The Philadelphia Phillies have made a notable change with one of their most underrated sluggers this spring.
When you hear of the Philadelphia Phillies' top prospects, Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford are generally the names that surface.
You'll then have some mention Gage Wood, as well as names like Aroon Escobar and Francisco Renteria. But you won't really hear about first baseman Keaton Anthony, who is entering 2026 as the 30th-ranked prospect in the Phillies' system.
To be quite frank, that seems a bit unfair.
Anthony slashed .323/.378/.484 with six home runs, 31 doubles and 39 RBI over 347 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A last season, and he is a lifetime .324 hitter since entering Philadelphia's organization in 2023.
But perhaps the Phillies value Anthony more than most scouts.
In order to potentially open up more playing time for Anthony down the line, Philadelphia has been experimenting with the 24-year-old in the outfield this spring.
"It’s fairly fresh," outfield coach Paco Figueroa said, via Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. "He doesn’t have a priority (in the outfield). He’s a first baseman. It’s more, right now, just shagging balls off BP. It’s not individual, early (work). I’ve seen him a couple times. But he’s a ballplayer. There’s not a big glaring thing he needs to improve on. It’s just getting reps out there and playing games in the outfield."
Keaton Anthony. Credit: Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK.So, why is Anthony suddenly getting some outfield reps?
Well, the University of Iowa product lacks elite pop, so it would make more sense for him to play outfield rather than a typical power position like first base. Not only that, but Bryce Harper is entrenched at first base for the foreseeable future.
Plus, we know that Philly's outfield is full of question marks heading into 2026, as the Phillies will be relying on Crawford starting in center field and Adolis Garcia — who was non-tendered by the Texas Rangers — in right.
"Attempting to play Anthony, a right-handed hitter, in left increases his value to the Phillies and other organizations," Varnes wrote. "And his hit-over-power profile might fit more cleanly in the outfield than at first base."
Essentially, switching Anthony to the outfield is two-fold. Yes, it creates a clearer path to the majors for the Fort Wayne, In. native, but it also provides Philadelphia with more flexibility in potential trades.
If Anthony continues to rake at the minor-league level, it may not be too long before we see him get a chance in the majors.
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