5 Non-40-man roster prospects to watch in Phillies Spring Training

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Which Philadelphia Phillies prospects should you keep an eye on in Spring Training?

It’s official. Half an hour before MLB’s 5 PM deadline on Tuesday, the Players’ Union rejected MLB’s final proposal. As a result, the league made good on its threat and canceled Opening Day. The first two series of the MLB season will be missed by all teams and not made up; if we’re lucky, we’ll get a 156-game season.

Since the lockout has not ended, players on the Philadelphia Phillies‘ 40-man roster remain unable to report to Spring Training

While this is a worst-case scenario for those on the 40-man, it offers those in the organization not on that roster an opportunity to shine. For minor leaguers making minimal pay and hoping to reach the majors, the spotlight could be life-changing.

Here are five players not on the 40-man roster to watch in in minor-league Spring Training…

Bryson Stott, Phillies SS

Starting with the obvious, Bryce Harper’s hometown pal Bryson Stott is in Clearwater, Florida, to earn a spot with the big boys. That’s what President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski challenged him to do last fall, and Stott told the media in February that he’s confident he can.

The Phillies’ top non-pitching prospect, Stott rose rapidly through the farm system. He was the club’s first-round pick in 2019, spent time at the alternate training site in 2020, and traversed three levels of the farm in 2021, finishing the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Stott is expected to debut early in the season, but the mess of the lockout could impact that, for better or worse.

Daniel Brito, Phillies INF

Until recently, it was unclear if Daniel Brito would ever play baseball again, after a traumatic health episode in a minor-league game last July.

The versatile infielder was in the midst of a breakout season at the time, having reached Triple-A for the first season in his six-year minor-league career. Across 71 games between Double and Triple-A, Brito hit .295/.364/.473 with a .837 OPS, with 15 doubles, five triples, and eight home runs.

Brito’s recovery and return to playing ball are nothing short of miraculous, and on the basis of the triumph of the human spirit alone, he’s worth rooting for.

Logan O’Hoppe, Phillies C

Logan O’Hoppe was the Cinderella story of the 2021 Phillies MiLB season.

A late-round draft pick, he had a breakout year and a stellar performance in the Arizona Fall League, thanks in large part to the Atlanta Braves’ postseason run, of all things.

Like Bryson Stott, O’Hoppe skyrocketed up three levels of the farm system last year, from High-A to Triple-A. Over 104 total games between the three, he slashed .270/.331/.458 with a .789 OPS.

O’Hoppe has roadblocks ahead of him in the form of J.T. Realmuto and the newly-acquired Garrett Stubbs. However, they’re both on the 40-man, as are Rafael Marchan and Donny Sands, so keep an eye on O’Hoppe.

Mar 1, 2021; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies Erik Miller #99 poses during media day at Phillies Spring Training Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: MLB photos via USA TODAY Sports /

Erik Miller, Phillies LHP

The Phillies’ top lefty pitching prospect, Erik Miller is expected to debut this season, though he’s never pitched above High-A in their system. The Phillies took the hard-throwing college pitcher in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, and hope he’ll become a valuable part of their rotation in the future.

Injuries limited Miller last season, and he only made five starts. However, over 12 2/3 total innings, he posted a 1.42 ERA, struck out 16 batters, and only allowed two earned runs. He did average almost one walk per inning, so there’s work to be done in that area, but otherwise, he’s a promising part of the Phillies’ next phase.

Johan Rojas, Phillies OF

MLB.com estimates Johan Rojas’ debut to be in 2023, not this year, but the Phillies need outfield depth now. With the lockout, they cannot make any major-league free-agent signings or trades to replace Andrew McCutchen and Odúbel Herrera, and their current outfield section of the depth chart is just Bryce Harper and Matt Vierling.

Rojas is the Phillies’ highest-ranked outfield talent, slotting in at #6 in their top-30 prospects.

Over 96 games between three levels of the system last year, Rojas hit .262/.329/.417 with a .746 OPS. He spent the bulk of the season with Low-A Clearwater, but played 17 games at High-A.

Picked up during the 2017-18 international signing period, Rojas has been praised for his “knack for contact” and aggressivity at the plate. He only struck out 77 times in 96 games in 2021. However, unlike the Phillies pitchers who issue too many walks, Rojas needs to work on drawing more walks, as he stole more bases (34) than walked (33) last year.

The scouting report on him makes it abundantly clear: he has “one of the highest ceilings in the system.”

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