Bryson Stott's Phillies Debut A Test Of Resilience

Bryson Stott’s first game in the big league was not just a test of his baseball skills, his work in the infield and in the batter’s box.

It was a test of his makeup, his resilience, his ability to get through one of those innings when the game smacks you in the face in front of 44,000.

He passed the test.

“He is,” said teammate, Vegas homie, and best friend Bryce Harper. “He doesn’t let anything shake him.

“It just shows that he’s ready to be here and he’s looking forward to being here.”

Stott, 23, was the Phillies’ first-round draft pick in 2019. He is seen as the shortstop of the team’s future but at the moment the club need him at third base.

He’s still learning to play position, and it showed in the seventh inning when he threw away a few balls – both times he had to charge the ball – and failed to make a dive stop on a tough but potentially doable play.

The Phillies went into the inning with a 6-1 lead. Sloppy defense and a three-run homer against Aaron Nola allowed the Oakland A’s to score four times in the frame and make it a one-run play.

At that point, the 44,232 spectators and everyone at home thought: Here we go again with the $%#@&% defense. You could almost feel the fear building in the stadium as the bullpen struggled to defend a one-run lead.

But the Phillies persevered, and so did Stott.

Nick Castellanos doubled a run at the bottom of seventh to bring the lead back to two runs and the entire ballpark exhaled.

Then, in the top of the eighth, the ball again found Stott at third base. Twice. Right back on the horse.

This time he handled the two games with ease. good hands Strong throws. Just like Puddin’ Head Jones, Scott Rolen and Pedro Feliz used to do.

“It was great to get those two in a row,” Stott said after the game. “My mentality was ‘next’. Keep everything under wraps and come back. Trust me. I know I can make these plays.

The Phillies scored two more runs late in Game 8 to earn a 9-5 opening day win. Stott had his second hit of the day, an RBI double against left Kirby Snead, in the inning.

All in all, it was a huge bounce-back inning for Stott — offensively and defensively.

“It says he’s quite grown and can turn the page,” said manager Joe Girardi. “I went to him (after the two games in the eighth) and said, ‘Excellent.’

“It’s not easy, opening day, you’re probably nervous anyway. You get two really tough games (in the seventh) and he can’t make them. I mean, he didn’t get a game like this all spring. Then he makes two plays straight out of goal in the next inning, doubling down on a hard left-hander. That says a lot about his maturity.

Rhys Hoskins was also impressed by Stott. Impressed but not surprised.

“I think we heard about him in spring practice,” Hoskins said. “He was responding to the pressure and expectation that he was trying to make the team. But doing it for the first time on this stage. Tough inning, but that kind of thing. He comes right back with harder balls.

“I don’t think anyone is worried about him.”