Fast-rising shortstop, big-name prospects headline Phillies’ star-studded Spring Breakout roster

Get ready to see the future of the Philadelphia Phillies on full display.

On Thursday, teams MLB-wide, including the Phillies, announced the rosters for the inaugural Spring Breakout — a showcase of each organization's top prospect talent, pitted head-to-head against each other in a single-game, winner-take-all exhibition.

Games will take place from March 14-17, with the Phillies' Spring Breakout game scheduled for March 16 against the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, Fla.

The Phillies roster is chock-full of top prospects, with 20 of the top 30 prospects penciled in to suit up. The team will feature four of its top 5 prospects, including Mick Abel (No. 2), Aidan Miller (No. 3), Justin Crawford (No. 4), and newcomer to the rankings Starlyn Caba (No. 5). The team will also feature eight of the top 10 prospects, with Devin Saltiban (No. 7), Bryan Rincon (No. 8), Eduardo Tait (No. 9), and Gabriel Rincones (No. 10) also named to the squad.

Top Phillies prospects headline the Spring Breakout roster

The most notable names are obviously the top three — we know all about Abel, Miller, and Crawford at this point. With No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter absent from the roster, Mick Abel is the top pitcher, although it's unclear if he'll start the game. According to MLB.com Todd Zolecki, the Phillies didn't want to tip their hand too early when questioned about naming a starter a few weeks ago.

“I expect a really competitive game,” Preston Mattingly, Phillies assistant general manager of player development, said per Zolecki. “I don’t want to tip our hand yet. But we could potentially line up Mick to pitch a few innings.”

There's no reason to expect Abel not to start the game. He's only thrown one inning so far this spring after having his second outing scratched due to illness.

With other top prospects, Miller and Crawford, set to play as well, fans will get a healthy dose of the big names we're itching to see develop into major-league talent. And that's not to mention the other top 10 names on the roster, like Saltiban, Rincon, Tait, and Rincones.

Look for Starlyn Caba to steal the show at the Spring Breakout

The other exciting name is Starlyn Caba, who "embodies the current state of the Phillies’ farm system," per The Athletic's Matt Gelb (subscription required).

The fast-rising shortstop recently debuted at the No.5 spot in the Phillies' Top 30 prospects by MLB Pipeline. The international signee is still only 18 years old but has been turning heads with his talents. The Dominican Republic native is considered one of the top players from the 2023 signing class.

In his Dominican Summer League debut season last year, the switch-hitter showed off his elite contact skills with a .301/.423/.346 slash line. He finished with an impressive 17.1 percent walk rate and a 9.8 percent strikeout rate and used his speed to steal 17 bases. He did all this despite being almost a year younger than the average age of the competition.

And we haven't even got to his defense yet. Caba is a standout with the glove at short. Per his MLB Pipeline scouting report, "He has outstanding range, soft hands, excellent footwork and a good internal clock to go along with an above-average arm that will enable him to be a plus shortstop for a very long time."

Scouts think he could be a special player and an All-Star-level infielder if his power turns out better than expected. Pipeline compares him to New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. Not too shabby.

You can check out the full Phillies Spring Breakout roster below, and keep your calendar open on March 16 at 1:05 p.m. ET to watch the youngsters in action.

Phillies Spring Breakout roster: Pitchers

• Mick Abel (No. 2)
• Griff McGarry (No. 11)
• Samuel Aldegheri (No. 24)
• Alexis De La Cruz (No.25)
• George Klassen (No. 29)
• Andrew Baker
• Jean Cabrera
• Estibenzon Jimenez
• Tommy McCollum
• Wesley Moore
• Micah Ottenbreit
• Andrew Walling

Phillies Spring Breakout roster: Infielders

• Aidan Miller (No. 3)
• Starlyn Caba (No. 5)
• Devin Saltiban (No. 7)
• Bryan Rincon (No. 8)
• William Bergolla (No. 12)
• Nikau Pouka-Grego (No. 30)

Phillies Spring Breakout roster: Outfielders

• Justin Crawford (No. 4)
• Gabriel Rincones (No. 10)
• Carlos De La Cruz (No. 13)
• Emaarion Boyd (No. 17)
• Tayshawn Walton (No. 18)
• Raylin Heredia (No. 20)

Phillies Spring Breakout roster: Catchers

• Eduardo Tait (No. 9)
• Caleb Ricketts (No. 21)
• Kehden Hettiger (No. 22)