September is right around the corner, which means MLB teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, will soon be able to expand their active rosters from 26 to 28 players.
It's not like the old days (before 2021) when teams could call up as many 40-man roster players as they liked for the final month of the season. This is the fourth year with MLB's more restrictive September roster expansion rules, with only two extra players allowed. Teams can carry no more than 14 pitchers.
4 Phillies minor league hitters most deserving of a September call-up
The Phillies will bring a couple of minor league players up on Sept. 1, likely one pitcher and one position player, to help them down the stretch run to the postseason. We're going to focus on hitters today, and there are some extremely worthy candidates who could get the call to the big leagues.
While it would be fun to see a young top prospect like Justin Crawford in Philadelphia, it won't happen — despite his ridiculous performance since his promotion to Double-A. He's slashing .301/.340/.409 in 22 games for the Reading Fightin Phils. His results might entice other organizations to promote him, but he's still just 20, and the Phillies aren't in any rush with their top prospects.
We'll also give first baseman/designated hitter Darick Hall his due since it's unlikely we'll see him in a Phillies uniform before the end of the season. The team designated him for assignment on Aug. 9, but he cleared waivers and returned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Hall isn't having as good a year as he had in 2023. He's slashing .247/.324/.398 with 12 home runs in 86 games. He did set the IronPigs franchise record in home runs earlier in July and just recently became the leader in RBI with 262. With Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in the way, there's no place for Hall in the majors, even with expanded rosters.
Now, on to the minor league hitters who are putting up numbers this season and are most deserving of a September call-up.