Phillies Spring Training Battles Worth Watching

The Phillies brought 30 non-roster invites to Clearwater and while most of the lineup and rotation picture is already set, there are real decisions to be made on the bench and in the bullpen.

With Zack Wheeler starting the season on the injured list, the competition for the final few spots is going to be worth following closely. Here’s what to keep an eye on.

Phillies Backup Catcher: Marchán vs. Stubbs

This one is not about offense, it’s about who the pitching staff trusts and who brings more behind the plate. Marchán is the more interesting case. He posted an .894 OPS in 56 plate appearances in 2024, hit a go-ahead homer against the Dodgers, and ranked in the 96th percentile in pop time last season.

For a backup catcher that profile is genuinely useful. Stubbs is on a split deal which gives the Phillies an easy out if he doesn’t earn it, and at 32 years old hitting .205 over the last couple seasons, the math is not in his favor. Marchán should win this one.

Phillies Last Bench Spot: Rojas vs. Moore vs. De La Cruz

This is the messiest competition in camp and honestly none of the three options are particularly exciting. The Phillies could have used a left-handed bat here and Gabriel Rincones Jr. was the natural fit, but a knee injury is going to keep him out until mid-spring at the earliest.

Johan Rojas is the defense and speed guy. His bat has been a disaster since his 2023 debut, posting a .591 OPS over the last two seasons, but if Justin Crawford’s defense needs some cover early on Rojas gives you something real in center field.

Dylan Moore can play everywhere except catcher, is a former Gold Glove winner, and has been decent against lefties, but he’s a career .206 hitter and his platoon value overlaps with guys already on the roster.

Bryan De La Cruz has the most offensive upside of the three, has hit 18 or more home runs twice, and is coming off an MVP winter in the Dominican League. The discipline and swing-and-miss issues are real concerns though.

One other thing worth noting on Moore: his deal pays up to $3 million if he breaks camp and hits incentive thresholds. The Phillies are already deep in luxury tax territory. Unless he absolutely forces the issue in spring, that money is going to be hard to justify.

Phillies Pitching: Wilson vs. Curet

This spot exists almost entirely because Wheeler isn’t available to start the season. It’s a swingman role and it might be the most competitive battle in all of camp.

Bryse Wilson has the experience and the track record that matters here. Two solid seasons in Milwaukee, 87 games and a 3.42 ERA in 181 innings. Last year with the White Sox was ugly, but if he looks closer to the Milwaukee version he’s a sensible arm to have around.

Yoniel Curet is the upside play, a 23-year-old with a fastball that touches triple digits and some genuinely nasty stuff. Over 80 professional starts in Tampa Bay’s system he posted a 3.10 ERA with over 486 strikeouts. The problem is he has a minor league option, which gives Wilson a real edge when it comes to roster construction decisions.

Wilson probably wins this one, but Curet is the name to watch all spring.

Phillies Bullpen

Dombrowski loaded camp with enough arms to make this genuinely competitive. Jonathan Bowlan has the best pure stuff in the group, posting the highest swing-and-miss rate on his four-seamer among pitchers who threw at least 200 of them last season at 43.5 percent.

That’s a real weapon.

Chase Shugart had a 3.40 ERA in Pittsburgh last year. Zach McCambley got Rule 5’d after a 2.90 ERA in Triple-A. Lou Trivino was sharp in his brief time with the Phillies last season, posting a 2.00 ERA in 10 appearances.

Kyle Backhus is the wild card, a sidearm lefty with a weird, funky delivery that gives hitters trouble in short bursts.

If the Phillies keep it simple and take one righty and one lefty, the two trade acquisitions are probably the most logical fits. But a strong spring from any of these guys could complicate things in a good way.

There’s real competition in this camp. That’s exactly what you want heading into a season with World Series expectations.

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