The good, the bad, and the ugly of the Phillies' projected 2027 lineup and rotation
With the Phillies loaded with some top prospects in their system, what could their starting lineup and rotation look like in 2027?
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
The bad
Apparently, they have Realmuto remaining in the starting catcher position despite entering the 2027 season at age 36. That could be a worrisome scenario as we have already witnessed somewhat of a regression in Realmuto’s defensive game this past season with the Phillies.
In 2023, base stealers had an extraordinary 78 percent success rate off of Realmuto, as they ended up swiping a total of 81 bases over his 130 starts behind the plate. In addition, he had a DRS of -4, representing his lowest number since he registered a -13 back in 2016 prior to his Gold Glove years.
As much as Realmuto’s offense could hold up over the years, if his defense continues to go on a downward spiral, he is better fitted as the team’s DH in his twilight years rather than seeing primary starts behind the plate. Especially when 2027 rolls around, it will be his 14th season in the league. By then, the wear and tear of close to 1,500 starts may finally catch up to him.
In addition, with the departures of Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, and Alec Bohm from the current lineup and being replaced by the likes of Rincones Jr., Rojas, Crawford, and Aidan Miller, the Phillies would essentially convert from a power-hitting team to one that focuses mainly on speed and defense.
How much success they will have with that is yet to be determined, but with the substantial decrease in power and run production, the team could find themselves struggling to score and playing in more tight games.
The ugly
The one obvious alarming observation is the fact that Darick Hall is predicted to be the Phillies’ starting DH in 2027. If that indeed happens and he's the best possible solution the Phillies could have at that time, they will be in serious trouble.
Despite being a fearsome power hitter throughout his tenure in the minor leagues, Hall has yet to break through with the Phillies at the major league level. In his brief stints with the ballclub the past couple of seasons, he has amassed a feeble .226 batting average but has supplemented it with surprising power production with nine doubles, 10 home runs and 19 RBI in 59 games.
However, his horrendous plate discipline, with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of close to 9:1, is quite worrisome. He'll likely end up becoming an all-or-nothing hitter, either getting the big hit or striking out badly. With his consistency in doubt, we have even previously suggested he would be a prime candidate to trade away this offseason. Having Hall as part of the Phillies' everyday lineup in 2027 won’t help them win too many ballgames, as it may come down more to luck than his abilities in the end if he doesn’t make the right adjustments in his plate approach.
Overall, the projected lineup and rotation look decent, but the Phillies may need to make some slight adjustments using external means if they start finding their lack of power hindering the team. Otherwise, they should be an exciting team to watch with the perfect mix of young and upcoming players with solid, proven veterans.
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