PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
2025 finish: 96-66 (1st in NL East, lost in NLDS)
Manager: Rob Thomson (346-251, 5th season)
Leading the front office: David Dombrowski, president of baseball operations (6th season)
DOLLARS AND SENSE
Largest luxury tax hit: RHP Zack Wheeler ($42 million)
Top returning players: SS Trea Turner (6.7 fWAR), DH Kyle Schwarber (4.9), 1B Bryce Harper (3.5)
Top returning starting pitchers: LHP Cristopher Sanchez (6.4), LHP Jesus Luzardo (5.3), Wheeler (4.0)
Top returning relievers: RHP Jhoan Duran (0.9), Tanner Banks (0.8), Orion Kerkering (0.7)
ROSTER WATCH
Key additions: OF Adolis Garcia (free agent), RHP Brad Keller (free agent), RHP Zack Pop (free agent), RHP Zack McCambley (free agent), RHP Jonathan Bowlan (trade), 2B Dylan Moore (minors), OF Bryan De La Cruz (minors), RHP Bryse Wilson (minors), LHP Tucker Davidson (minors), LHP Genesis Cabrera (minors), RHP Trevor Richards (minors),
Key losses: LHP Ranger Suarez (free agent), OF Nick Castellanos (released), OF Harrison Bader (free agent), OF Max Kepler (free agent), RHP Joe Ross (free agent), RHP Walker Buehler (free agent), RHP Jordan Romano (free agent), RHP David Robertson (free agent), RHP Daniel Robert (free agent)
Baseball America top-100 prospect(s): SS Aidan Miller (14), RHP Andrew Painter (32), OF Justin Crawford (75)
Philadelphia Phillies’ Andrew Painter works out during spring training baseball Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, in Clearwater, Fla. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
KEEP AN EYE ON
The Phillies lost LHP Ranger Suarez (3.20 ERA) to free agency and are easing back RHP Zack Wheeler (2.71 ERA) after his 2025 season was cut short by thoracic outlet syndrome. So it will help having top pitching prospect Andrew Painter take a step forward now that he’s two years removed from Tommy John surgery. Painter lost all of 2023 and most of 2024 and had a 5.26 ERA over 118 innings in the minors last season.
1B Bryce Harper’s .844 OPS was 200 points below the last time he won the NL MVP in 2021, leading baseball ops chief David Dombrowski to remark that it wasn’t an “elite” season. Harper is entering his Age 33 season and the back nine of his career, but he wore a “Not Elite” shirt during winter workouts in a social media post, a clear sign he is intent on proving doubters wrong.
DH Kyle Schwarber, 33, has an .856 OPS in four years with the Phillies and is coming off a season in which he paired 56 homers and an MLB-best 132 RBIs with a .928 OPS. That left the Phillies with no choice but to lock up Schwarber for another five years for $150 million.
Fangraphs projection: 87.3 wins