135 days since they were eliminated by the once and future World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the beta version of the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies took the field for the first time in a 3-0 Spring Training-opening loss to the 2025 World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays.
Aside from a couple costly pitches from some borderline bullpen contributors and an overall weak showing at the plate, there were some positive takeaways in addition to the obvious “nobody got hurt” that goes for every Spring
Training exhibition.
One of the team’s biggest question marks heading into the season is whether Justin Crawford is ready to not only make the leap to the majors but to be a starting centerfielder and lineup contributor on a roster with playoff aspirations. The left-handed hitting Crawford led off the game against Blue Jays’ lefty, Eric Lauer, with an encouraging six-pitch at-bat that resulted in a hard-hit fly ball double to left-center. A pitch earlier, Crawford also hit a fly ball down the right field line that ended up just foul but had home run distance.
Crawford got his second hit of the spring in the fifth inning, a two-out line single up the middle, and displayed his speed in the field by running in to snag a hard liner off the bat of Vlad Guerrero, Jr. to end the third inning.
The only blemish on Crawford’s day was his pitch clock violation strikeout in the top of the third, but even that came at the end of a five-pitch at bat.
Most of the team’s major offensive contributors were held out of today’s game and the ones the weren’t didn’t have much to write home about in their first spring action. Adolis Garcia, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp and Rafael Marchan each got three plate appearances in, going a collective 0 for 10 with a walk each from Sosa and Kemp.
Non-roster invitee, Bryse Wilson, got the start on the mound and faced what appears will be Toronto’s entire opening day lineup. Wilson went two scoreless innings, albeit with three hits and a walk allowed and benefitted from a pair of double plays. The 28 year old Wilson has 163 major league appearances, 57 of which were starts, so he could be getting a look as a spot starter/long reliever at the end of the bullpen.
Zach McCambley pitched a scoreless third inning and allowed one walk with a strikeout. McCambley is a 26 year old right-handed reliever who the Phillies selected in the Rule 5 Draft, so he will need to make quite the impression to break camp with the team and must stay on the roster all season or be forfeit back to the Marlins.
Max Lazar pitched a scoreless fourth before Seth Johnson came on in the fifth and surrendered the first run of the afternoon, a solo shot to Daulton Varsho. Nolan Hoffman pitched the sixth, allowing four hits including a two-run homer by Sean Keys, though he did record three strikeouts.
After wholesale substitutions in the sixth inning, second baseman, Liover Peguero drew a leadoff walk and left fielder, Pedro Leon, reached on a fielders choice, getting all the way around to third via a steal and a wild pitch. Leon would fail to make it home as Carson DeMartini struck out to end the frame. DeMartini also collected an error in the previous frame on a dropped foul ball, though it didn’t end up costing his team any runs. Leon reached base again in the bottom of the ninth and took second courtesy of defensive indifference.
Andrew Walling pitched a one-hit bottom of the seventh, allowing a leadoff single to Rafael Lantigua, who was with the Phillies last spring and spent the 2025 season in Lehigh Valley. Walling is one of the few left-handed options currently in the organization, along with Kyle Backhus, Tim Mayza or Genesis Cabrera, that the Phillies could turn to if something were to happen to Jose Alvarado or Tanner Banks.
Catcher, Paul McIntosh, led off the top of the eighth inning with a double. McIntosh is likely battling it out with veterans Rene Pinto and Mark Kolozsvary for a spot in the Iron Pigs’ catching tandem alongside Garrett Stubbs.
Andrew Baker pitched the bottom of the eighth, allowing back-to-back two-out walks before getting a little luck from the wind that kept a deep fly ball in the park which was snared by center fielder, Dante Nori, at the warning track. Baker fell off the Phillies’ Top 30 Prospects list this season but projects to end up in Reading or Lehigh Valley to begin the season. Nori (Phillies #13 ranked prospect according to FanGraphs) will play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic and is projected to start in centerfield for the Reading Phils to begin the season.
A couple of free agent bench candidates also saw some action as Dylan Moore started at second base and Bryan De La Cruz was the designated hitter. Moore was hitless in two ABs while De La Cruz got a single in the second inning.
Look for more members of the 26 man roster to make their debut in Clearwater tomorrow as the Phils host the Pittsburgh Pirates at 1:05pm.
