3 Phillies players who’ll live up to 2026 hype and 2 who could flop hard

The Philadelphia Phillies enter another season with high expectations following yet another postseason that ended in disappointment. There are some changes on the roster, but the veteran core remains intact for another year, including Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto who returned on multi-year deals this offseason. Which players could live up to the hype in 2026? Which players could regress this season?

Some Phillies players are anxious to rebound following underwhelming seasons, such as Aaron Nola and Bryce Harper. Newcomers to the roster will seek to make a good impression with their new team. Philadelphia has many players that can live up to the hype and some who will struggle. Who could it be?

3 Phillies players who'll live up to the hype in 2026

Brad Keller, RP

Brad Keller only made one start last year and the Phillies took note of his success as a reliever last year with the Chicago Cubs, signing him to a two-year, $22 million contract. They plan to use the 30-year-old exclusively out of the bullpen in 2026. Keller posted a career-best 2.07 ERA and 0.96 WHIP in 68 contests in 2025 with a 4-2 record, 75 strikeouts, and 22 walks.

He also posted career-best advanced metrics, according to Baseball Savant. He held hitters to an 86.7 mph average exit velocity, a 97.1 mph fastball velocity, a 2.80 xERA, a 30.6 percent hard-hit rate, and a 56.6 percent ground ball rate. Keller is a leading candidate for a middle-relief role and is also a strong option to compete for pitching time in a hihg-leverage setup role this season.

Adolis García, OF

The Phillies' main new offensive addition this winter was Adolis García. The new right fielder will be an improvement over Nick Castellanos defensively. García has excellent arm strength and improved his outs above average and arm value considerably last year.

García may not recapture his offensive success from three to four seasons ago, in which he earned ALCS MVP honors in 2023 with the Texas Rangers, but he certainly needs to be better than his last two years with Texas (subscription required). The 32-year-old's 35.8 percent chase rate and 30.3 percent whiff rate of last year need to be a lot better this year. He's a rebound candidate if he can improve his over-aggressiveness at the plate, which would help cut down on his strikeouts.

Jhoan Duran, RP

The Phillies have fewer questions about the relievers on their roster who will be used in high-leverage roles than at this time a year ago, following the addition of closer Jhoan Duran last season. He compiled 32 saves in 37 opportunities with the Minnesota Twins and Philadelphia last year. The Phillies should have one of MLB's most effective closers in 2026.

Many of his advanced statistics from 2025 suggest he's capable of repeating his career-best season this year. Duran, who has had an inconsistent chase rate overall in his career, improved it from 28 percent (44th percentile) in 2024 to 32.8 percent (91st percentile) last season. His fastball velocity of 100.6 mph, 30.8 percent whiff rate, 65.4 percent ground-ball rate, 27.9 percent strikeout rate, and 4.3 percent barrel rate all rank from very good to great.

2 Phillies players who could flop in 2026

J.T. Realmuto, C

J.T. Realmuto said on NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark's Takeoff podcast that he's not happy with the way his last two seasons have gone offensively. He slashed .257/.315/.384 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 134 games last year, with a .699 OPS, his lowest since 2016.

Realmuto should continue to be one of the most reliable catchers in MLB this season, but it's difficult to see him improving a substantial amount offensively, considering the downward trend he's found himself in as a hitter the last few seasons. Steamer projects the veteran to finish with 11 homers, 45 RBIs, a .245/.304/.400 slash line and a .703 OPS in only 98 games this year.

Brandon Marsh, OF

Phillies manager Rob Thomson allowed Brandon Marsh the opportunity to earn a bigger role by naming him a starter at the beginning of the 2025 regular season, and the outfielder didn't have a hit during April. The native of Buford, Georgia, finished with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs, the fewest amount he has compiled in either statistical category over his three full seasons with the Phillies. He totaled a .280/.342/.443 line and an OPS of .785 in 133 games in 2025 as well.

The 28-year-old is projected to finish with 11 homers, 47 RBIs, and a .252/.329/.405 line with an OPS of .734 in 101 contests according to Steamer projections. His fWAR, according to Steamer, will drop from 2.4 last season to 1.3, and the Phillies may be looking to acquire another left fielder by this year's trade deadline if it needs more offensive consistency. Marsh's possible regression or lack of improvement at the plate could be one reason why.