The long offseason is finally winding down. After heading home much too soon last October, the Philadelphia Phillies are days away from opening training camp. With pitchers and catchers scheduled to report next Wednesday, Feb. 11, we'll be getting plenty of news and updates from Clearwater, Florida before you know it.
One thing we won't be getting immediately is the Phillies' Opening Day roster. While it's going to be exciting to finally see Phillies players on the backfields of the Carpenter Complex, we'll still have to wait through a month and a half of training camp, Grapefruit League action, and the World Baseball Classic before we find out which 26 players will be Phillies to begin 2026.
Here are our first projections for the Phillies' 2026 Opening Day roster
This is our first roster projection and with spring training yet to even begin, things can and will likely change in a hurry once we start getting updates from camp. Most of the Opening Day jobs are spoken for, with a veteran-heavy team returning for another crack at finally getting back to the World Series. However, there are some intriguing roster battles shaping up. Let's dive in.
Projected Phillies lineup
SS Trea Turner
DH Kyle Schwarber
1B Bryce Harper
3B Alec Bohm
LF Brandon Marsh
RF Adolis García
2B Bryson Stott
C J.T. Realmuto
CF Justin Crawford
While manager Rob Thomson might have some tricks up his sleeve in terms of how he'll set the top of the lineup, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper will be arranged in some way in the top three spots. Spots four to eight could be constructed in any order, we'll have to see who starts the year hot.
Newcomer Adolis García, who the Phillies are counting on for a bounceback season, has the starting right field job until further notice. He'll likely start in the bottom half of the lineup, unless he has a rip-roaring spring. As a right-handed batter, there's a non-zero chance that he gets an opportunity to protect Harper at some point if things go as well as the front office hopes.
Everything the Phillies have said this offseason points to prospect Justin Crawford making the Opening Day roster as the starting center fielder. Fans will be both excited to finally see a top prospect make his MLB debut and apprehensive about how much he'll be able to contribute to a World Series-hopeful squad.
You'll notice that there's no Nick Castellanos. He's still technically under the Phillies' employ at the time of writing, but you can expect that to change before camp opens. Either through trade (which feels unlikely) or outright release, he won't be back.
Projected Phillies bench
C Rafael Marchán
INF Edmundo Sosa
INF/OF Otto Kemp
INF/OF Dylan Moore*
Rafael Marchán will have to battle Garrett Stubbs again for the backup job behind J.T. Realmuto. We'll give the early edge to the soon-to-be 27-year-old Marchán, but both players are out of options so it's anyone's guess who will be spared from the waiver wire.
Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp seem like sure bets to make the team out of camp. The fourth and final bench spot is up for grabs, as far as we can tell. The recently signed Dylan Moore might have the inside track, considering his defensive versatility, speed, and experience. But he's on a minor league deal so he'll have to bump someone off the 40-man to make the cut.
Projected Phillies rotation
LHP Cristopher Sánchez
LHP Jesús Luzardo
RHP Aaron Nola
RHP Taijuan Walker
RHP Andrew Painter
We're working under the assumption that Zack Wheeler won't be ready for Opening Day. While optimistic projections have him possibly ready by early April, the Phillies won't rush their ace if everyone else remains healthy through the spring.
With Wheeler on the sidelines, veteran Taijuan Walker will get a spot handed to him. Prospect Andrew Painter will have to earn his way onto the roster but has the early advantage over the Phillies' starting pitch depth, which feels almost nonexistent.
Projected Phillies bullpen
RHP Jhoan Duran
LHP José Alvarado
RHP Brad Keller
RHP Orion Kerkering
LHP Tanner Banks
RHP Jonathan Bowlan
RHP Zach McCambley
LHP Kyle Backhus*
The top five spots, from closer Jhoan Duran to lefty Tanner Banks, are locks at this point. After that it feels like Jonathan Bowlan, who has some nasty stuff and is out of options, has a job that's his to lose.
Zach McCambley is next in the pecking order. As a Rule 5 pick, the Phillies like him and will give him every opportunity to make the squad. Our money is on the 26-year-old to head North with the team at the end of March.
We're including Kyle Backhus in the final spot. The coaching staff would probably like to have a third left-hander in the bullpen with Matt Strahm gone. The 28-year-old brings a different look with a sidearm delivery and showed promise in his rookie season in Arizona in 2025.