A pair of new faces in outfield represent biggest change in Phillies lineup

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Shane Victorino reached out to Justin Crawford. The two-time Phillies All-Star center fielder was a guest instructor during Crawford’s first big league camp last year. The two Las Vegas natives met up in December for batting practice.

“He throws good BP,” Crawford said. “He has a lot of gems and dimes that he was dropping in to me.”

The Phillies’ plan in center field is clear: It is Crawford’s job to lose. After a strong season in Triple-A, Crawford, 22, is poised to arrive in the big leagues very soon.

“I know at the end of the day, I gotta go handle my business, and that’s going out there and competing and working hard and playing hard as well,” Crawford said.

The team would love to see Crawford develop into Victorino 2.0. In the golden age of Phillies baseball from 2007 to 2011, Victorino, a former Rule 5 pick, got on-base at the top of the lineup, provided gap-to-gap power and played steady defense in center. He and Jayson Werth, a shrewd free agent signing by GM Pat Gillick, were a solution to the Phillies’ longstanding issues with developing homegrown outfielders.

The Phillies don’t want to bombard Crawford with expectations in his rookie season. They just want to see what he can do with a big league opportunity.

“If he’s himself, he’s going to be a really good player,” manager Rob Thomson said about Crawford last week. “I’m not sure what more a guy can do in the minor leagues. If he uses the field, gets his base hits, uses the bunt game, the small game, plays good defense, we’ve got a guy that’s going to hit at the bottom of our lineup, get on base and create a lot of havoc.”

“Creating havoc” takes on different meanings when it comes to Crawford’s game. He has the speed to turn a routine ground ball into an infield hit. He stole 46 bases in Triple-A. The Phillies will count on Crawford to create RBI opportunities for their big hitters at the top of the order with his legs.

“Lengthening the lineup is always good,” Trea Turner said. “I feel like our lineup has been really deep in the last few years, but having speed at the bottom is kind a different aspect.”

Crawford can also use his contact abilities to make pitchers work. He fouled off multiple pitches against Phillies right-handed reliever Seth Johnson during live batting practice on Tuesday at the Carpenter Complex. The at-bat ended with a base hit to the opposite field. Crawford praised the previous batter, Johan Rojas, for making Johnson throw 18 pitches combined between the two of them. Hitting coach Kevin Long gathered all of the foul balls and created a pile.

“From the things I hear, it seems like he can really impact the game,” Turner said. “When those 7-8-9 hitters are impacting the game, I think it’s just so much harder for that other team to game plan. You can never relax out there.”

Crawford will likely begin the year as an everyday player. The thought of having him be a part of a platoon has never really come up. Against lefties in Triple-A last year, Crawford had a .929 OPS.

“From everything I’ve heard, he handles left-handed pitching,” Thomson said. “He stays in on them, he fights. That’s all I have to go on.”

The Phillies are turning over just over two thirds of the plate appearances taken by outfielders last year. Nick Castellanos, Harrison Bader and Max Kepler are the big departures. Brandon Marsh is the main holdover. Otto Kemp, who had only 28 plate appearances as a platoon outfielder in 2025, should factor into the mix this year.

Crawford and new free agent acquisition Adolis García are the two most prominent fresh faces. Prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr., a power-hitting platoon bat, will likely be part of the plans this season. He is dealing with knee soreness and his Grapefruit League debut will be delayed. Rojas, who has a minor league option left, could start everyday in Triple-A or open the season on the Phillies’ bench.

The plan could evolve over time during the regular season. The outfield underwent dramatic change last year. The Phillies opened the 2025 season with Kepler in left, Marsh in center and Castellanos. They entered the postseason with Marsh in left, Bader in center and Kepler in right.

The Phillies are hoping for more consistent production this year. Before last year’s trade deadline, the Phillies outfield ranked 26th in slugging percentage and 24th OPS. From August 1 through the end of the regular season, the outfield ranked 6th in slugging percentage and 8th in OPS.

A majority of the power is expected to come from García. The home run numbers were down, but his 19 home runs in 2025 would have led all Phillies outfielders. The Phillies are hoping that he could be a 25-30 home run guy in the more hitter-friendly Citizens Bank Park.

“In the end, it’s just having quality at-bats,” García said through a team interpreter. “I think that’s the key for everything. That’s the thing that we’re going to focus on the most.”

But the Phillies are once again counting on a bounce back. García is two years removed from his best season in the majors, when he hit 39 home runs, had an .836 OPS and led the Rangers to a World Series title with a monster postseason.

His .675 OPS over the last two seasons ranks 117th out of 123rd among qualified major league hitters. His .278 on-base percentage is dead last.

There is some overlap between García and Castellanos, the guy he is replacing in right. García is a significantly better defender, but like Castellanos, has some issues with staying patient. The Phillies are hoping that García is much more receptive to critical feedback than his predecessor. New Phillies assistant hitting coach Edwar Gonzalez worked with García this past offseason in Tampa.

The Phillies already like him as a clubhouse presence.

“This guy, from everything I’ve heard, from everything I’ve seen so far, tremendous teammate,” Thomson said. “Selfless, really good in the clubhouse. Wants to play, wants to play everyday. So I’m really excited to see him.”

García has assimilated well with the help of one of his best friends, Edmundo Sosa. Sosa and García were teammates going back to their days as minor leaguers in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. The two have remained close since, and a relishing the opportunity to play together in the big leagues.

“He’s happy to be here,” Sosa said through a team interpreter. “He wants to be here and he just wants to help us in trying to accomplish our goals in what the city wants, what this organization wants. He just wants to be a part of it and help us build toward that goal. We all dream of that, and it’s going to be a special year with him around. I think we’re going to do great and he’s gonna get along with all of his teammates. You know, it’s just about working together as a group and trying to win it all.”