Concerns surrounding Phillies heading into Spring Training
What are the biggest issues on this Phillies roster?
Spring Training is just around the corner.
The truck has arrived in Clearwater, which means the Phillies are set to report for spring workouts. Pitchers and catchers report on February 11 (some are already there), while the first full-squad workouts begin on February 16.
There are quite a few concerns with a Phillies team that finished 96-66 last season and won the NL East for a second consecutive year. The Phillies are expected to reach the postseason for a fifth consecutive season, but how this team matches up with the best in baseball has been controversial.
Even with a talented Phillies roster, there are some concerns regarding this group heading into spring training.
The aging core
The Phillies core players are Bryce Harper (33), Kyle Schwarber (32), Trea Turner (32), J.T. Realmuto (34), Zack Wheeler (35), and Aaron Nola (32). Notice the pattern here?
None of these players are under the age of 32, while Schwarber turns 33 and Realmuto 35 in March. Is winning a championship with core players in their mid 30s sustainable?
Harper is coming off a down year for his standards and Realmuto has declined as an offensive player. Wheeler is still recovering from venous thoracic outlet syndrome and Nola is coming off the worst year of his career.
Now the good news. Schwarber has immensely improved as an offensive player since signing with the Phillies four years ago and is coming off a 56 HR season while Turner reinvented his approach and won the NL batting title. Harper is motivated for a bounce-back season and Nola can’t pitch any worse than he did last year.
If Wheeler comes back strong, he’s still one of the best pitchers in the game. Realmuto is still a very good defensive catcher and the catalyst toward one of the best starting staffs in baseball.
This group is on the wrong side of 30 and may have one or two years of elite baseball left together. Plenty of franchises would still bet on this group to carry them in 2026.
A makeshift outfield
The Phillies certainly made some changes to their outfield this offseason. Gone are Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos (who’s still on the roster). In are Adolis Garcia and Justin Crawford.
Crawford is the headliner here, as the Phillies top outfield prospect hit .334 last season to lead the International League. He’s hit over .310 in all three full seasons of professional ball, adding some much needed contact, speed, and youth to this lineup.
Garcia is the flyer the Phillies took to replace Castellanos in right field. Signed to a one-year, $10 million deal, the Phillies are hoping Garcia can will the void at cleanup hitter while improving right field with his gold-glove caliber defense.
Left field will be a platoon between Brandon Marsh and Otto Kemp, as the Phillies are banking on Marsh repeating his success from May on last season (hit .303 with an .836 OPS since May 1).
The Phillies outfield had a .710 OPS last season, 18th in baseball. That OPS improved to .764 after acquiring Bader, seventh in baseball.
Crawford will go through some growing pains, but the key to this outfield is Garcia not being the sub-.700 OPS player he’s been the past two seasons with the Rangers. That’s a big ask from this organization.
The back of the rotation
Let’s put the Zack Wheeler return aside right now. the Phillies have a strong duo with Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo at the top of the rotation. If Wheeler is anything close to elite, the Phillies top three staters match any rotation in baseball.
Is Nola going to recover from the worst season of his career. Even Nola finishing with an ERA in between 4.00 and 4.50 and eating innings as the No. 4 starter answers a lot of questions with the back end of the rotation.
Andrew Painter and Taiquan Walker will compete for the final rotation spot in spring training. Painter has a lot of potential at 22 years old, but will his command be sharp enough to get hitters out at the big league level?
If Painter pitches near his potential, the Phillies may have the best starting rotation in baseball. There’s a lot of upside between Nola and Painter in 2026, but also some question marks until both get a few starts under their belt this year.
Who’s cleanup?
There’s expected to be a shakeup at the top of the Phillies batting order. Turner will bat leadoff, but a potential switch between Schwarber and Harper is in the cards. Harper may bat second and Schwarber third, a lineup that is expected to be tested this spring.
So who’s the cleanup hitter? Nick Castellanos hit 51 games batting fourth, but his future with the Phillies has been decided. Alec Bohm hit fourth in 26 games and Realmuto was cleanup in 43 games.
The Phillies had a void at cleanup, which is part of the reason why they brought in Garcia. He batted fourth in 76 games last season, but hit just .224 with a .662 OPS in that slot. Garcia is expected to get the first crack at cleanup, as the Phillies hope hitting coach Kevin Long can work his magic on Garcia similar to Schwarber over the past few seasons.
The Wheeler effect
Wheeler may be back on the mound sooner than expected, as the Phillies ace still chases his first Cy Young award. Will Wheeler be the ace the Phillies had since he signed with Philadelphia six years ago?
There are so many unknowns with how Wheeler’s shoulder will react and how the surgery to remove a blood clot affected his offseason program. When will Wheeler also be back on the mound and how much time will he need to ramp up before he’s back to being an elite pitcher (if he can be elite again)?
Wheeler is throwing from 90 feet, but he and the Phillies will have to be patient. If all does go right, the Phillies are loaded at the top of the rotation with a healthy Wheeler.
Even if Wheeler is just good, having him as a No. 2 behind Sanchez isn’t a bad thing either. The Phillies — and Wheeler — just can’t risk anything this early in the spring.
My projected lineup for Opening Day
Against RH starter
Turner (SS)
Harper (1B)
Schwarber (DH)
Garcia (RF)
Marsh (LF)
Bohm (3B)
Stott (2B)
Realmuto (C)
Crawford (CF)
Against LH starter
Turner (SS)
Harper (1B)
Schwarber (DH)
Garcia (RF)
Bohm (3B)
Realmuto (C)
Sosa (2B)
Kemp (LF)
Crawford (CF)