In a recent article released by Baseball America looking at the Philadelphia Phillies prospects, they made some bold predictions on what the potential starting lineup and rotation would look like for the ballclub for the 2027 MLB season.
Here is their projected starting roster with many of the organization’s top prospects incorporated into it:
Catcher: J.T. Realmuto
First Base: Bryce Harper
Second Base: Bryson Stott
Third Base: Aidan Miller
Shortstop: Trea Turner
Left Field: Justin Crawford
Center Field: Johan Rojas
Right Field: Gabriel Rincones Jr.
Designated Hitter: Darick Hall
No. 1 Starter: Aaron Nola
No. 2 Starter: Andrew Painter
No. 3 Starter: Mick Abel
No. 4 Starter: Ranger Suárez
No. 5 Starter: Cristopher Sánchez
Closer: Orion Kerkering
Looking over at the predictions, some may have come out as expected, but others may come as a slight surprise. As a result, we will take a closer look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the projected 2027 Phillies starting roster by Baseball America.
The good
It appears that the main core group of superstars remains intact with Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner, and Aaron Nola all still with the team. More importantly, seeing the rise of both Phillies’ top pitching prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel to become a part of the ballclub’s front-end of the rotation means they have fulfilled their potential in developing into solid major league options.
Also, with an outfield manned by the trio of Johan Rojas, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Justin Crawford, the Phillies should no longer need to worry about a lack of defense in the outfield for years to come.
Finally, seeing Orion Kerkering firmly entrenched in the Phillies’ closer role means he’s not just a one-hit wonder from his small sample size this past year but instead has flourished into one of the top relievers in the game. That bodes well for the ballclub as they look to sustain long-term success while heading towards the youth movement in the coming years.
NEXT: The bad and the ugly