The Philadelphia Phillies' season quickly came to an end after an early exit in the playoffs at the hands of the New York Mets. The Phillies got off to a great start in the first half of the season but struggled in the second half. Those struggles carried into the playoffs resulting in a four-game series loss in the NLDS
The Phillies' veteran core group is getting older and is toward the end of their contracts. Tough decisions will have to be made as early as this offseason, opening the door for other players to get a shot.
Phillies open the window for Justin Crawford to make big league team in 2025
The Phillies No. 3 prospect and Major League Baseball’s No. 53 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is on a fast track through the minor league system. Justin Crawford was drafted 17th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft and hasn’t disappointed the organization.
Crawford, the son of four-time All-Star outfielder Carl Crawford, began his first full season in the minor leagues with Single-A Clearwater in 2023. The left-handed hitting outfielder hit .344 with 16 doubles, six triples, 60 RBI and 40 stolen bases in 69 games before his promotion to High-A Jersey Shore where he played just 18 games to end the season.
Crawford started the 2024 season with Jersey Shore playing in 70 games and earned his second consecutive Futures Game appearance. The 20-year-old was promoted to Double-A Reading on July 12 and slashed .333/.380/.455 with 11 doubles, 26 RBI and 15 stolen bases in 40 games.
“Crawford is coming very fast,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in his end-of-season press conference on Tuesday. “I’m not sure when we go into spring training that we’re going to count on him being one of our big league starting outfielders, but he has a lot of ability. It wouldn't surprise me if he came in anytime.”
Phillies' outfield situation is up in the air heading into 2025
The Phillies’ outfield situation was a weakness all year. Nick Castellanos got off to a slow start but turned his season around and became one of the most consistent and dependable hitters in the lineup. Brandon Marsh dealt with injuries and fell into a platoon role as the season went on, but his above-average defense and offensive capability particularly against right-handed pitching kept him in an important role.
Dombrowski said that aside from Castellanos who has two years remaining on his contract and Marsh who the Phillies have three years of control over, the outfield is up in the air for 2025.
Austin Hays was brought in at the trade deadline to give Rob Thomson an outfield bat who hit well against lefties. The Phillies viewed Hays as an everyday player, but the 29-year-old struggled to stay healthy down the stretch. The Phillies have one more year of control over Hays, so he will have the chance to win the left field job.
Weston Wilson and Johan Rojas are still both pre-arbitration, so the Phillies have control over them for quite some time. Wilson provided some sparks to the lineup, but he’s 30 years old. Rojas is only 24 years old and is an elite defender with elite speed. The Phillies have been trying to improve his offensive production to try to make him the everyday center fielder, but Rojas hasn’t been able to put it all together at the plate yet.
“We like Rojas but we need offensive improvement there from him,” Dombrowski said. “We have a plan this winter time. He’s going to live in Clearwater. We have a plan for him from an offensive perspective ... but I can’t say for sure he’s going to be our center fielder.”
The door is open for guys on the big league roster and young guys in the minor leagues to compete for a spot in the Phillies’ outfield in 2025. The outfield might look a lot like it did this year but with a good spring training, Crawford could make a case for himself to earn a roster spot.