A lockout would shake up Major League Baseball, but it wouldn’t slow down the Phillies’ minor league pipeline. Players not on the 40-man roster aren’t protected by the CBA, which means the lower minors could keep rolling even if the big league side gets jammed up. That kind of backdrop makes next season a big one for Philadelphia’s farm system, and a few names stand out as candidates to jump into a different tier of prospect status.
Will Gasparino is already flashing the kind of skill set that gets attention fast. The 21-year-old UCLA product did more in 20 games last year than just show off his 60-grade raw power.
He handled the strike zone well, posting a higher walk rate at Clearwater than he did in college even while leaving the yard only twice. If that approach holds and the pop starts showing up more consistently, he could move quickly enough to reach Triple-A or even the Majors next year.
Mavis Graves also looks like a pitcher on the rise. Phillies president of baseball operations mentioned him in the club’s end-of-season press conference two weeks ago as someone who could bring a lot of helium heading into 2027.
The big left-hander, armed with a sweeping breaking ball, shifted to the bullpen after getting promoted to Double-A Reading and was dominant right away, finishing with a 0.93 ERA over 18.1 innings. With Alex McFarlane out of the Fightin’ Phils closer role, Graves is positioned as the next man up to begin 2027.
If that late-season run carries over, he could end up on the big-league roster or become a trade chip by the deadline.
Caden Bogenpohl brings another loud bat to the list. The power-hitting outfielder put together a solid start to his pro career at Single-A Clearwater after being drafted last year, batting .264/.325/.417 with two home runs.
The upside is easy to see. At Missouri State in 2024, the 6-foot-6, 245-pound lefty broke Ryan Howard’s freshman home run record with 20.
The tool that will determine how far he goes is the hit/discipline combo. If he keeps the chase rate in check, the raw power should play in the minors.
He struck out 23 times in 83 plate appearances in 2026, so trimming that down would go a long way.
Matthew Fisher fits the profile of a pitcher who may have fallen farther in the draft than his stuff deserved. Though he went in the seventh round in 2025, the Phillies were getting more of a second-round type because other teams were scared off by his signing demands and Philadelphia was willing to meet them.
In his first pro season, the 20-year-old worked 49.2 innings between Rookie-ball and Single-A, putting up a 4.17 ERA while striking out hitters at a 10.9 K/9 clip. His command still needs sharpening, but the arsenal is real: a 12-6 hammer curve, a traditional low-80s slider, and a fastball that already tops out at 95 mph.
He’s still growing, too, which leaves room for that velocity to tick up. This year, the goal may be getting him to sit at 95 instead of merely touching it.
Then there’s Dante Nori, who enters the year with a lot on the line. The former first-round pick had a strong start on the international stage, going 8-for-20 with two home runs for Team Italy during the World Baseball Classic, but his minor league season never fully recovered from a slow start and injuries later in the summer.
Across three levels, he hit .238/.311/.347, and he’s still scuffling in the Arizona Fall League with a .541 OPS in nine games. The talent is obvious: he runs well, covers ground in the field, and should hit for a solid average.
He’s also been forced to play above his level throughout his pro career. But at 22, and after three years without the breakout, the pressure is building.
A full season at FirstEnergy Stadium, a hitter-friendly setting, might be what finally gets him going - if he can stay healthy from March through September.
In Other News...
Phillies Bold Infield Idea Could Cost Bryson Stott
The Phillies are already staring at an infield puzzle for 2026, and it starts with the possibility that both Alec Bohm and Luis Arraez could be free agents. Add in the long-running discussion about Bryce Harper eventually sliding back to first base, and suddenly the clubs infield picture looks a lot less settled than it does right now. It is the kind of roster planning that can reshape both the lineup and the defense, especially if the front office decides it wants more balance across the diamond.
One of the more aggressive solutions would involve Texas third baseman Josh Jung, a move that could give Philadelphia a different look at third while opening the door to bigger changes elsewhere. But any real pursuit of Jung also raises the price tag, and in this case the conversation gets to Bryson Stott, whose name would have to be considered if the Phillies wanted to make that kind of deal work. With Arraez also in the mix as a possible return to the infield, the organization has several paths to weigh, and each one comes with a different tradeoff for the roster it wants to build. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Suddenly Have A Catching Question They Cant Ignore
J.T. Realmuto has given the Phillies plenty over the years, but this season has pushed a familiar question back to the front of the conversation: how much longer can they ask him to carry the full workload behind the plate? With his offense lagging and the current backup options in Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchan offering limited production at the dish, Philadelphia has a real reason to at least consider whether a lighter catching load could help across the board.
Austin Hedges, Gary Sanchez and James McCann are among the free-agent names that could fit the kind of decision the Phillies are weighing, whether the priority is defense, offense or simply more stability at a demanding position. None of that means a move is imminent, but it does show how quickly the catching situation has gone from background concern to something the front office can no longer treat as routine. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Are Finally Making An Important Change Behind The Scenes
After a disappointing offensive season, the Phillies are spending the offseason trying to reshape more than just the lineup. The club has been making roster and coaching changes with an eye toward tightening the connection between what happens on the field and what the numbers say should happen, a shift that has become increasingly important for a team trying to get back on track.
A key part of that effort is the promotion of Dan Aucoin to lead the analytics research and development group, a move meant to bring data more directly into the teams pitching, defense and hitting plans. New coaching hires, including Carlos Mendoza as infield coach, are expected to work closely with that department, giving Philadelphia a better chance to turn its behind-the-scenes work into something more tangible when the season begins. [Read more 🡒]