Símon Muzziotti
Currently ranked eighth on the Phillies’ top prospects list according to MLB Pipeline, Símon Muzziotti could be an intriguing option for the Phillies heading into 2024. He spent his entire 2023 season with the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs, where he produced his best professional baseball season to date. Overall, he hit .296 with a .761 OPS, along with 67 runs scored, 22 doubles, four triples, seven home runs, 61 RBI, 26 stolen bases, 45 walks, and 81 strikeouts in 124 games.
He could potentially battle it out with the other internal candidates for the center field spot during Spring Training, but most likely, he'll be behind a couple of already-proven players in the pecking order.
Probability of Símon Muzziotti starting in center for the 2024 Phillies: 2/10
Johan Rojas
Johan Rojas had quite the rookie debut season for the Phillies in 2023. Called up to the big leagues following the All-Star break, Rojas took full advantage of the opportunity and ran with it. With his elite defensive instincts and speed, the kid's built to be the commanding general in the outfield for the Phillies.
In just 57 games in the field, Rojas managed to accumulate 15 DRS, along with three outfield assists and a .986 fielding percentage, helping the Phillies solidify their outfield defense down the stretch and into the postseason.
Offensively, Rojas put up respectable numbers as a rookie. During the regular season, he compiled a .302 average and a .771 OPS, along with 24 runs scored, nine doubles, two triples, two home runs, 23 RBI, and 14 stolen bases. However, he did strike out a whopping 42 times compared to just five walks, so he can potentially work on his plate discipline in the future.
He appeared to be almost ready for prime time until he was exposed during the postseason, leading to his great struggles at the plate. In 13 playoff games, Rojas only managed four hits in 45 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts.
As a result, Rojas will definitely get his chance to prove himself to be the Phillies’ starter in center field for 2024. But if his bat continues to lack, he may be better off spending a little more time in the minors to help polish that aspect of his game to make him a better-rounded player in the majors for the future.
Probability of Johan Rojas starting in center field for the 2024 Phillies: 4/10