It’s officially 2026, which means spring training is right around the corner. The Philadelphia Phillies may not be done adding to this year’s roster, but roles are starting to fall into place.
The talk of the town has been what the Phillies’ outfield will look like this upcoming season.
Nick Castellanos is expected to be off the roster before the season starts. Max Kepler and Harrison Bader are both free agents. The only notable move the Phillies made to the 2026 outfield was signing Adolis García to a one-year deal.
The Phillies’ 2026 outfield is uncertain, even with the two-time All-Star García now in the mix. Top prospect Justin Crawford is expected to receive significant playing time, but it remains to be seen whether he will end up in center or left field.
FanGraphs projects Brandon Marsh to be bottom-ranked left fielder in 2026
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski noted other outfield options such as Johan Rojas, Otto Kemp, and prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr., who will all be in the mix for playing time with the big league club. Other than García, Brandon Marsh is the Phillies’ top outfielder with the most major league experience heading into the new year, assuming Castellanos isn’t on the roster.
The Phillies had high hopes for Marsh when they acquired him in a midseason trade with the Los Angeles Angels in 2022, but he has yet to live up to their expectations. The 28-year-old has shown flashes of being a capable everyday outfielder, but he’s proven to be streaky at the plate and plays inconsistent defense.
Marsh’s FanGraphs projections for the 2026 season don’t bode well for the veteran either. He’s projected to be the 29th-ranked left fielder in the majors, based on a 1.3 fWAR in 410 plate appearances, according to FanGraphs, giving Phillies fans little hope for what the upcoming season has in store.
Steamer projects that Marsh will slash .252/.329/.405 with a .733. While that's an around-league-average (.719 in 2025) OPS, Steamer thinks that will come with an outrageous 28.3 percent strikeout rate. He also projects to be a negative defender in left.
Although Marsh finished 2025 strong at the plate, he’s not guaranteed anything in 2026. The Phillies have been rumored to be looking into other right-handed-hitting outfielders to serve as a platoon option with Marsh in left field.
Marsh is a .270 hitter across 442 regular-season games with the Phillies, but the numbers can be fooling. His streakiness was on full display in 2025 when he hit .259, including a 0-for-29 stretch in April, before the All-Star break and then hitting .302 after the break.
The Phillies don’t have many better options. The back-to-back NL East champions seem content with banking on potential when it comes to the 2026 outfield rather than proven results.