The Philadelphia Phillies are a rough defensive team, and have been for years. It’s quite clear that the club was built to mash homers (though there wasn’t much of that this past season) and strike opposing batters out. You just don't expect stellar glovework with this core. However, there were bright spots on the 2026 squad.
J.T. Realmuto (C): C+
Franchise legend J.T. Realmuto is a tricky one to grade. The three-time All-Star has won two Gold Glove Awards in his career and has earned a reputation as one of the best backstops in the game over his 13 years in the big leagues. That said, Realmuto is now 35 and has completely cratered both at the plate and in the field.
According to Statcast’s Fielding Run Value, Realmuto was worth -3 runs last season, continuing a trend of negative marks lasting four consecutive years. On the other hand, the Phillies as a team excelled with MLB’s newly implemented Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System. The club had the highest rate of overturned calls of any fielding team (69 percent), due in large part to Realmuto, who spent the vast majority of the innings behind the plate.
Plus, Realmuto still had the fastest pop time of any starting MLB catcher.
Bryce Harper (1B/RF): D
Future Hall of Famer Bryce Harper has never been the most gifted defender, preferring to let his bat do the talking throughout his 15 seasons in the majors. Tommy John surgery before the 2023 season forced Harper out of right field and over to first base, where his arm would be under much less stress. He handled the transition well, even earning a Gold Glove nomination in 2024
Unfortunately, 2026 was his worst defensive campaign since making the transition, and he posted an ugly -12 FRV and a similarly bad -5 OAA. He deserves plenty of credit for being willing to shift back to the outfield temporarily to accommodate trade acquisition Luis Arraez, but at this point in his career, he’s better off hidden at first base.
Bryson Stott (2B/3B): A+
The Phillies have plenty of problems fielding the ball, but none of them can be laid at the feet of Bryson Stott. The 2019 first-round pick has provided consistently excellent defense at multiple positions since he came into the league in 2022, and this past season was no different.
Stott led Phillies position players (by a wide margin) with 9 OAA and shifted seamlessly from second to third base after the Arraez trade. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be the club’s second or third baseman (or perhaps even shortstop) in 2027, but wherever he lines up, he'll be among the Phillies’ best defenders.
Alec Bohm (1B/3B): D
Alec Bohm lands roughly in the Bryce Harper bucket as a perennially poor defender who deserves a modicum of credit for switching positions. The 30-year-old has come a long way since his “I hate this place” nadir, but he’s still a bit of a butcher on the infield dirt.
Bohm was the third man displaced by Arraez's arrival: Stott shifted from second to third base, and Bohm moved from third to first, pushing Harper to right. He was rough at both spots, racking up -8 OAA at third and -3 at first. It’s likely that the Phils will let him walk in free agency this winter and look for a better glove man at third base.
Trea Turner (SS): F
Shortstop Trea Turner has become a punching bag for frustrated Phillies fans. He had by far his worst season on both sides of the ball in 2026. A .675 OPS killed the Phils at the top of the lineup, while Turner led all of baseball with 21 errors at shortstop.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski put his erstwhile $300 million man on notice in last week’s press conference, saying, “We were very clear. [Turner] knows he has to be better at shortstop. And I told him that it's really mandatory that he’s like that. He feels he can play, and if he plays shortstop like he did in ’25, he can play shortstop. But if he plays it like he did in ’26, he can't. And he totally understands that.”
It remains to be seen how that vague ultimatum will play out as far as the 2027 season is concerned, but the fact of the matter is that Trea Turner has become a liability in the field. He has the athleticism to clean things up a bit, but expecting him to contend for a Gold Glove would be a fool’s errand.
The Phillies had some rough defenders, but there were some pleasant surprises
Brandon Marsh (LF): C
Left fielder Brandon Marsh is another former Gold Glove nominee whose defense has slipped in recent years. In 2026, he provided perfectly adequate defensive output. Moving him out of center field full-time this past year was long overdue, and he remained perfectly capable, if unspectacular, in left.
Marsh’s 0 Outs Above Average mark in left field feels about right, and at 28 he’s still got plenty of speed and athleticism to be a solid corner outfielder. If he’s still around next year, he should be a more-than-serviceable option once again.
Justin Crawford (CF): C-
With Marsh moving to left field, rookie Justin Crawford was given the starting center field job on Opening Day, and he gave a mediocre defensive performance across the season. The 22-year-old’s 96th-percentile speed should portend defensive success, but he struggled to get good reads off the bat and, as a result, was often playing catch-up on balls hit to center. Crawford’s -2 OAA was far from horrific, and with more experience, he may blossom into a decent option up the middle in due time. Here’s hoping.
Derek Hill (CF): A+
While Crawford may have struggled a bit in center field, his platoonmate certainly did not. Journeyman Derek Hill came over in a minor trade with the Chicago White Sox in mid-June and made an enormous impact on both sides of the ball.
The 30-year-old spent the bulk of his time in center field (while mixing in at both outfield corners) and earned a 3 FiRV mark while making some of the most fantastic catches of the season. Thankfully, the Phils have him under team control for two more years.
Adolis García (RF): A+
It’s easy to forget that Adolis García was the Phillies Opening Day right fielder. The former World Series hero was just another name in a long line of Dave Dombrowski’s failed outfield Band-Aids. He posted a wretched .599 OPS before a season-ending lat injury in mid-June.
As bad as García was at the plate, he made up for it with spectacular play in the field. In 563 innings in right, García posted 4 Outs Above Average and gunned down four runners on the basepaths. His bat won’t be missed, but his glove sure will be.
Edmundo Sosa (UT): B+
Jack-of-all-trades Edmundo Sosa has carved out a nice little niche for himself throughout five years on the Phillies’ bench. The Panamanian made frequent appearances at second base, third base, and shortstop, and added left field to his repertoire in 2026.
Sosa had a down year at the plate with a .712 OPS, but he provided solid defense all over the diamond, racking up 4 OAA overall. The 30-year-old will hit free agency for the first time this winter, and it’ll be interesting to see whether another team values his versatility more than the Phillies.
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