If the Phillies don’t make another roster move between now and the start of the regular season, they will still likely boast one of the game’s best squads. They have the fourth-best team in MLB by Wins Above Replacement (or WAR), according to FanGraphs’ 2026 Depth Charts projections. But with more than a month left before the beginning of Spring Training, more deals to improve the roster are inevitable, and there are a couple of spots where an upgrade seems necessary.
But for now, here’s a position-by-position look at how the Phillies project for next season.
Catcher: 30th in MLB (1.4 projected WAR)
The Phillies’ biggest roster question has a pretty simple answer: re-sign J.T. Realmuto. The belief is that the club and its longtime backstop will eventually reach an agreement, which would significantly lift this projection. For now, Rafael Marchan, with his 82 games of big league experience, is the leading in-house option.
First base: 3rd in MLB (4.0 projected WAR)
Second base: 13th in MLB (2.9 projected WAR)
There is some developing intrigue at this position for the Phils. Bryson Stott is the incumbent at second base, and after hitting .294 with an .855 OPS in the second half of last season, he might be on the cusp of a breakout year. Or the Phillies could make a headline move to upgrade their offense at the keystone position in the form of free agent Bo Bichette. Philadelphia is among the teams reportedly interested in the star infielder, per MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.
Third base: 17th in MLB (2.6 projected WAR)
Alec Bohm is projected to accrue 2.4 WAR at third base next season, which sort of splits the difference between his 2024 All-Star season (2.8) and his underwhelming 2025 (1.7). Although the 29-year-old has been the subject of offseason trade rumors, the club has expressed confidence that Bohm can return to form.
Shortstop: 8th in MLB (4.4 projected WAR)
Entering his 12th season, Trea Turner is still one of the best position players in the sport, and he’s showing few signs of decline as he prepares for his age-33 campaign. His 6.7 WAR last year ranked sixth in the Majors. He finished fifth in NL MVP voting and captured his second batting title. Turner also had a career year on defense as his 17 outs above average tied for the seventh most in MLB.
Left field: 28th in MLB (0.9 projected WAR)
Center field: 15th in MLB (2.4 projected WAR)
Right field: 28th in MLB (1.2 projected WAR)
Philadelphia accrued 0.4 WAR in right field last season, tied for 21st in MLB. The two players most responsible for that number were Castellanos (-0.5) and Max Kepler, who added 0.9 WAR in just 29 games. Adolis García, the Phillies’ biggest true addition on the position-player side to this point in the offseason, will now take over in right. A two-time All-Star, García is coming off back-to-back subpar years with the Rangers. But just two seasons ago, he was a Gold Glover who produced a 128 wRC+ and 4.7 WAR. There is a mutual belief that he can be that player again with this fresh start.
Designated hitter: 3rd in MLB (3.1 WAR)
Kyle Schwarber‘s projected 3.0 WAR and .499 slugging percentage at DH would be a relative disappointment on the heels of last year, when he had 5.2 WAR and a .578 slug at the position. Still, re-signing Schwarber was vital for the Phils, who will be very pleased to pencil him in near the top of their lineup for the next five seasons.
Starting rotation: 4th in MLB (15.9 WAR)
The Phils’ rotation had the most WAR in the Majors last year (21.5) and has finished no worse than third in WAR in any of the past four seasons. For 2026, they are projected to rank fourth, but that hinges on two questions:
2. How will Andrew Painter perform in his debut season? The team’s No. 1 prospect (and No. 16 in MLB) missed the 2023 and 2024 Minor League seasons as he recovered from Tommy John surgery and then produced a 5.26 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP in 118 innings last year. Despite those struggles, Painter could be in Philadelphia’s Opening Day rotation, and his ceiling remains sky-high.
Bullpen: 3rd in MLB (4.3 WAR)
The Phillies had a top-five bullpen by WAR in 2023 and ’24 before falling to 20th last season. This year’s relief corps is fronted by Jhoan Duran, who was phenomenal in his first two months with the Phillies after being acquired from the Twins ahead of the 2025 Trade Deadline. There are a few newcomers to this group, including Brad Keller, Zach Pop and Jonathan Bowlan, who came over from the Royals in a trade involving left-hander Matt Strahm.
