Phillies Opening Day Roster Projection 1.0
Pitchers and Catchers reported to Clearwater for Spring Training earlier this week, and we are firmly heading towards baseball season and opening day. While there is still over a month until the Phillies will take the field in Texas to play the Rangers in game 1 of 162, it’s never too early to start projecting who will comprise the 26-man roster for that first game. A lot of players are already locked in to positions, especially considering you’re returning 8 of 9 starters from an NL Pennant winning team, but there are a couple interesting spots that will be exciting to watch over the course of the spring. Here is my (version 1.0) projection of what the roster will look like:
Catchers:
JT Realmuto, Garrett Stubbs
There’s no question at catcher, these are your two guys. JT Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball, and Garrett Stubbs was really darn good in his limited role as Realmuto’s backup last year. With Logan O’Hoppe traded to Anaheim at the deadline last year, there’s a large gap in the organization between these two and the next available catcher, so there’s no question these two will be up on opening day.
Infielders:
Rhys Hoskins, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Josh Harrison
Your starting infield of Hoskins, Stott, Turner, and Bohm are locks to be on the 26-man, and Edmundo Sosa played a big enough role last year to guarantee himself a position as the go to utility infielder in 2023. The question in the infield is the final spot, which could go to either Josh Harrison or Darick Hall. The reason I’m going with Harrison is because he adds plus defense at both 3rd and 2nd base, while Darick Hall can really only DH or play 1st and isn’t quite that good defensively. Harrison is more versatile, and therefore, more valuable.
Outfielders: Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Dalton Guthrie, Jake Cave
Outfield is an interesting group for the Phillies this season, especially with Bryce Harper starting the season on the IL. The starters are great in Schwarber, Castellanos, and Marsh, but the backups leave a lot to be desired. Guthrie is ok defensively, but doesn’t give you much on offense, and Cave, who is the more proven of the 2 options, gives you a little bit of both, but nothing special. I would’ve liked to see the Phillies upgrade depth here, but I guess they’re just holding on until Harper returns. Johan Rojas and Jhailyn Ortiz are two promising prospects, but neither seem Major League ready. This, to me, is the best group.
Starting Pitchers: Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter
No surprise in the top 4, but yes, I believe Andrew Painter will make the opening day roster as the 5th starter. He’s ready for the big time, and there’s no use in saving him. It’s not like he’s not going to pitch in Lehigh Valley. Even if the MLB season wears him down, he was going to be throwing innings in the minors anyway. You might as well have him up and use those innings to help you win MLB games. I’m putting Painter on the roster from day 1.
Relief Pitchers: Gregory Soto, Craig Kimbrel, Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado, Connor Brogdon, Matt Strahm, Andrew Bellatti, Nick Nelson
Just like the starting rotation, the top 4 here are absolute locks. I believe Soto will handle the closing responsibilities, and Dominguez, Alvarado, and Kimbrel are your other top guys. Brogdon, Bellatti, and newcomer Strahm should play a secondary role in the pen as well this season. Now, why is Nick Nelson here and Bailey Falter down in Lehigh? Well, because Falter is going to make some starts for the Phils at some point this season. He’s your 6th best starter. For that reason, it’s way better to have him making starts in Lehigh than it is having him throw 3 innings a week in Philly. It’s no knock on Falter, he just is getting jumped by the best pitching prospect this organization may have ever seen.
There you have it, the opening day 26-man roster according to Connor Thomas. I’ll go ahead and revise this every so often throughout spring training, but this is where we’re starting!
The Biggest Storylines When Phillies Pitchers And Catchers Report
Will Andrew Painter make the opening day roster?
This is question number one. The most exciting position battle on the entire roster, and one of the most interesting in all of baseball. Can 19-year-old, best pitching prospect in baseball Andrew Painter actually make the opening day roster as the Phillies 5th starter?? Well, it’s certainly a possibility. Phillies President of Baseball Ops Dave Dombrowski has said as much. Now, to do so, he’ll have to beat out Bailey Falter, who made 16 starts for the Phillies last season, as well as Cristopher Sanchez, who made 3 spot starts with the Major League team. Andrew Painter has never made an appearance higher than AA ball, but by most accounts he’s ready for MLB level competition. It will be very interesting to see how the Phils handle their young stud.
How does Zack Wheeler look, health-wise?
At the end of last year’s regular season, Zack Wheeler was absolutely worn down. In fairness, it was the most innings any of the Phillies’ starters had thrown in a season (that were on the opening day roster). That, though, means this has been the shortest offseason for all of these guys as well, and Zack Wheeler was clearly dealing with some type of dead-arm ailment throughout the final month of the season and the playoffs. Have the 3 months off been enough recovery time for the Phillies’ ace? Is the shoulder that ailed him during last year’s spring training still a concern? The Phillies have a great roster, but Wheeler is one of the most important pieces for this team to reach their true potential.
What does Aaron Nola look like in a contract year?
All of the talk this offseason has been about Rhys Hoskins’ future with the Phillies, considering the 1st baseman is set for a monster pay day when he hits free agency for the first time next winter. Lost in that shuffle, though, is the fact that Aaron Nola is also looking at free agency after this season. He’s hugely important to this rotation, and still one of the most underrated pitchers in all of baseball. He’s homegrown, he’s now had deep playoff experience, and he’s deserving of a contract extension with Philly. If they’re unwilling to give it in season, though, how much does an impending pay day motivate him to have another Cy Young caliber year like he turned in back in 2018?
