2026 should have been Dante Nori’s big breakout campaign. Instead, he spent 11 weeks on the minor league injured list with a stress fracture in his pelvis, slashing .244/.318/.360 when healthy.
It was a major step back for the former Philadelphia Phillies first-round pick, about whom Alex Rodriguez had said, “I’ve had two general managers tell me I wish he played on our team because he would lead off and play every single day. This is a future star.”
Those comments came during the World Baseball Classic when Nori was playing for Team Italy. And during his six games and 24 plate appearances, Nori slashed .400/.435/.750 with two home runs and two stolen bases.
A 3-hit night for Dante Nori in Arizona Fall League action! pic.twitter.com/AbdqMhxPgK
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) October 30, 2026
It was unlikely, but not impossible, that if Nori had kept that pace, he could have seen the Major League roster by the end of the season. Yet the 22-year-old finished the year in Double-A, barely surpassing his WBC homer total and casting doubt on the Phillies' hopes of him becoming the center fielder of the future.
That downturn is why the Arizona Fall League matters so much for Nori. In 61 plate appearances thus far, he’s slashed .255/.426/.447 with more strikeouts than walks. On Monday night, he went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two walks, and three stolen bases, his best outing of the campaign thus far.
“You miss two and a half months with a stress fracture in your hip and try to stay healthy and just keep playing, get back in the groove, and carry it into spring training next season,” Nori told Lisa Pride of FSL Network.
A strong—and healthy—spring training likely means Nori will begin 2027 in Triple-A, with a view to moving up to the Major Leagues as a depth piece if injury strikes one of the Phillies’ outfielders.
Presently, the only two starting outfielders on the Phillies roster are Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford. Both are lefties, and neither had a particularly strong showing in 2026. Crawford likely figures as a major part of the team’s future plans, but he’s not a strong center fielder; but given his speed, there’s room for improvement.
Nori, however, ranks very highly as a center fielder. If he has a strong first half and Crawford plays poorly, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see Nori get a Major League call-up. Bad offense is much more palatable when you’re getting good defense, and though Nori is no Andruw Jones, he might already be a better fielder than Crawford.
Of course, this calculus could all change over the offseason. Marsh is in the last year of his deal, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him dealt for a more controllable player within the next month. The Phillies could sign a litany of free agents to play the outfield, and while they’re more in the market for corner outfielders, trading for a center fielder isn’t out of the question.
The Phillies have plenty of time before they must decide on Nori's future as a Major Leaguer, but for now, his heater in the Arizona Fall League should have them reconsider their view of him.
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