The Phillies are heading into an offseason where the pressure is already baked in. Philadelphia expects to contend, and after being knocked out sooner than they wanted, the front office now has to sort through what comes next.
Some of that work could involve shaking up the roster. Some of it will hinge on young players taking a real step forward.
One name that fits squarely into that second category is Justin Crawford.
The 22-year-old was one of the bright spots to emerge as the Phillies started giving more of their young talent a chance in 2026. Philadelphia’s system has never carried the kind of buzz some other clubs can brag about, but Crawford managed to stand out anyway. Andrew Painter drew plenty of attention as the organization’s top pitching prospect, yet Crawford was the one who helped the big-league club in a meaningful way.
His rookie year came with the usual uneven stretches, but the overall line showed why the Phillies have been so high on him. Crawford hit .264/.309/.353 with three home runs, 41 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. August was his best month, when he posted a .306/.358/.403 slash line and drove in 11 runs.
That kind of production doesn’t scream middle-of-the-order thunder, and Crawford likely won’t grow into that sort of power bat. But he does bring something the Phillies clearly need: contact and consistency. Even going back to his Triple-A work last season, he showed the ability to put the bat on the ball at a high level.
He also logged 149 games as a rookie, which makes it easy to see why he’s already part of the 2027 conversation. With a full season behind him, there’s a real path for Crawford to take another jump. For a Phillies lineup that lacked steadiness, that profile matters.
The former first-round pick still has plenty of room to grow, and the way things are set up, 2027 could be the year he breaks through.
In Other News...
Phillies Prospect Aidan Miller Is Forcing His Way Into A Bigger Conversation
Aidan Millers return to the field has given the Phillies a fresh reminder of why he has long been regarded as one of the organizations most intriguing young players. After a serious back injury limited him last season, the top prospect is back in the Arizona Fall League and, at minimum, showing the kind of bat-to-ball skill and strike-zone feel that can make a front office start thinking a little farther ahead.
For a club that is always trying to balance the present with the next wave, Millers health matters as much as his production. His path to Philadelphia is still very much a projection, with an MLB debut not expected until around 2027, but the early signs in Arizona have him pushing himself into a bigger conversation than he had before the injury. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Are Counting On Andrew Painter To Answer A Bigger 2027 Question
Andrew Painters 2026 season ended up looking like a useful reminder of how quickly a young pitchers year can change. He was knocked off course early, sent to the minors for a reset, then came back to the majors in midseason and settled in enough to help the Phillies stabilize down the stretch. For a club that expects him to matter far beyond one good stretch, the encouraging part was not just that he survived the detour, but that he reemerged as a real factor when the games started to carry more weight.
Painters role matters because the Phillies are already looking ahead to 2027 and beyond, where his development is tied to the shape of the rotation. He was part of the push that kept the team moving and gave it a foothold in October, and his presence only sharpened the sense that Philadelphia needs him to become more than a promising arm. The bigger question now is how much of that late-season progress can carry over when the expectation shifts from recovery mode to frontline responsibility. [Read more 🡒]
Aidan Miller Is Giving The Phillies A Future Infield Dilemma
Aidan Millers return from a back injury helped Reading finish off an Eastern League championship, and he has carried that momentum into the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros. For the Phillies, the early signs are encouraging for a player they drafted as a shortstop, because Millers bat and athleticism keep adding to the list of reasons he remains one of the organizations more intriguing long-term pieces.
The catch is that Philadelphia already has Trea Turner locked in at shortstop, which means Millers rise does not come with an obvious home. The Phillies are watching closely to see how far along he gets defensively and how ready he becomes for a bigger role, since his development could eventually force them to rethink their infield plans rather than simply wait for the next young infielder to find a position. [Read more 🡒]