Phillies camp battles to watch as Grapefruit League opens originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Daily workouts are wrapping up in Clearwater, a prelude to what will play out once Grapefruit League games begin Saturday.
The Phillies brought 30 non-roster invites to camp, including top prospect Aidan Miller and soon-to-be center fielder Justin Crawford.
Most of the lineup is set. Most of the rotation is, too — with Zack Wheeler expected to miss the start of the season. But the bench and the bullpen still have room, and live reps will decide it.
Here are a few battles to watch as games get going:
Backup catcher
Rafael Marchán vs. Garrett Stubbs
You’re not counting on strong offense from either Marchán or Stubbs. This one is more about the pitching staff’s comfort level, plus the defensive traits that matter most in today’s game.
Marchán has flashed with the bat before. He posted an .894 OPS in 56 plate appearances in 2024 and hit a go-ahead homer against the Dodgers last season that helped the Phillies win that regular-season series. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound switch-hitter is also a career .280 hitter with a .787 OPS vs. lefties.
But the separator is defense. With ABS arriving, catching value outside framing carries more weight. Marchán ranked in the 96th percentile in pop time (1.88) last season and was well above average in caught stealing above average, per Statcast.
Stubbs is on a split deal, which gives the Phillies flexibility to send him to Lehigh Valley. His best big league work came in 2022, when he slashed .264/.350/.462 in 46 games. He has hit .205 since. Even with some success at Triple-A last season, it may be an uphill climb for the 32-year-old to crack the roster.
Prediction: Marchán
Fourth bench spot
Johan Rojas vs. Dylan Moore vs. Bryan De La Cruz
This is where a left-handed bat would have fit cleanly, with Marchán, Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp likely filling out most of the bench. Gabriel Rincones Jr. (Phillies’ No. 7 prospect per MLB Pipeline) looked like a natural Max Kepler replacement, but he’s dealing with a knee injury and likely won’t be back until mid-Grapefruit League.
So the Phillies are left with three right-handed options, all with big league experience, and none with a strong offensive résumé to lean on.
Rojas is the speed-and-defense play, and he becomes more relevant if the club has any concern about Justin Crawford’s early defense in center. After a strong 59-game debut in 2023 (.302 average), Rojas has posted a .591 OPS over the last two seasons. He has 51 steals in the big leagues with an 87.9 percent success rate.
Even in limited chances last year, he ranked in the 99th percentile in sprint speed and his 92.5 mph average throw sat in the 94th percentile in arm strength.
Moore offers versatility. Despite being a career .206 hitter, he’s played every position except catcher. He’s a former Gold Glove winner and has been better against lefties (career .727 OPS).
That platoon value overlaps with Kemp and Sosa, so Moore’s best path is defense and flexibility, plus showing enough of the quality-of-contact flashes he’s had in spurts.
De La Cruz has the stronger track record at the plate. He has slugged 18-plus homers in two of his five big league seasons, but the production hasn’t always come with on-base value. In his 21-homer season two years ago, he posted a .271 OBP.
There’s swing-and-miss, limited plate discipline and defensive questions. Still, he’s coming off an MVP winter in the Dominican League, and a strong spring could tighten this decision.
One other factor: Moore’s deal pays up to $3 million if he breaks camp and reaches incentive thresholds. The Phillies are already deep into luxury tax territory, so it’s hard to see them taking on extra cost unless he clearly wins the job.
Prediction: Rojas
Long man
Bryse Wilson vs. Yoniel Curet
This role exists largely because Wheeler won’t be ready. If Wheeler were healthy, Taijuan Walker would be the obvious swingman after doing it last season. There’s also a world where the Phillies add another starter before Opening Day. Either way, this might be the most cutthroat roster spot in camp.
The Phillies’ starter Saturday is Wilson. He has swingman experience, and across two seasons in Milwaukee (2023-24), he pitched 87 games (nine starts) with a 3.42 ERA in 181.1 innings. His results cratered with the White Sox last year, posting a 6.65 ERA.
Wilson isn’t overpowering, but if he looks closer to the Milwaukee version, he becomes a sensible insurance arm.
Curet is the upside play. The Phillies acquired the 23-year-old at the Winter Meetings. In Tampa Bay’s system, he posted a 3.10 ERA across 80 professional starts (plus 17 relief outings) with 486 strikeouts in 371.1 innings. If the Phillies stretch him out in games, the upper-90s fastball that can touch triple digits will stand out.
Curet has a minor league option, which matters. That gives Wilson a real edge.
Prediction: Wilson
Two more bullpen spots open
This is a diverse mix. Dombrowski and the front office loaded camp with enough arms to force real competition.
Right-handers Jonathan Bowlan (Matt Strahm trade), Chase Shugart, Zach Pop, Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley and former Phillie Lou Trivino are all in the mix, along with left-hander Kyle Backhus.
Bowlan has the best pure “stuff” in the group. He has a five-pitch mix highlighted by a four-seamer that’s hard to square up. In 2025, among 357 pitchers who threw at least 200 four-seamers, Bowlan posted the highest swing-and-miss rate on the pitch (43.5 percent).
Shugart posted a 3.40 ERA in the Pirates’ bullpen last season. Pop has struggled in recent big league looks. McCambley got Rule 5’d after a 2.90 ERA in 67 Triple-A innings with Jacksonville. And Trivino was sharp in his opportunities with the Phillies, posting a 2.00 ERA in 10 appearances in 2025.
Backhus is the wild card. The lefty throws from a sidearm slot — the fourth-lowest arm angle among left-handed pitchers — with a low-velocity, funky mix that can make hitters uncomfortable quickly.
If the Phillies want to keep the bullpen roles clean, the simplest outcome is one righty and one lefty — and the two most logical fits are the two trade adds.
Prediction: Bowlan and Backhus
