February 21, 2024
Dave Nelson/USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Nola will make his first start of the spring on Sunday.
The Phillies will play their first exhibition of the spring on Saturday, tipping over the next domino toward a much-anticipated 2024 season when they face the Blue Jays over in Dunedin.
With that, the Phils have started lining up their starts.
Lefty Kolby Allard, who the Phils signed in the offseason for more pitching depth with a minor-league option, will take the bump on Saturday against Toronto. Aaron Nola, after re-upping for seven years and $172 million, will be up on Sunday against the Yankees back in Clearwater.
Additionally, outfielder Brandon Marsh, who's expected to be out until Opening Day after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, is jogging and will at least look at some pitches off a virtual pitching machine later this week, per The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber.
A few quick #Phillies notes:
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) February 21, 2024
--Brandon Marsh (knee) jogged today. He will start tracking pitches off virtual pitching machine tomorrow.
--Kolby Allard will start spring-training opener Saturday in Dunedin vs. Blue Jays.
--Aaron Nola will start Clearwater opener Sunday vs. Yankees
Some other Phillies news and notes...
The Phillies' 2024 batting practice cap, featuring everyone's favorite mascot, is official, up for sale, and just perfect.
Here's how the Phillies approached the news, with the Phanatic shipping a special delivery to Bryce Harper:
Special delivery from the Phanatic! 📦
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) February 21, 2024
Our 2024 batting practice hats have arrived. Grab yours today!
➡️ https://t.co/tSqjN6pwIy pic.twitter.com/WfvEwJ1eTC
In case you missed it, we have the new Phanatic BP hat in stock now!!Also check out this great display our awesome staff did in honor of the best mascot in baseball! This includes this amazing sweatshirt by @focousa that our #1 model Chris is wearing! Get all this fun stuff now!! pic.twitter.com/rbswGQW0LK
— New Era Phillies Team Store (@philliesNEstore) February 21, 2024
They're definitely, at least, going over far, far better than MLB's new Nike uniforms.
MLB Network has been revealing its annual "Top 100 Players Right Now" and several Phillies have cracked 2024's list.
Power-hitting leadoff man Kyle Schwarber came in at No. 57, star catcher J.T. Realmuto checked in at No. 46, ace Zack Wheeler at No. 28, $300 million shortstop Trea Turner at No. 16, and – to little surprise – superstar first baseman Bryce Harper at No. 11, just shy of the top 10.
Bryce Harper (now a full-time first baseman!) is here at No. 11 on @MLBNetwork’s #Top100RightNow. 👀 pic.twitter.com/cC8BoHqcbp
— MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2024
Look, lists like these are never all that impactful and fall out of people's memory often just as quickly as they're revealed, but they are fun offseason fodder and help bridge the gap into actual games being played.
Plus, it's probably a good sign to see a handful of Phils on there as they get set to enter another season with sky-high expectations.
For Harper, too, this is his 12th straight year making the list alongside Angels star Mike Trout, which speaks to how impressive his career so far has been.
12 consecutive years on the #Top100RightNow for Mike Trout and Bryce Harper 🌟 pic.twitter.com/FLfDwxzQ99
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 21, 2024
OK, so this one is interesting. Altering the typical spring schedule a bit, MLB will be holding a future-focused showcase in mid-March dubbed the "Spring Breakout," which will have each team's top prospects going up against another.
The Phillies' top prospects will play the Tigers' farm on March 16 at Detroit's spring training complex in Lakeland, Florida, and will have a radio broadcast and stream to tune into.
And per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, notable names like pitchers Mick Abel and Griff McGarry, double-A first baseman Carlos De La Cruz, and rookie ball prospects like catcher Eduardo Trait (age 17) and outfielder Devin Saltiban (19) are set to compete in this new type of exhibition, which will seemingly disregard their ages and level of play to put them all out on the same field at once.
“The goal is to put the best players on the field and give Phillies fans [and] baseball fans a chance to see the best young players in our system,” Preston Mattingly, the Phillies' assistant GM of player development, told Zolecki of the showcase.
An interesting idea on Major League Baseball's part, for sure, and one that will hopefully put the Phillies' future on a stage that's easy for everyone to see.
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