A leadoff hitter has the potential to set an immediate tone when stepping into the box for the first time.
And Jimmy Rollins certainly knows a thing or two about what it means to have your name sit at the top of a batting order … considering nearly 70 percent of his games played as a Phillie placed him first in the lineup.
Rollins, the Phillies' all-time hits leader, who also has the most leadoff home runs in franchise history (46), sat down with NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark and shared who his choice would be if he had a say in constructing the 2025 lineup.
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"I would like to see (Trea Turner) lead off, get him a chance to get on base," Rollins said on the Takeoff podcast. "Run the bases, put pressure on for the big boys, when (Bryce Harper) gets up there and (Kyle Schwarber) hitting those bombs. That's what I would like, but I don't make those decisions, that's above my pay grade."
Since the Phillies signed Turner to an 11-year, $300 million contract in December 2022, the leadoff spot has been one of the most debated topics surrounding the offense.
Schwarber, who will be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, has been a non-conventional approach at the top of the order. Where he lacks in speed, he's makes up for it with immediate impact. In the leadoff spot in 2024, Schwarber led the league in walks and broke an MLB record with leadoff home runs in a single season (15).
But does having that power from the jump actually help or hinder the club?
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"Schwarber is a good hitter, he's patient at the plate," Rollins said. "But when he's on base in front of Trea, that kind of slows Trea down for obvious reasons. Why not turn those home runs into two- and three-run home runs?
"I know they say you lead off once a game but it does change the way a pitcher and the other team sets up how they face the lineup. When you have speed at the top and power throughout, it's different than having power in the beginning — which they have power all throughout — but there's an attack plan from the first batter.
"I still like setting up a guy that can hit a ball in the gap, you're still going to get more hits than home runs. You hit the ball in the gap, Trea scores. Trea hits a ball in the gap, Schwarber's not scoring. And that's what I like."
It's still up in the air who will hold the leadoff spot when the Phillies head to Washington Thursday to open the season against the Nationals. There's also the possibility of alternating the two, depending on the opposing pitcher.
Only a few more days until hypotheticals turn into something more tangible.
You can listen to the full Takeoff episode now or watch below:
Just days before Phillies Opening day, John Clark sits down with Jimmy Rollins to discuss who should lead off for the Phillies this season and if the Phils are the team to beat in the NL East. Plus, we look ahead to J-Roll being inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame this season.
00:00 - Jimmy Rollins
00:31 - Who's leading off?
05:19 - Staying hot in the playoffs
08:14 - Who's the team to beat?
09:50 - Phillies Wall of Fame
13:13 - Dick Allen going into the Hall of Fame