When Mick Abel made his MLB debut with the Philadelphia Phillies last weekend, the Phillies actually had the distinction of being the last team in the league to have a player make their debut this season. But boy, it was certainly a masterful one. The 23-year-old right-hander pitched six scoreless innings and recorded nine strikeouts to record the first major league win of his career.
The Phillies may have been late to the races compared to the rest of the majors in having one of their top prospects finally make their debut. But with Philadelphia having a plethora of top talent waiting in their farm system already, Abel definitely won’t be the only one to do so this season.
Which Phillies prospects should be next in line to make their MLB debut during the 2025 season?
Which Phillies prospects can fans expect to see make their MLB debut next?
Otto Kemp, No. 24
Despite being currently ranked 24th on the Phillies' top prospects list according to MLB Pipeline, infielder prospect Otto Kemp has raised his stock massively over the past couple of years. Ascending four minor league levels in 2024, Kemp posted a solid .285 average and .881 OPS, with 82 runs scored, 24 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs and 20 stolen bases over 123 games.
If you thought that was impressive, the 25-year-old prospect has been even better and playing out of his mind so far in 2025. Starting every day with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Kemp has compiled an eye-popping .328 average, 1.050 OPS, together with 38 runs scored, 16 doubles, 11 home runs, 40 RBIs and nine stolen bases in just 45 games played to date. Over a full schedule, that would mean over 30 home runs and 120 RBIs worth of production.
Otto Kemp hit his 11th home run of the season yesterday! 💥
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) May 21, 2025
He has reached base safely in every game this month, after winning International League Player of the Month in April. pic.twitter.com/YOKQ81LIIP
Right now, Kemp appears to be too good to remain in the minors for long. But it will likely require an injury to the Phillies’ starting lineup in the infield before they would entertain bringing him up to the big leagues for his MLB debut. But as of this moment, don’t be surprised that he could be making his debut sooner than even some of the organization's top prospects.
Justin Crawford, No. 3
As the top outfield prospect in the Phillies’ system, Justin Crawford has made great strides in his game. Having shown the ability to consistently hit over .300 and maintain an OPS over .800, while scoring 70+ runs and driving in 60+ runs during the past two seasons, Crawford has already made it to the Triple-A level in just his third full minor league campaign.
Capturing the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies’ top minor league player in 2024, the still only 21-year-old prospect has gotten off to a strong start with Lehigh Valley. In 41 games, Crawford has amassed a .316 average and .804 OPS, with 32 runs scored, 10 doubles, three triples, one home run, 14 RBIs and 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts. The fact that he has maintained his .300-plus average after advancing to the highest minor league level bodes well for the outfielder in his quest to make his MLB debut.
Justin Crawford's first Triple-A roundtripper!@IronPigs | @Phillies | @PhilsPlayerDev | @MLBDevelops pic.twitter.com/XGeyT2NovD
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 15, 2025
As for the timing of his expected time of arrival, with Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Johan Rojas firmly making up the outfield for the Phillies, with Weston Wilson as the reliable bench backup for now, Crawford likely won’t get his chance until he's a late season September call-up. That's when his speed and hitting ability could be helpful in late-inning situations down the stretch for Philadelphia. Although, we already know that manager Rob Thomson is a fan.
Andrew Painter, No. 1
As for the most highly anticipated player of them all, this is finally the year that the Phillies’ top pitching prospect Andrew Painter should make his MLB debut for the club. It may have come earlier already if it wasn’t for the fact that he had to undergo Tommy John surgery that ultimately wiped out his 2023 and 2024 seasons. But at the young age of 22, Painter still has plenty of time left to make an impact with the organization, potentially for the next decade-plus, so he is definitely worth the wait.
After a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League last year, in his first action since his surgery, the right-hander has been off to a solid start in his minor league campaign for 2025. Following just four starts with the Single-A Clearwater Threshers, Painter impressed enough such that it earned him a quick promotion to Triple-A. From there, he has continued his excellence, having collectively compiled a stellar 3.09 ERA and 1.11 WHIP, with 27 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings pitched over seven starts between the two levels.
Andrew Painter (@Phillies) utilizes his full arsenal as he strikes out 7 in 4+ innings for the Triple-A @IronPigs. pic.twitter.com/LiCRe9GET4
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 22, 2025
At the current rate, it wouldn’t be a surprise if we see Painter in an official Phillies uniform in July. And when that time comes, one can fully expect Painter to take his spot in the rotation for Philadelphia and run with it, much like how Paul Skenes has with the Pittsburgh Pirates.