The Philadelphia Phillies are set to begin what many believe could be a tumultuous offseason.

As soon as the World Series concludes, the Phillies are thought to be one of the top teams on the market for free agency and trade discussions after seeing problems in two straight years with basically the same roster. 

While discussion over resigning players like Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto have been the focal point of any discussion surrounding the team, baseball fans forget that Philadelphia also has a strong system of prospects who could see playing time in the majors in 2026 depending on the team's offseason moves.

Out of the Phillies' top five prospects according to mlb.com, three of them are set to see time in the big leagues in 2026, bringing a spark of new light to a program that is in desperate need of change.

The Long-Awaited Call Up

Philadelphia's No. 1 prospect is a name that Phillies fans have been calling for since 2024, and it might actually be time to see him called up to begin the 2026 season in the starting rotation.

Andrew Painter could provide a another right-handed power arm for Philadelphia to go along with its only other righty starter, Zack Wheeler. Christopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo are both left handed, and it's uncertain if Ranger Suarez will return to the team in 2026, which leaves Wheeler as the only right-handed arm in the starting rotation.

This past season, Painter saw some struggles in his first year with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, notching a 5.26 ERA in 118 innings pitched en route to a 5-8 record. In 26 starts, the 22 year old allowed 69 earned runs on 129 hits, 20 of which were home runs. 

These statistics don't bode too well as they sit in stark contrast of his performance in the lower levels of the minor leagues back in 2022. In a season where Painter played in Single-A, High-A and Double-A, the Pompano Beach, Florida, native tallied a 1.56 ERA in 22 starts, allowing only 18 earned runs on 67 hits.

If Painter can produce like he did in '22, and bring that kind of play into the winter leagues and then Spring Training, it wouldn't be surprising to see his status within the ball club rise. 

Pending any offseason additions by President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, Painter is primed to join the Phillies' Opening Day 2026 roster. Even if that can't be confirmed now, it's almost certain that he'll see time on the mound down in Clearwater, Florida, for Spring Training, giving Phils fans a look at one of the top pitching prospects in baseball. 

Are There Two Trea(s) in the Infield?

Philadelphia's No. 2 prospect showcases a lot of the same talent as star shortstop Trea Turner, making him an interesting fit into the Phillies infield pending any offseason moves.

Aidan Miller's offensive production mirrors Turner as a contact hitter who can consistently get on base but doesn't showcase the power in his bat as often. In 2025, Miller spent the majority of the season with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils, notching a .264 batting average. 

The Dunedin, Florida, native scored 82 runs off of 114 hits, but only tallied 42 RBI and sent the ball out of the yard just 14 times in 432 at-bats. In comparison to Turner's 2025 season, he hit .304 with 94 runs on 179 hits, tallying 69 RBI in 589 at-bats. The major detail there, is that Turner won the 2025 National League regular season batting title and is a Silver Slugger Award finalist. If Miller is already mirroring that production in Double-A, he could become an absolute monster at the major league level. 

Additionally, Miller stole 59 bases in 2025, the most in his career by a long shot, and nine more than Turner's career high. 

Miller's offensive potential is exciting, but his spot on the roster will be determined by the offseason moves made by Dombrowski and company. Since Miller plays in the infield, moving away from Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott is the only realistic way he'll see consistent playing time, not to mention Edmundo Sosa showed he was a solid option for the utility position this past season. 

A lot of things have to fall into place for Miller to see consistent at-bats in the majors, but if they do, Philadelphia is in for a treat if he can mirror his offensive performance after a call up to Citizens Bank Park.

The Outfield's Final Infinity Stone

The Phillies' outfield was going through a period of lifeless offensive production during the first half of the 2025 season. The front office made the move to trade with the Minnesota Twins to bring in Harrison Bader, and the bats began to heat up. 

Brandon Marsh's move to left field along with a boost in offensive production that came out of nowhere post All-Star break secured his spot in the outfield for the 2026, and Bader is projected to resign with Philadelphia in the offseason, leaving only questions as to who will be in right field. 

Nick Castellanos' time in Philadelphia is heavily rumored to be over after tensions between him and manager Rob Thomson boiled over late in the regular season, causing Casty to be lose starting time and mostly come off the bench for most of late August, all of September and most of the lone postseason series.

With Castellanos on the outs, a spot in right might be open for the No. 3 prospect in the farm system, Justin Crawford. 

Playing mostly left and center field for the Iron Pigs in 2025, Crawford's .979 fielding percentage when playing center showcases he can spread the field and effectively defend the largest zone of the outfield. 

On offense, the Phoenix, Arizona, native's production jumps off the charts, showcasing a .334 average via 147 hits in 440 at-bats. Another potential Phillie who thrives off of small-ball offense, Crawford also shies away from taking the ball yard, but is extremely effective at pushing the ball to the outfield for an extra-base hit. 

Crawford has had 20 or more doubles in each of the last three seasons, bouncing between all four minor league levels.  After an incredibly productive season at the plate, the time might be perfect for the Phillies to add him to the outfield alongside Bader and Marsh if Castellanos is moved.