Gabriel Rincones Jr. keeps crushing baseballs, making his case for a future Phillies role in the big leagues

The legend of Gabriel Rincones Jr. is growing by the day.

Spring training always brings one surprise breakout candidate, and through a week of Grapefruit League action, Rincones is taking that title and running with it. Three home runs in his first week, and this isn’t some fluky, wind-aided nonsense—he’s barreling up legit big-league pitching.

His latest? A 105 mph missile off Bowden Francis in Sunday’s split-squad game. That’s now four home runs in 17 career Grapefruit League at-bats dating back to last year.

Gabriel Rincones JR is on FIRE

Gabriel Rincones JR is on FIRE 🔥🔔#RingTheBell | #Phillies pic.twitter.com/CMFc3UZBpf

— The Liberty Line (@LibertyLinePHL) March 2, 2025

So, yeah—Gabriel Rincones Jr looks the part of a future Phillies power bat. But will he get his shot this year?

History Says We Shouldn’t Get Too Excited…

We’ve seen this script before:

• Mickey Moniak, Spring 2022: 6 HR, massive hype, then broke his hand before Opening Day and never figured it out in Philly.
• Brock Stassi, Spring 2017: 6 HR, Phillies cult hero for about 15 minutes, then gone forever.
• Maikel Franco, Spring 2016: 9 HR, which still stands as the gold standard of Phillies spring power surges.

The difference? Gabriel Rincones Jr isn’t a flash-in-the-pan non-roster invitee looking for his one big break—he’s a legit prospect who checks a lot of the right boxes.

The Phillies took him in the third round of the 2022 draft, and while he’s never gotten top-prospect fanfare, his blend of power, discipline, and athleticism makes him an intriguing piece for the future.

What’s Holding Him Back?

Injuries have been the biggest hurdle.

• Missed all of 2022 with a shoulder injury.
• Missed half of 2023 with a thumb injury.
• But when he’s been healthy? He’s raked.

11 home runs and an .843 OPS at Double-A Reading last year despite missing time. Showed out in the Arizona Fall League with a strong strikeout-to-walk ratio (7 Ks, 11 BBs in 90 PAs).

That plate discipline is what separates him from the Dylan Cozens types of the world. Gabriel Rincones Jr doesn’t just have raw power—he actually knows how to use it.

Could Rincones Crack the 2025 Roster? Probably Not… Yet.

The Phillies’ corner outfield and bench situations are still up in the air, but Rincones isn’t the answer right now—not unless an injury shakes things up.

The biggest issue facing this roster remains its lack of a reliable right-handed bat off the bench. Weston Wilson was supposed to help fill that void, but with his oblique injury sidelining him for the start of the season, the Phillies are scrambling for solutions.

Which leads us to…

The Phillies’ Search for a Right-Handed Bench Bat

The Edmundo Sosa outfield experiment is the biggest clue that Rob Thomson and Dave Dombrowski don’t want Johan Rojas riding the bench. If Sosa can be the backup center fielder, it frees up a roster spot for a better bat.

The free agent market is a wasteland at this point. Robbie Grossman? Meh. A spring waiver claim or late trade seems more likely. Rincones isn’t forcing his way onto the 2025 Phillies just yet, but he’s putting himself firmly on the radar.

The corner outfield spots will need reinforcements at some point, and if injuries or underperformance create an opening, don’t be surprised if Rincones gets the call sooner than expected.

For now? Enjoy the show. Phillies spring training wouldn’t be the same without one guy turning into Barry Bonds for a few weeks.

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