Phillies Spring Training Countdown: Key Storylines to Watch

Drew Smith
February 3, 2025
Phillies
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February is here, and that means we’re officially in the final full week without Phillies baseball until late October…hopefully.

Pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater next Wednesday, Feb. 12, with full-squad workouts beginning Feb. 17. Some players are already in Florida, getting a jumpstart on the season.

Spring Training: Phillies set to head South for year No. 79 in Clearwater

Unlike past years, the Fightins won’t have many position battles in camp, but there are plenty of storylines to track as they prepare for a crucial 2025 season.

‘The Last Dance’ with the current Phillies’ core

The Phillies aren’t done after 2025, but this might be the final season where this specific group is intact. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Ranger Suárez, and new additions Max Kepler and Jordan Romano are all free agents after this year and while the front office will try to retain some of them, money will certainly be a factor in the decision-making.

For now, the focus is on winning with this group, especially after coming two wins short of a title in 2022, five wins away in 2023, and flaming out in the NLDS last year.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski doesn’t see this as a closing window, but he acknowledges change is coming:

“What I think happens is that sometimes [a window] closes with the current players that you have, but it doesn’t mean that it closes overall. We have young players coming that we really like.”

Basically, if the Fightins can’t get it done this year, this roster might look a lot different in 2026.

Youth Movement Incoming?

Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter won’t pitch in Grapefruit League games, but he’ll ramp up his throwing program in camp. If all goes well, he could join the rotation midseason, adding a high-velocity weapon to an already elite pitching staff.

Phillies Farm System—When will the top prospects arrive to The Show?

Meanwhile, outfielder Justin Crawford (21) and shortstop Aidan Miller (20) will get their first taste of big-league camp. Both are top-100 prospects and could factor into the Phillies’ future sooner rather than later.

The Phillies will also have Mick Abel, Moises Chace, and Jean Cabrera in camp—three young arms who could push for major-league innings later this year.

Make-or-break year for Abel? The 23-year-old struggled with command in Triple-A last year (78 walks in 108.2 innings), and he needs to take a step forward to solidify his future in the organization.

Lineup Construction: A New Approach

Kyle Schwarber leading off has been a divisive topic in Philly. Manager Rob Thomson has hinted at experimenting with different leadoff options, despite Schwarber’s success in the role.

Why? Because the numbers suggest he might be more valuable in a run-producing spot:

131 home runs as a Phillie—98 have been solo shots.
That’s 70% of his homers being just one-run swings, while the league average for solo homers is 57%.

Moving Schwarber down could increase RBI chances, especially if Trea Turner or Bryson Stott can handle the leadoff spot.

Turner is the favorite to replace Schwarber at leadoff, though Stott could also get a look. The problem? Too many lefties bunched together if Stott leads off, since the Phillies prefer to separate Harper and Schwarber in the order.

Expect Thomson to test different lineups in camp.

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Phillies’ Bounce-Back Candidates

The Phillies have plenty of firepower, but they need a few key guys to return to form:

Bryson Stott: His OPS dropped 76 points and his batting average fell from .280 to .245 last season. A sore elbow played a role, but the Phillies need more from him offensively.
Brandon Marsh: Went from .829 OPS in 2023 to .747 last year while striking out more.
Trea Turner: He’s been good, not great, since signing his 11-year, $300M deal. If he plays like pre-Philly Turner (.311/.361/.509 from 2019-22), this offense could be a monster.

Turner bouncing back alone would be a game-changer, but if Stott or Marsh also improve, the Phillies could have one of the best lineups in baseball.

Platoons or Everyday Starters?

The Phillies don’t want to run platoons in center field, left field, and second base—but that depends on whether their lefty hitters can handle left-handed pitching.

Max Kepler will get a shot at playing every day in left field.
If he does, Brandon Marsh might lose playing time against lefties.
The Phillies still see Stott as an everyday player
Note – Edmundo Sosa stole at-bats from Stott last year.

The Phillies hope their lefty bats prove they can handle southpaws, but if they don’t, expect to see a lot of Johan Rojas, Weston Wilson, and Sosa in the mix.