The Philadelphia Phillies have several players competing for only a few bench spots available on their Opening Day roster. Some players have found success during spring training, while others are struggling. Among the players who are doing well, will any surprise pieces earn a spot on the Phillies at the start of the regular season?
Some players who are doing well so far this spring have minor league options that may delay their arrival this season. Even though that may be the case, if said players are performing well, they should still be heavily considered to make the Phillies Opening Day roster. Which players who have struggled so far in spring training shouldn't be considered for a spot on Philadelphia's roster at the start of the season?
2 surging Phillies who deserve spots on the Opening Day roster
Zach McCambley, RP
Zach McCambley, the Phillies' Rule 5 Draft pick from December, has impressed during spring training. The 26-year-old has a 1.80 ERA, a 1.60 WHIP, and three strikeouts. He's allowed five walks, three hits, and one earned run over 5.0 innings in five relief appearances. The right-hander must remain on Philadelphia's roster this season and be active for 90 days due to the terms of his being a Rule 5 Draft pick.
If they place him on waivers and he clears, the Phillies must offer him back to his original team, the Miami Marlins, for $50,000. So far this spring, McCambley has shown he's worth keeping on the Phillies roster. He has better numbers than other relievers competing for a bullpen spot, such as Zach Pop, Nolan Hoffman, and Tim Mayza. McCambley could excel in a middle relief role in Philadelphia's bullpen this year based on how he's performed this spring.
Bryan De La Cruz, OF
Johan Rojas is facing an 80-game suspension following a positive test for a banned substance. As a result, the competition for a reserve bench spot just opened up significantly. Bryan De La Cruz has emerged as a candidate to begin the year with Philadelphia. Like Rojas, De La Cruz is a right-handed batter who manager Rob Thomson could use as an alternative in center field if he wants to give left-handed hitter Justin Crawford a day off.
That ball De La Cruzed right outta here pic.twitter.com/Wv63ihxuHr
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 28, 2026
De La Cruz has hits in three of his last four Grapefruit League games. He has gone 5-for-20 with one home run, two RBI, and a .250/.348/.450 slash line with an .798 OPS in eight contests. The 29-year-old has previous experience in the major leagues, mostly with the Miami Marlins from 2021 through a significant portion of the 2024 season. He could be a decent option on the Phillies as a reserve, considering their outfield position group is arguably the weakest part of their team.
2 Phillies who lost spots on the Opening Day roster
Nolan Hoffman, RP
The Phillies have several relievers competing for a limited number of open spots in their bullpen. While a few relievers have done well, some haven't. Hoffman falls into the latter category, as he has a 6.75 ERA, a 1.88 WHIP, and nine strikeouts in five appearances, playing himself off the roster bubble. He's surrendered four earned runs, 10 hits, and no walks in 5 and 1/3 innings. The Lincoln, Nebraska, native's two home runs allowed are tied with reliever Yoniel Curet for the most allowed among Phillies pitchers so far this spring.
Hoffman faced an uphill battle to make Philadelphia's roster out of spring training, as he can be optioned to the minors this year. Given that other relief pitchers competing for Opening Day roster spots have outperformed the right-hander, he'll begin the year in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
Dylan Moore, UTL
Dylan Moore is a favorite for a bench spot with the Phillies on Opening Day. He provides defensive value playing multiple positions in the infield and outfield. He has played in the majors primarily with the Seattle Mariners and briefly on the Texas Rangers.
However, he isn't known for his offense. In his previous seven major league seasons, Moore has a career slash line of .206/.310/.383 with a .693 OPS in 689 regular season games. So far this spring, the native of Yorba Linda, California, has gone 3-for-16 and slashed a .188/.316/.250 line with a .566 OPS in eight contests.
Despite being an experienced utility player, the Phillies should use their bench spots on players who are better than him offensively.