The Phillies kick off their 144th season at Citizens Bank Park against the Texas Rangers Thursday.
Say this for the 2026 Phillies: You won’t need a program to know who’s who. Team officials push back on the popular narrative that they are “running it back” after 95- and 96-win seasons but also divisional-round knockouts in each of the last two years.
Rob Thomson points out that he will be managing a rookie center fielder, a new right fielder, a rookie starter, and a remodeled group of relievers. Here are the new faces on the Phillies' roster for opening day this season: Justin Crawford, center fielder There were times last season when the Phillies considered calling up Crawford. Instead, they left him in triple A, where he won a batting title. There’s no sense in waiting any longer. The keys to center field now belong to the 2022 first-round pick. Crawford is set to be the youngest outfielder in a Phillies opening day lineup since Greg Luzinski in 1973. Adolis García, right fielder Statistically, the new right fielder looks a lot like the old right fielder. Since 2024, García hit 44 homers with a 96 OPS+ and a 26.4% strikeout rate; Nick Castellanos hit 40 homers with a 96 OPS+ and a 21.8% strikeout rate. At minimum, though, García is a much better defender in right field. And the Phillies believe a change of scenery and a new hitting coach will lead him back to his All-Star level from 2023. Otto Kemp, utility infielder and outfielder You’re probably familiar with the story, but it doesn’t get old. Undrafted out of a Division II college , Kemp made his major league debut last June. But the Phillies believe they haven’t seen the best of him. Not after he played through knee and shoulder injuries that necessitated surgery after the season. He likely will get most of his at-bats against lefty pitchers in a left field platoon with Brandon Marsh. Dylan Moore, utility infielder Moore spent most of the last seven seasons in the majors by virtue of being a strong defender at almost every position on the field, even winning a Gold Glove as a utility man in 2024. He signed a minor league deal before spring training, then secured a roster spot in camp. His versatility figures to keep him around, but he must also improve on a .206 career average. Andrew painter, starting pitcher He’s finally here. After three years of waiting and changing timelines, Painter will take the ball at Citizens Bank Park for the first time and make his major league debut on March 31. The right-hander will slot into the fifth spot in the rotation. Painter had a crash course in overcoming adversity last season in triple-A Lehigh Valley, when his fastball command was inconsistent in his first season back after Tommy John surgery. Typically, that is the last thing that returns to pitchers after undergoing that rehab process. Kyle Backhus, reliever The Phillies acquired Backhus from the Diamondbacks over the offseason in exchange for outfield prospect Avery Owusu-Asiedu. From the beginning of camp, he has turned heads with his unusual sidearm delivery that can be deceptive to left-handed hitters. Backhus throws the ball at an arm angle of 9 degrees, which is a completely different look from the other lefties in the Phillies’ bullpen. Alvarado’s arm angle in 2025 was 59 degrees, while Tanner Banks’ was 48 degrees. Jonathan Bowlan, reliever The Phillies sent Strahm to Kansas City in exchange for Bowlan in December. The 6-foot-6 right-hander has less than a year of MLB service time, and posted a 3.86 ERA with 46 strikeouts in 44⅓ innings with the Royals last season. He is out of options, and likely will be a multi-inning reliever for the Phillies. Brad Keller, reliever A move to the Cubs bullpen last year proved career-changing for Keller, leading to an uptick of over 3 mph on his fastball and an offseason payday with the Phillies. Keller still has a starter’s arsenal with five pitches: four-seam, slider, sweeper, sinker, and changeup. He is expected to be a key leverage arm from the right side. Zach Pop, reliever Pop had a solid spring, and the Phillies liked his strike-throwing ability and fastball velocity, which got up to 98 mph. The reliever has bounced between the majors and minors throughout his career and will be a low-leverage right-handed option. — Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March
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