For 336 of the Phillies’ 486 games over the past three seasons, Cesar Hernandez has been the first man to the plate. As so many other hitters have bounced around the lineup since the start of 2016, Hernandez’s presence atop the order has been a relatively stable and reliable thing. And it certainly hasn’t hurt that he’s hit .277/.372/.395 in games where his name was first on the lineup card in those seasons.
But the times have changed and the Phillies are evolving. Now, Jean Segura and Andrew McCutchen are in the fold, and both have extensive experience leading things off for their former teams.