If the Philadelphia Phillies do not make further changes to their roster before the start of the regular season, projections indicate they will still field one of Major League Baseball’s strongest teams. According to FanGraphs’ 2026 Depth Charts, the Phillies are ranked fourth in MLB by Wins Above Replacement (WAR). With over a month remaining before Spring Training, additional moves to improve certain positions are possible.
At catcher, the Phillies are currently projected at 30th in MLB with 1.4 WAR. The primary question is whether the team will re-sign J.T. Realmuto, which would likely boost this projection. At present, Rafael Marchan leads internal options.
First base projects more favorably for Philadelphia at third in MLB (4.0 WAR), led by Bryce Harper. Although Harper posted career lows last season, club president Dave Dombrowski has expressed hope that Harper’s performance could return to elite levels in 2026.
Second base ranks 13th in MLB (2.9 WAR) with Bryson Stott as incumbent after a strong second half last year. The team may consider acquiring free agent Bo Bichette to strengthen this position.
Alec Bohm is expected to contribute at third base, where the team is projected 17th in MLB (2.6 WAR). Despite trade rumors involving Bohm, management has shown confidence in his ability to rebound from last season.
Trea Turner remains a key player at shortstop, with an eighth-place ranking and a projected 4.4 WAR. Turner finished fifth in NL MVP voting last year and won his second batting title while achieving notable defensive metrics.
The outfield positions remain unsettled: left field and right field both rank 28th in MLB by projected WAR (0.9 and 1.2 respectively), while center field is ranked 15th (2.4 WAR). Brandon Marsh is listed as leading left fielder but may be joined by Justin Crawford or other new acquisitions depending on off-season moves regarding Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos.
In right field, Adolis GarcÃa joins after two subpar years with Texas but previously demonstrated Gold Glove-level performance and offensive output.
Kyle Schwarber returns as designated hitter with a third-best projection of 3.1 WAR despite lower expectations compared to last year’s results.
Philadelphia’s starting rotation was among baseball’s best last year and is projected fourth for 2026 (15.9 WAR). Questions remain about Zack Wheeler’s recovery from surgery and Andrew Painter’s debut following injury setbacks.
The bullpen also holds a strong outlook at third in MLB (4.3 WAR), now led by Jhoan Duran who joined during last season’s trade deadline along with several new additions from Kansas City.
The Phillies have played home games at Citizens Bank Park since 2004 and serve both local fans and a broader regional audience through games and community engagement efforts (official website). As one of baseball’s oldest franchises—founded in the nineteenth century—they have won multiple league titles including World Series championships in 1980 and 2008 (official website).
