20 things to know about the Phillies for the 2026 season

There are a hundred things worth watching this year for the Phillies, who remain focused on getting back to the World Series. But let's focus on these 20(ish) storylines as the season begins.

Kyle Schwarber (right) and Bryce Harper (left) lead a Phillies lineup that returns its core in 2026.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer

by Ed Barkowitz

Published March 24, 2026, 5:01 a.m. ET

The Phillies insist they aren’t simply “running it back” with the same nucleus that has delivered four consecutive postseason bids, two straight division titles, but zero Broad Street parades. There have been a few changes, particularly in the outfield, where a rookie is poised to take over in center and a veteran is hoping to find new life in right.

There are a hundred things that will be worth watching this season — Is Bryce Harper still Bryce Harper? How well will the staff ace come back from his frightening injury? Are the kids ready to contribute? And so on.

Here are 20.

1. The most notable addition to the roster was Adolis García, who takes over for Nick Castellanos in right field. Garcia’s production has dipped since he helped Texas win the 2023 World Series. He batted .323 that postseason and hit two home runs in Game 7 to claim ALCS MVP.

2. García and Phillies utility infielder Edmundo Sosa met in 2017 when they were in the Cardinals organization. García was the best man at Sosa’s wedding in 2019.

3. García has played only four games at Citizens Bank Park, going 2-for-15 (.133) with a homer in 2024 off Zack Wheeler. The Phillies open the season at home with a series against Texas, whom they’ve swept in each of the last two seasons.

4. Schedule stuff I: The Phillies play 12 games in row against the Cubs and Braves from April 13-26. The first six are at home.

5. There’s hope that Wheeler could return to the club during this stretch. The staff ace was shut down in August with a blood clot in his right (throwing) shoulder and missed the National League Division Series loss to the Dodgers. Getting Wheeler back healthy is better than any move team president Dave Dombrowski could have made in free agency.

6. Kyle Schwarber needs 13 home runs to become the 11th Phillies player to reach 200. Schwarber has played only four seasons here, and in three of those he’s cracked the top 10 for most home runs in a season in club history (46 in 2022, 47 in 2023, 56 in 2025). The only other Phillie to hit 50-plus home runs in a season was Ryan Howard (58 in 2006).

6a. Schwarber also has four of the six highest strikeout totals for a batter in club history.

7. The Phillies were close to a deal with two-time All-Star Bo Bichette, who opted to sign with the Mets after seven seasons in Toronto. Phillies fans’ first opportunity to greet Bichette will be June 18 when New York visits for Father’s Day weekend.

8. The Phillies added pitcher Brad Keller, whose career seemingly was rescued last year when the Cubs moved him to the bullpen. “I was basically destined to go to [the minor leagues] and just kind of be a bulk starter down there and kind of see what happens,” he told The Inquirer in February. “Definitely a career changer.”

9. Keller, a 30-year-old who signed a two-year, $22 million contract, was particularly nasty on right-handers last year. Righties had just a .466 OPS against Keller, tops in the NL (minimum 150 batters faced). This could come in handy when manager Rob Thomson calls on him late in a game to face Bichette.

10. Jhoan Duran’s over/under for saves is 29.5 at DraftKings (-120). He’s +350 to reach 40. Duran led the Phillies with 16 saves last year despite not joining the club until July 30 when he was acquired in a trade with the Twins. Duran, 28, will be the first legitimate closer Thomson has had since he became the Phillies manager in 2022.

10a. “I think it’s probably the best group of arms we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Thomson said earlier this spring, referring to the bullpen.

11. Orion Kerkering, who had that brain cramp to end the NLDS against the Dodgers, is among the relievers Thomson will lean on. Kerkering, who battled a hamstring injury during the spring, handled the gaffe with class, so it would be good to see him get a rousing ovation from Phillies fans when he makes his first appearance at Citizens Bank Park. (Though he should expect to get booed if he gets knocked around.)

12. Curious to see how Thomson juggles the lineup, particularly the cleanup hitter if Harper again hits third. Phillies four-hole hitters last year had 24 homers and 86 RBIs with a .242 batting average and .720 OPS. Those numbers were fifth, fifth, sixth and sixth, respectively, among the six National League playoff teams and a reason that Harper had his least productive year as a Phille.

13. Jesús Luzardo, 28, was rewarded for the best season of his career with a five-year contract extension worth $135 million, an average annual value of $27 million. Luzardo went 15-7 in 2025 to raise his career record to 41-41. He also had career highs in innings pitched (183⅔) and strikeouts (216).

13a. When Steve Carlton entered his age-28 season in 1973, he was coming off the greatest season ever by a Phillies pitcher. Carlton threw 346⅓ innings with 310 strikeouts and he went 27-10. The last-place Phillies were 32-96 in 1972 when Carlton didn’t pitch, so for 1973 they raised his salary from $65,000 to $165,000, the equivalent of $1.265 million today.

13b. One last Luzardo item. He is fourth in career strikeouts among pitchers drafted in 2016 with 775, not bad for a third-round pick by the Nationals. Those ahead of him are Corbin Burnes (1,114), Zac Gallen (1,060), and Shane Bieber (995). All three were drafted after Luzardo.

14. Schedule stuff II: The Phillies’ nine-game homestand starting Thursday, July 16, includes three games each against the Mets, Dodgers and Yankees. Yo.

15. The Phillies will try to tie a franchise record with their fourth consecutive 90-win season. DraftKings has their over/under at 89.5 wins. The only other Phillies clubs to win 90 in four straight years were the 2008-11 teams.

16. Second baseman Chase Utley, one of the leaders of the 2008 World Bleepin’ Champions, will be inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on Friday, Aug. 7, before the game against Toronto.

16a. Utley’s first career hit was a grand slam off Colorado’s Aaron Cook in 2003. (Jim Thome, Mike Lieberthal, and David Bell also scored.) His last career home run at Citizens Bank Park also was a grand slam. He was with the Dodgers in 2016 when he went deep off reliever Michael Mariot.

17. It’s rare to see a Phillies player near the top of the odds board for Rookie of the Year, but recently at DraftKings center fielder Justin Crawford was listed at 20-1, pitcher Andrew Painter was 30-1 and infielder Aidan Miller was 50-1. Howard in 2005 was the last Phillie to win ROY. Jack Sanford, in 1957, is the only pitcher in club history to win it.

17a. Those three players were first-round picks in consecutive years starting with Painter in 2021, Crawford in 2022, and Miller in 2023. Miller will start the season in the minors.

18. Crawford’s father is Carl Crawford, who hit two home runs for Tampa Bay against the Phillies in the 2008 World Series when Justin was a 4-year-old. His cousin is J.P. Crawford, a Phillies first-round pick in 2013 who was traded to Seattle in 2018 for Jean Segura. (Knock on wood) Justin will see cousin J.P. when the Phillies visit Seattle on Aug. 24-26.

19. Schedule stuff III: The season ends with the final six games in South Philly. The Phillies were a terrific 55-26 (.679) at home last season compared to 41-40 (.506) on the road.

20. Painter, who turns 23 on April 10, played high school ball in South Florida with Dante Girardi, son of former Phillies manager Joe Girardi. In 2018, he watched Painter pitch a seven-inning shutout and turned to his wife, Kimberly, and said, “This is what a first-round pick looks like.” Painter was a 15-year-old freshman at the time.

Source: Baseball-Reference.com