Inside the Phillies: Shane Victorino’s advice for Justin Crawford, a changing rotation, and more

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Shane Victorino retired to Las Vegas in 2016, three years before Justin Crawford popped up on the scene there at Bishop Gorman High School.

In December, the former and future Phillies center fielders finally met up at a Vegas-area batting cage.

“I’m not one to get into the middle of people’s journey, but I would always wonder,” Victorino, a guest instructor in Phillies camp for the past few days, said of Crawford. “And this offseason, we finally decided that we wanted to get some work in together.”

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Victorino, who played in the majors at the same time as Crawford’s dad, was struck by many of the qualities that are impressing Phillies officials this spring. Never mind that Crawford is on track to become the youngest outfielder in a Phillies opening-day lineup since Greg Luzinski in 1973. The 22-year-old has the right mix of confidence and curiosity.

As manager Rob Thomson puts it, “He acts like he deserves to be here.”

“Being a son of a big leaguer, he sure didn’t act like one,” Victorino said. “And that was very interesting to me, the humbleness, the kind of kid he is. [The Phillies] have got a good one, bro.”

Crawford’s inner circle is overflowing with major-league influences that extend beyond even his dad, Carl Crawford, a four-time All-Star outfielder with the Tampa Bay Rays. His godfather, Junior Spivey, played five seasons in the majors. Mike Easler, his personal hitting coach, had a 14-year major-league career. Crawford went to Arizona in the offseason to improve his defense — with former star center fielder Eric Davis.

By all accounts, Crawford is a sponge, soaking in advice and information but also asking pertinent questions. Upon meeting up with Victorino, he wanted to know one thing.

What’s it like to play in Philadelphia?

Because it isn’t for everyone. Crawford’s dad came up with the Rays and thrived in small-market Tampa Bay but struggled with the spotlight in Boston after signing a seven-year, $142 million contract with the Red Sox. Philly is a similarly sports-crazed Northeast market.

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Victorino, 45, relished the big-market experience, winning the World Series with the Phillies in 2008 and Red Sox in 2013 and producing big postseason moments during both runs.

“He wanted to know, like, ‘What are the things that I’ve got to make sure that I’m ready for and that I’m prepared for?” Victorino recalled. “And I said, ‘You ain’t dumb, bro.’ I said, ‘It’s a hard place to play. It’s a tough fan base.’ But I said, ‘There’s so many things that you bring, the person that you are, the player that you are, that the city’s longing for. So, if you do that, Justin, then the rest will take care of itself.’”

Victorino offered up two specific tips: Be accountable and play hard.

“I said, ‘Fly around the bases, play the game right, and this city’s going to love you,’” Victorino said. “That’s all they care about. They want you to hit a ground ball and try to beat it out. And when you beat it out, they’re going to have 40,000 [fans] on their feet.”

Victorino came to the Phillies in the Rule 5 draft in 2004 and wasn’t a touted prospect. But like Crawford, he had a dominant season in triple A, batting .310 with 18 homers and a .912 OPS in 2005.

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It wasn’t until the Phillies traded Bobby Abreu at the July deadline in 2006 that Victorino got a chance to play every day at age 25. He took over center field once Aaron Rowand left in free agency after the 2007 season.

The Phillies considered calling up Crawford at times last season but instead left him in triple A, where he won the International League batting crown with a .334 average. Although Crawford is hailed for his bat-to-ball skills and sprinter’s speed, some scouts point to his high ground-ball rate as a reason to be skeptical that he will hit in the majors.

But Crawford has batted .300 at every level of the minor leagues, and the Phillies believe the time has come to turn over the keys to center field.

“Just being in the cage with him, his approach, his outlook on the game, his willingness to want to learn and ask questions — the right questions — is what stood out to me,“ Victorino said. ”The baseball side, that’s up to [hitting coach Kevin Long]. But I think this organization’s got a great identity of where he is as a player. I think there’s going to be a leash long enough that he’s going to be able to figure it out.

“I told him, ‘They’re going to forget about guys like me and others because they’re going to fall in love with Justin Crawford.’ And I’m cool with that because that means that the team’s going to be better, the city’s going to be excited, and the fans will be, too.”

A few other notes from spring training:

For five years, the Phillies’ optimism about their chances to make the playoffs, win the division, and go on a deep run through October was rooted in two pitchers.

Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.

Wheeler ranks first in WAR (30.4) and third in ERA-plus (146) and among 96 pitchers who threw at least 500 innings since 2020. Nola is 16th in WAR (16.0) and 59th in ERA-plus (102) in that span.

