The future is coming. The Philadelphia Phillies may have an older roster, but some of the organization’s top prospects are set to join the big league club in 2026.
Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford are expected to make the Phillies’ Opening Day roster and have significant roles this season. Aidan Miller was a non-roster invitee to big league spring training, but the 21-year-old infielder will likely begin the season at Triple-A, where he earned a late-season promotion last year.
All three of the Phillies’ top prospects were ranked on MLB Pipeline’s 2026 Top 100 Prospects list. Phillies fans won’t have to wait long to see Crawford and his top-ranked speed on a major league field.
Justin Crawford named ‘fastest runner’ among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects
Crawford has been a polarizing prospect since the Phillies drafted him in the first round in 2022. There are questions whether the 22-year-old is best suited for his natural position, center field, or left field at the big league level, and if he’ll be a capable major league hitter.
The biggest knock on Crawford has been his alarmingly high ground ball rate. It hasn’t affected him much in the minors while playing against lesser competition, but he won’t have similar success in the majors.
Crawford adjusted his hitting mechanics this winter with noticeably lower hands to prevent a high ground ball rate as he prepares for his first taste of major league action. Although keeping the ball on the ground benefits him with his speed, Crawford will be much more dangerous if he can drive balls into gaps for extra bases and utilize his speed on the base paths.
Speed runs in the family. Crawford’s father, Carl, led the AL in stolen bases four times during his major league career, averaging 45 per year.
Like his father, Crawford has used his 75-grade speed to his advantage and has wreaked havoc on the base paths since he joined the Phillies organization in 2022. He has 145 stolen bases in 325 career minor league games and has stolen over 40 bases in three consecutive seasons.
Even though his batting average is inflated due to beating out ground balls for infield hits, Crawford has still had a ton of offensive success in his young professional career. He’s a career .322 hitter in the minor leagues and had the third-highest batting average (.334) in the International League last season.
Phillies fans may have some skepticism with Crawford gearing up to be the everyday centerfielder in 2026, but they should be excited about the elite speed that he’s bringing to the lineup.