Phillies Updates: Outfield Platoons, Stott, and the NL MVP Race

Drew Smith
August 22, 2025
Phillies
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The Phillies are riding high with a season-best seven-game lead in the NL East, but that doesn’t mean everything’s clean and simple. They just ran Seattle off the field in a three-game sweep, but with Zack Wheeler’s blood clot news hanging over the team, there’s plenty to keep an eye on as they enter a weekend set against the Nationals.

National League East Standings

Phillies Outfield Platoons:

The Phils don’t have a locked-in outfield. It’s not a normal recipe for the postseason. Any night could be some combo of Bader, Castellanos, Marsh, Kepler, and Weston Wilson. Marsh is a staple against righties. Bader and Castellanos are automatic against lefties. Kepler’s bat has woken up, and defensively he’s far more reliable than Castellanos.

At this point, the best alignment might be Bader in center, Marsh/Wilson platoon in left, and Kepler/Castellanos platoon in right. You can’t ignore Kepler’s resurgence, though. Rob Thomson’s going to have to make a real call here, especially with a huge series against the Mets coming up.

On The Farm: Aidan Miller Is Cooking in Reading

Back in July, it felt like Aidan Miller might get shipped out in a deadline deal. He wasn’t hitting much, slugging around .350 at Double-A. But the Phillies held onto him — and now he’s torching the Eastern League.

Farm Report: Phillies prospects are heating up in August

In August, Miller’s batting .356/.435/.658 with 4 bombs, 10 doubles, and 10 stolen bases. He went deep twice on Thursday night, including one absolute moonshot. Don’t expect him in Philly this year, but a late-2025 Triple-A promotion looks realistic now.

Bryson Stott: Back at the Right Time

Stott admitted he needed to “lower his hands” and simplify his swing, and the results are undeniable. Since the All-Star break, he’s slashing .300/.387/.500, and over his last 25 games (coinciding with the birth of his second kid), he’s hitting .333/.410/.556.

Bryson Stott found the fix and it’s showing up everywhere

Even better? He’s hitting the ball hard again. Six balls over 95 mph in play during the Mariners series, including a 108.7 mph double. If this is real, and not just a blip, the Phillies suddenly have Stott setting the table at the bottom of the order for Turner, Schwarber, Harper, and Realmuto. That’s huge.

September Call-Up Watch

Justin Crawford keeps raking in Triple-A, hitting .327 with a .407 OBP, and flashing his usual speed and defense. But the Phillies aren’t going to call him up unless he has a starting role. With Bader and Kepler in the mix, that spot doesn’t exist right now.

The key date is August 31st. If he’s not on the 40-man roster by then, Crawford won’t be postseason eligible unless he replaces an injured player. If an outfield injury happens in September, Crawford could suddenly be in play.

Schwarber vs. Ohtani in the NL MVP Race

Kyle Schwarber is having a better season, with more impact than Shohei Ohtani. That’s good enough for me to consider him the favorite to win NL VMP.

Head-to-Head Stats:

Schwarber: .253 AVG, .373 OBP, .584 SLG, 45 HR, 109 RBI, 4.2 fWAR
Ohtani: .285 AVG, .393 OBP, .625 SLG, 44 HR, 83 RBI

Ohtani’s two-way value is impossible to ignore. Still, this doesn’t take away from Schwarber’s season. He’s putting up numbers that rival Ryan Howard’s prime. Whether he wins MVP or not, this is one of the most dominant power seasons we’ve seen in Philly.

The Phillies are rolling, but questions remain in the outfield, Stott’s bat is a major storyline, and the Crawford clock is ticking. Oh, and Schwarber vs. Ohtani is going to be a fun debate for the next six weeks.