And their durability stood out as much as their dominance. Wheeler ranks third in innings pitched (979) and fifth in pitches thrown (15,319) since 2020; Nola is seventh (944⅓) and ninth (15,002).

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Wheeler and Nola were as reliable as sunrise and sunset.

It’s unfamiliar, then, that they represent two of the Phillies’ bigger questions this spring. Wheeler, who will be 36 in May, is attempting to return from surgery in which his first rib was removed to relieve a vein that was compressed between his rib cage and collarbone. Nola, 33 in June, is trying to bounce back from an injury-plagued season in which he posted a 6.01 ERA.

Suddenly, the surest things in the Phillies’ 2026 rotation are lefties Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo. Sánchez, 29, is the Cy Young runner-up; Luzardo, 28, is a candidate for a contract extension with free agency looming after the season.

And then there’s 22-year-old top prospect Andrew Painter, on the verge of making his long-awaited major-league debut.

Meanwhile, Wheeler and Nola are still around, with corner lockers in the spring-training clubhouse and the potential to still impact the Phillies’ season in a big way.

“It’s nice having guys develop and taking those next steps because it helps us if we were to maybe take a step back as we get older,” Wheeler said. “They’re getting to where we’ve been, which is just reaching, I don’t want to say your peak, but reaching your potential and being the pitcher who you think you could be and who everybody else thinks you could be.

“They’re getting to that point. It’s pretty cool to see. And we’re already been there, and we’re just trying to make that last, me and [Nola].”

Orion Kerkering uncorked a pitch in a bullpen session before camp opened and felt a grabbing sensation in his right leg.

“I thought it was just a cramp,” he said.

It turned out Kerkering suffered a mild (Grade 1) strain of his right hamstring. He’s aiming to throw from a mound Sunday, which would be a big step in a progression that typically involves multiple bullpen sessions and facing hitters in live batting practice before getting into games.

There’s still time for Kerkering to be ready for opening day. He would join closer Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, Jonathan Bowlan, and lefties José Alvarado and Tanner Banks as locks in an eight-man bullpen. Do the math, and there are two spots for at least a half-dozen relievers, most of whom have made solid initial impressions.

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Kyle Backhus might have an inside track. Not only does Thomson prefer a third lefty, but as a sidearmer, Backhus provides a unique look. The 28-year-old posted a 4.62 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 25⅓ innings last season for Arizona. The Phillies traded for him in December for single-A outfielder Avery Owusu-Aseidu.

It was one in a series of offseason dart throws to add bullpen depth. The Phillies acquired right-handers Yoniel Curet from the Rays and Chase Shugart from the Pirates for minor leaguers. They signed righty Zach Pop as a free agent and selected righty Zach McCambley in the Rule 5 draft.

Pop, 29, features a sinker that Thomson described as a “bowling ball.” He’s out of options and would need to clear waivers. McCambley, 26, must remain on the Phillies’ active roster all season or be offered back to the Marlins, his former organization, for $50,000.

Maybe that gives them an edge over Backhus, Curet, Shugart, and holdovers Seth Johnson and Max Lazar, all of whom have minor-league options.

Veteran relievers Lou Trivino and lefty Tim Mayza are also in camp as nonroster invitees. Because they finished last season in the majors, have six years of service time, and signed minor-league deals, they are entitled to a $100,000 retention bonus to go to the minors if the Phillies don’t add them to the 26-man roster five days before opening day.

It all sets up an intriguing competition over the next few weeks.

“We’re going to have some tough decisions at the end of this thing,” Thomson said.

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Alvarado committed to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic but had to withdraw due to issues in obtaining insurance. The Phillies will have 11 participants: Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Keller (U.S.); Sánchez and outfielder Johan Rojas (Dominican Republic); righty Taijuan Walker (Mexico); catcher Garrett Stubbs and Lazar (Israel); infielder Edmundo Sosa (Panama); Nola and outfield prospect Dante Nori (Italy). … Veteran utility man Dylan Moore is competing for the final spot on the bench after signing a minor-league contract a few days before camp opened. Moore, who is also eligible for the retention bonus if he isn’t added to the roster before opening day, said he wanted to join the Phillies for the opportunity to work with Long. “He pointed out some things in my swing that he thought he could really help me with,” said Moore, a .206 hitter with a .693 OPS in seven major-league seasons. “That was a huge factor. I think he could help me.”