When the Phillies initially signed Bryce Harper, they expected him to pair with Rhys Hoskins to make the team’s most fearsome three-four combo since prime Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. While that was the case early in the season, the vacuum left by Andrew McCutchen in the leadoff spot has forced drastic measures.
After experimenting with Cesar Hernandez, Jean Segura, Scott Kingery, Corey Dickerson, and Roman Quinn hitting leadoff, Harper became manager Gabe Kapler‘s latest attempt to replace McCutchen.