Which Phillies prospect will make the biggest impact in 2026?
A trio of Phillies first round picks could all debut in 2026. Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford are locks to play in the majors this year. Both will likely crack the Opening Day roster.
Aidan Miller, considered by some to be a top 10 prospect in baseball, could push his way onto the roster later down the road. 2022 third-round pick Gabriel Rincones Jr. could also factor into the outfield mix.
Which youngster will make the biggest impact on the 2026 club? Here are some thoughts from the Phillies Nation staff.
Destiny Lugardo – Staff Writer — Aidan Miller
If there’s one thing the Phillies franchise desperately needs, it’s for a star to emerge from their farm system on the position player side. I don’t expect Miller, who turns 22 in June, to transform the lineup from the get-go, but he has the potential to do enough to emerge as a pillar of the next great Phillies team. The Phillies will want him to spend some time in Triple-A. If there’s an injury or underperformance at third or second base, Miller will get his chance. The Phillies thought they had the right-handed bat they needed in Bo Bichette. Miller now has the chance to be that guy.
Bailey Digh – Staff Writer — Andrew Painter
I think Painter has the best chance of any Phillies rookie to provide the biggest impact. Serious questions surround Crawford. I don’t think Miller plays in more than 50 games. So that leaves Painter, who can help solidify a starting rotation that has its own set of questions.
Will Zack Wheeler return to form? Will Aaron Nola? Who replaces Ranger Suárez? Those are real concerns regarding the Phillies’ rotation. And while Painter isn’t a sure bet to be really good this year, I think he’s talented enough to be a slightly above league-average run preventer on the mound while making 22-ish starts. That’d certainly help the Phillies’ starting staff, and to me, should be more than enough to provide the most impact of any other Phillies rookie in 2026.
Nathan Ackerman — Staff Writer — Justin Crawford
I don’t foresee Miller playing early and often enough to get this nod (though I do think his numbers will be the best of the trio), and I think there may still be a learning curve for Painter (who I remain very high on, but last year was tough). That doesn’t just make Crawford the answer by default; I think he can hold his own at the big-league level this year, for the mild expectations placed upon him, and he’ll have the chance to do it from Opening Day on.
A lot of the faith is somewhat blind — the ground-ball questions are real, and the center-field defense ones are too. But I’m trusting his speed to make his rookie season at least passable on both sides of the ball, and the energy it’ll inject into the lineup is something that’ll reverberate around the team, even if he’s hitting .230. He may hit .230. And that could be OK.
Ty Daubert — Editorial Director — Andrew Painter
Painter has a lot to prove this season, even if he’ll only be a rookie. The Phillies wanted the top prospect and former first-round pick to enter their rotation plans last summer, but his performance in the minor leagues did not warrant a promotion at any point in 2025. He’s in line to finally make his way to Philadelphia this year.
In his first full season coming off Tommy John surgery, the right-hander struggled with command and consistency. Things snowballed at times. He had a 5.26 ERA in 26 starts in the minors. But Painter is now another year removed from injury and has built up to 118 innings. With Suárez now in Boston and Wheeler’s status to start the year in question, he should get plenty of starts and opportunities to show off the stuff that’s made him such an exciting young player in the first place. He could be a real difference-maker if it all comes together and should at least take down a meaningful number of innings if not.