3 Phillies prospects heading into a make-or-break year

Rafael Marchán is heading into a make-or-break year

Rafael Marchán has seen his prospect status fall since being ranked No. 5 in 2021. The soon-to-be 25-year-old switch-hitting catcher made his Phillies debut in a three-game sample back in 2020 and appeared in 20 games for the 2021 club.

Hamstring problems have been an issue for much of Marchán's career, and those injuries cost him significant time in 2021 and 2022, while a fractured right hamate bone led to Marchán missing the beginning of the 2023 season and ultimately a roster spot out of spring training.

Across three minor league levels in 2023, Marchán appeared in 55 games and hit .305 with two home runs and 35 RBI in 224 at-bats. Marchán again finds himself injured to begin spring training this year, as the backstop has not appeared in a game yet due to lingering back soreness. In a separate but telling move, the Phillies signed former Kansas City Royals catcher Cam Gallagher to a minor league deal to add upper-level organizational depth.

Marchán will need a healthy and productive season if he wants to remain in the conversation for a future roster spot. It's starting to look like Marchán is running out of chances to become an impact player for the Phillies.