phillie with his bat, his glove and his speed. He has been overshadowed by Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber.

On Sunday in the Phils’ dramatic walk-off win, Stott hit cleanup for the first time this season.

Stott recently had a 19-game on-base streak in which he hit .344 with a homer, 12 RBIs, and had a .512 on-base percentage and a .988 OPS. During that time, he walked 21 times and struck out only four times in 61 at-bats.

He became the first Phillie to have an OBP of .512 or better in a 19-game span since Brandon Marsh in 2023. Stott’s 21-walk, four strikeout ratio during that span put him in the same company with Albert Pujols, Todd Helton and Barry Bonds.

In the first 19 games in August, Stott was hitting .327 with a homer, 10 RBIs, 19 walks and five strikeouts to go along with his .476 OBP and his .904 OPS. He may be the team’s most patient hitter, working the counts deep.

Stott started the season slowly until he hit. 287 in both June and July.

Since he made the transition to third base, Stott had made one error at a position he previously played two games in 2022. In addition, he is a perfect 23-for-23 in stolen base attempts this season.

Stott’s timely breakout has helped the Phillies further cement their Wild Card hopes, as they have begun to create some distance in the second spot behind the Cubs. He also has ignited aspirations of the Phils winning the division.

Heading into Saturday’s play, Stott was hitting .262 with nine homers, 59 RBIs, 57 runs, 80 strikeouts, 50 walks, an OPS of .751, and an all-time best OBP of .340. He is a lifetime .257 hitter.

Stott can set new marks in RBIs (66 last year), walks (54, 2025), homers (15 in 2023), batting average (.280 in 2023), and stolen bases (32 in 2024). He also might set a new high for strikeouts (100 in 2023).

With Alec Bohm — who also suddenly is having a breakout year — set for free agency, the Phils are faced with the decision to extend the 29-year-old Stott (a free agent after 2027) before a probable work stoppage for next season. The Cubs gave Nico Hoerner a six-year, $141 million extension.

Stott signed a $5.9 million deal to avoid arbitration, and can still be a bargain. It’s unlikely that the Phils will keep both Stott and Bohm, but Aidan Miller’s uncertain future could create that picture. If Bohm wants to shop around, he will find a lucrative market.

However, Stott provides the Phillies with infield versatility, as he can play second, short and third. Stott has also proven that he can be a productive bat in the bottom-half of the lineup.

At 29, Stott is worth keeping around for a few more years.

Bohm-a-fided ... Like Stott, Bohm has been another major reason for the Phillies recent tear.

During their nine-game winning streak after Sunday’s 6-4 comeback victory, Bohm was hitting .457 with 12 RBIs.

He has totally reversed his course, once being the fans scapegoat for his poor production to being mentioned in the same line as Stott as one of the team’s most valuable players.

Since the All-Star break, Bohm has hit .319 in 116 at-bats. He has three home runs and eight doubles to go along with 24 RBIs. That is a complete turnaround since his .215 in the first half, but he did manage 11 homers and 50 RBIs. He began the season with a 16-for-106 clip.

Yet, his .274 career batting average is one of the highest among his peers who have played third base since 2020, even though he is now at first.

On the flip side of the coin, Bohm doesn’t have the foot speed on the base paths. He also has been plagued with his fielding. Over the years, Bohm accumulated 62 errors at third base since he broke into the majors in 2020. Before this season, he had played sparingly at first.

Since his transition, Bohm has four errors at first, but he has improved his play there.

That Was Them, This Is Now ... On Aug. 5, the Phils were 8.5 games behind the Braves, and any thoughts of a division title were a pipe dream.

After Sunday, that lead was down to three games, thanks to this incredible winning streak. At one point, the Phils were 10.5 games behind on May 22. They did have a 10-game losing streak in April under Rob Thomson.

The Phils now have to capitalize with their road trip to Seattle and Los Angeles (Angels) before their series with the Diamondbacks.

They have seven games left with the Braves, beginning with a four-game set against Atlanta Sept. 4.

The last time the Phillies won more than nine straight games was in 2021 when they won 11 consecutive contests from June 24 to July 4.

By the way, the Braves have lost 11 of their last 16 games.

Fielding Dreams ... In a recent Times News Facebook poll, the question was posed how voters would rate Bryson Stott’s performance at third base.

Apparently, his transition has been appreciated and respected as 92 percent of the pollers believe he is doing a “very good” job at third, while eight percent believe he is “mediocre.”

Stott didn’t receive any votes in the “good” or “bad” categories.

Readers Write

Wherever Necessary

Dear Jeff,

Bryson Stott should be a gold glove at second base, and he looks like a gold glove at third.

I still don’t agree with moving three players to accommodate one, but it looks to be working. Next year, Stott should be the shortstop.

Melissa Hager

Lehighton

Not Yankin’ Anyone ... Simply put, the Yankees just keep winning.

This is despite not having Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Max Fried, Cody Bellinger (expected back by the time you read this), Clarke Schmidt, Carlos Rodon and Ryan McMahon for periods of the season. Stanton, who now has a calf injury, is done for the season, and who knows when or if Judge is coming back.

After Sunday’s game, the Yanks had won six of their last seven, and 11 of their last 16. They have a 12-8 record in August, and had a 14-11 slate in July.

Ben Rice is having an MVP season, and rookie George Lombard Jr. is the real deal. Spencer Jones is beginning to show that he can reach his potential as another mammoth slugger like Judge.

When you look at their stats, they’re not overwhelming, but their home run total is above average.

Still, the Yanks should make the postseason. The American League is weak, and the Bronx Bombers are legitimate World Series contenders. Plus, they will have some pieces back in place soon.

Bush League ... Well, gambling and sports — this time baseball — has sunk to a new low.

BetOnline.com is offering bets on the Little League World Series — yes, it’s true — offering odds on international teams and American teams by region.

A prospective bettor can wager on players striking out, named starting pitchers’ strikeout totals, and prop bets that would be found on any typical MLB game.

BetOnline.com is an offset Panama-based account, and it is not subject to US gambling laws.

The way that baseball, basketball, football and even hockey have welcomed betting as a steady stream of income, it is unlikely they will step in to halt it at this level.

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will look back at a former standout from the area.

Frank Nietz had a stellar four-year career at Marian, where he was an outfielder for his father and manager Jeff. The young Nietz, a 2014 grad, is Marian’s all-time stolen base leader with 83 swipes. He stole 29 in his junior year.

Nietz also hit .317 overall with 45 RBIs and 76 hits. In his senior year, Nietz hit .406 with 23 RBIs and 26 hits. He also hit .415 as a sophomore with 27 hits, the most he had in a season. Nietz also was a three-time PHSCBA All-State team selection, and an Anthracite Baseball Coaches All-League team selection.

After Marian, Nietz played two seasons at Lebanon Valley College.

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com

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