Spring Training is around the corner and the Phillies won’t roll into Clearwater with a million mysteries. Most of the Opening Day roster is set in stone, with the core returning and very little moves over the winter.
Still, there are a few pressure points worth watching, especially with Zack Wheeler’s timeline hanging over everything in the rotation and a couple of young guys trying to force real decisions for the final bench spots.
Being the baseball savant that I truly am, I’m pretty confident we can nail down the Opening Day roster right now, before Spring Training even begins. Here’s what I think the Phillies will be taking into the 2026 regular season.
Catchers: J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchán
Realmuto got paid this winter. The price tag was questionable but overall, the market for catchers is never a strong one in Major League Baseball and when the only other options on the farm are Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán, the Phillies never had a choice.
On the bright side, Realmuto remains the heartbeat behind the plate. The man simply does not come out of the lineup. The backup battle should be interesting, but Marchán feels like the guy with a slight edge over Garrett Stubbs if the Phillies want a different look offensively. Either way, the starter is obvious.
First Base: Bryce Harper
There were whispers in past years about a possible move back to the outfield. Forget it. Harper is a first baseman and the Phillies want his bat anchored right in the middle of everything. After a good-not-great 2025, the push is to get him back into that MVP orbit which all things considered, is easily attainable for a guy like Harp.
Second Base: Bryson Stott
There’s zero debate that Bryson Stott is an elite defender at second base and honestly, it’s probably the only reason he still has a spot on the Phillies. The bat needs to be better than league-average, but the Phillies will live with the inconsistencies because of what happens on the diamond.
If Stotty takes a step forward at the dish, it changes the ceiling of the lineup, which is something that’s desperately needed. If not, then we’ll hear calls for Aidan Miller before the All-Star break.
Shortstop: Trea Turner
Turner was rolling toward a monster finish before the hamstring barked late last year. He is still one of the most dynamic players in baseball and a table setter this offense depends on nightly.
Third Base: Alec Bohm
Alec Bohm back in the cleanup spot will make Phillies fans eyes bleed throughout the regular season. What made matters worse is how slow Bohmer started last year, paired with extended time on the injured list.
It’s a contract year and if Alec Bohm wants to control the conversation, then he needs to bring some power at the plate. More lift and impact over solid contact and we can all put the trade talks to bed. I still have my doubts.
Outfield: Justin Crawford, Adolis García, Brandon Marsh
I hate it.
Justin Crawford is a question mark. The organization wants him to grab center field and never give it back. The problem is that he’s never played at the MLB-level and the Phillies refused to bring him up in 2025, so no one has any idea if that’s a possibility or not.
To the left, you have Brandon Marsh, who is a nice guy to have but clearly is not an everyday player. He will platoon with Otto Kemp, who we’ll touch on below.
As for Adolis Garcia, he’s a significant upgrade defensively but I refuse to ignore the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies have completely botched the handling of Nick Castellanos, who’s still on the roster, after months of pretty much everyone in the Phillies organization saying they want to trade or straight-up cut him before Spring Training.
Overall, it’s just not an outfield that anyone should be confident about at this point in time. Too much “prove it” and not enough results for a team that’s supposed to be chasing a World Series.
DH: Kyle Schwarber
Speaks for himself. Fresh off securing the bag and 56 bombs, Schwarber is the engine of the lineup. Schwarber hits, the Phillies score runs. Simple math. Good to have him back for years to come.
Bench: Otto Kemp, Dylan Moore, Edmundo Sosa
Sosa is carved in stone. He can play everywhere and Rob Thomson trusts him. Moore brings veteran flexibility and a track record of not being overwhelmed. Kemp is the wild card because if the bat shows up this spring, he could grab the right-handed side of that left field platoon and make this whole thing deeper than it looks on paper.
There are other names floating around, Johan Rojas, Bryan De La Cruz, Gabriel Rincones Jr, and Pedro León, but someone is going to have to clearly beat out Moore or Kemp to make the Opening Day roster. I don’t see that happening.
Starters: Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter
Zack Wheeler is not ready. Cristopher Sánchez becomes the obvious Opening Day guy and there’s zero question that he’s earned it. Jesus Luzardo is in a huge year with Ranger Suárez gone and real responsibility on his shoulders. Nola just needs to look like himself again.
Walker is here, like it or not, and the Phillies would love stability.
Andrew Painter is the headline. If he throws strikes, he stays. If he doesn’t, the conversation changes fast. The upside is massive, but command has to show up.
Bullpen (8): Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, José Alvarado, Orion Kerkering, Tanner Banks, Jonathan Bowlan, Zach Pop, Zach McCambley
Duran closes and makes everyone breathe easier.
Keller and Kerkering handle leverage. Alvarado is still chaos but electric chaos. Banks is steady. Bowlan might be one of the sneaky important arms in camp.
Pop being out of options matters. McCambley being Rule 5 matters. Roster mechanics are real. There are other intriguing arms, Yoniel Curet, Seth Johnson, Kyle Backhus, but unless someone forces a surprise, this group feels pretty lined up.
The Phillies are talented, expensive, and built to win right now.
I know the offseason wasn’t great but you can’t deny that the top of the roster is championship caliber. The questions sit on the margins, the fifth starter, the last bench spot, the final bullpen arms. Those are good problems to have when you’re trying to play deep into October again.
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