Top Phillies Prospects Who Could Make an Impact in 2026
With the Philadelphia Phillies roster rapidly aging, there are several young prospects ready for their opportunity to make an impact in 2026.
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After falling short of reaching the World Series yet again in 2025, the Philadelphia Phillies have had a relatively quiet offseason. The radio silence has been a head scratcher to most, with the Phillies’ core quickly aging, and the competitive window seemingly approaching its end.
The choice to refrain from large free agent additions may not be so questionable after all, given the core group of top prospects in Philadelphia’s farm, plenty of whom are knocking on the door of a major league promotion. They have several top-100 prospects who could crack the Opening Day roster, as well as some other players not far behind.
That group, if successful upon promotion, could be what puts the club over the top this upcoming season. There’s definitely a lot to look forward to for Phillies fans this season.
Without further ado, here are four Phillies prospects who could make an impact in 2026.
SS Aidan Miller – Just Baseball No. 6
Aidan Miller, Philadelphia’s top prospect, is one of the most electric in the minor leagues. The 21-year-old shortstop excelled in 2025 and is knocking on the door of the big leagues heading into 2026.
This past season, Miller spent the majority of his time in Double-A, where he slashed .259/.382/.427 and blasted 13 homers in 108 games, before heading to Triple-A for just eight games to close off his campaign. Across the two levels, the young right-handed hitter controlled the plate well, walking 15.6% of the time, and striking out at a 23.4% clip. For context, that walk rate would place Miller near the 95th percentile at the major league level.
Miller supplements his high walk rate with a strong batted ball profile: 23.9% line drive, 39.2% groundball, 36.9% flyball. That offensive ability led to a 137 wRC+ in 2025 and has helped Miller maintain a wRC+ of 125 or higher at any level where he’s had 50 or more plate appearances.
On the defensive side of things, Miller has shown he can stick as a shortstop long term. The 6-foot-1 prospect has smooth footwork, a strong arm, and has developed well for a player many were skeptical of defensively. Given Trea Turner’s presence on the Phillies, it’s more likely we see Miller spend time at 3B this upcoming season, but he has the ability to hold down shortstop in the long-term.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Miller’s game is his baserunning abilities. While he possesses average speed, Miller still managed to swipe 59 bags in 2025. His ability to read pitchers and get good jumps is an asset for the Phillies.
It’s not impossible that Miller breaks camp with the major league squad, but it’s more likely he’ll start his 2026 season in Triple-A given a crowded Philly infield. Regardless, he’ll provide some much-needed youth and energy to an aging Phillies team upon his arrival at the game’s highest level.
RHP Andrew Painter – Just Baseball No. 21
Andrew Painter has long been one of the Phillies’ top prospects, ever since being taken in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft. His ascension to the big leagues was stalled by Tommy John surgery in 2023, which kept him sidelined for nearly two years. Now, though, after a bit of a rocky return last year, Painter is geared up for his next opportunity, looking to finally reach the big leagues.
This past season, Painter spent the majority of his time at Triple-A, where he met some adversity. In 106.2 innings pitched, the right-hander managed a 5.40 ERA and 4.34 xFIP. He also struck out 23.7% of opposing hitters; not poor in itself, but much lower than his career numbers prior to surgery.
Painter also struggled with walks this past season, owning a 3.88 BB/9 at Triple-A, a result of poor fastball command.
Even with his struggles, Painter offers a ton of upside, especially as his surgery looks further and further in the rearview mirror. The righty attacks hitters with a six-pitch mix, headlined by a 70-grade fastball that runs up to 100 MPH. Painter relies on that offering 44.8% of the time, while utilizing his low-80s curve 16.9% of the time. Following suit are the cutter (13.2%), slider (11.9%), changeup (10.7%), and sinker (2.4%).
It’s not uncommon for pitchers to struggle their first go around in Triple-A, especially after a surgery like Tommy John. There’s no cause for concern yet, given Painter’s raw talent and youth. He’ll likely start the season back in Triple-A, but a strong performance could earn a promotion relatively early in the season.
OF Justin Crawford – Just Baseball No. 79
After being drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Justin Crawford quickly worked his way through the minor leagues. Just 22 years old and the son of MLB veteran Carl Crawford, he’s poised to make an impact at the big league level in the coming months.
Crawford spent the entirety of his 2025 campaign in Triple-A, where he appeared in 112 games. The left-handed hitter slashed .334/.411/.452, while hitting seven homers, and walking 11.5% of the time. He’s managed to hit above .300 at every level since High-A in 2023, with wRC+ never dipping below 128 in that span.
Part of the reason Crawford has been able to maintain a high batting average is his speed, as well as a high groundball rate. Over the course of his professional career, he has hit the ball on the ground close to 60.0% of the time. As a result of his speed, he’s been able to beat throws on a higher percentage of those ground balls, and in turn maintain an unusually high BABIP.
Crawford’s speed has also helped him on the basepaths, allowing him to successfully steal 46 bases in 2025. In three full professional seasons (2023-2025), he’s never stolen fewer than 40 times. Crawford’s run tool is so above average that it grades out at 75 on the 20-80 scouting scale.
His speed factors in defensively as well, allowing more ground to be covered and potentially making up for missed jumps. Crawford spent some time in the corner outfield spots last year, which is where we could first see him make an impact with the Phillies.
With the recent departure of Nick Castellanos, the time for Crawford to slide onto the big league roster is now. If he can maintain his performance through spring training, it would be no shock at all to see Crawford break camp with the Phillies’ major league squad.
RHP Yoniel Curet
Acquired via trade with the Tampa Bay Rays in December of 2025, Yoniel Curet is one of the Phillies’ more under the radar prospects. The 23-year-old right-hander is a power pitcher who, despite ongoing command issues, possesses some of the best pure stuff in the minor leagues.
Throughout the entirety of his professional career thus far, Curet has pitched almost exclusively as a starter. Though his most recent campaign was largely wiped out due to shoulder surgery, Curet still made 16 appearances across three levels, 14 of which were starts.
In that span he pitched to a 3.90 ERA and struck out 25.5% of opposing hitters, but also issued 5.04 BB/9 and struggled with command. That trend isn’t new for Curet, who struck out 31.5% of batters in 2024 and 33.5% in 2023, while walking 11.9% and 17.6% of opposing hitters in 2024 and 2023 respectively.
What sets Curet apart is his power arsenal. The 6-foot-2 righty attacks his opponents with a five pitch mix: sinker, cutter, four-seam, changeup, and slider. The main offering from Curet is his sinker, which he threw 55.6% of the time at Triple-A last year, and reaches up to 99 MPH.
Scouts classify Curet’s fastball as 70-grade on the 20-80 scale, with both his sinker and four seam falling into that well above average category. He also offers a 60-grade cutter and 45-grade changeup, which supplement the power fastball approach.
Given Curet’s current command issues and power-packed arsenal, he projects more as a late-inning bullpen arm rather than a starter. If the Phillies and Curet are comfortable making that shift, we could see the powerful righty in the major leagues relatively early in 2026.
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Written by
Mason Linken first began writing about baseball after founding FBC Reports, and contributing to SABR's book "Henry Aaron". At Just Baseball, Mason is responsible for covering…