Just so you know, Phillies fans, your annual running-it-back beef doesn’t apply this season. Maybe that was the case in 2024 or 2025. But not now.
The lineup has two new faces – rookie center fielder Justin Crawford and veteran right fielder Adolis Garcia. The rotation will unveil the most-hyped Phillies prospect in a generation – Andrew Painter. And the bullpen will roll out a slew of new arms, along with a closer, Jhoan Duran, whose Durantula show wasn’t in Philadelphia a year ago.
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Sure, it’s not a total roster makeover, but this team doesn’t require one and has enough new blood to give an infusion of freshness for Thursday’s Opening Day.
Adolis García is the Phillies’ new right fielder. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
Diamond Images/Getty ImagesWhat needs to go right?
Philly’s strength is once again its starting rotation. Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo – two dominant lefties – wield some of the most wicked stuff in the league. Veteran Aaron Nola may just bounce back from his dreadful 2025 season after looking ace-like pitching for Italy in the World Baseball Classic.
Then, by mid-April – fingers crossed – Zack Wheeler should return from thoracic outlet syndrome, which ended his 2025 season prematurely with a blood clot in his throwing arm.
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Wheeler is reportedly ahead of schedule in his TOS recovery, and according to all reports, looks superb with his bullpen sessions. Once he returns – and if he’s anything close to what he was – the rotation could be the best in baseball, and if that’s the case, look for the Phillies to jaunt into another postseason.
One more thing that needs go right: Phillies superstar Bryce Harper must shut up team president Dave Dombrowski, who caused a big offseason drama by wondering out loud about Harper’s declining eliteness in 2025 to a room full of media.
If Harper is the elite Harper in 2026, the Phillies will swagger into the postseason.
What could go wrong?
This is obvious. The two names mentioned above – Wheeler and Harper – are no longer the stars they once were. And to be honest, both are question marks. Wheeler is 35 and coming off a surgery that has ended careers, and Harper is 33, whose violent swing abuses his body.
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Another potential disaster could be the outfield. Crawford will get his shot to own CF, but if he’s hitting .200 on June 1 and misreading fly balls, there are no backup options on a team that has meager outfield depth.
Rookie Justin Crawford will get the starting CF job for the Phillies. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Also, there’s a reason why the Texas Rangers let Garcia just walk away. The hulking slugger has hit a two-season skid with no proof that he can recapture his 2023 form that led Texas to a World Series title. For Garcia, it’s all hope at this point and hope has no value in Philadelphia. See Max Kepler and Whit Merrifield about that.
So what will the Phillies do if both Crawford and Garcia flop? Uh, trade for Harrison Bader?
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What to expect?
This is a team chock full of veterans. Really good veterans. And if they stay mostly healthy, expect another 90-plus win season and another playoff run, proving they never really needed Bo Bichette. But are the Phils doomed for another early postseason exit? That question can wait a few months. It’s time for Opening Day.