March 18, 2026
Sam Navarro/Imagn Images
Will new Phillies outfielder Adolis Garcia keep it going into the regular season?
We're into the home stretch.
Just one week remains until the Phillies fly north to Philadelphia to start the marathon 2026 season. And believe it or not, there are still a lot of roster spots up for grabs, in the bullpen and on the bench.
Several fringe players are picking it up, or floundering under the pressure, while some other star players are noticeably rounding into regular-season form (or not).
Here's a peek at who's hot and who's not down in Clearwater right now:
Bryce Harper, 1B
No real context needed. This home run screamed of 2022 Bryce Harper and if he's back for 2026 the Phillies will be dangerous:
BRYCE HARPER TIES THE GAME FOR TEAM USA! pic.twitter.com/zRVBaURBTm
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 18, 2026
Adolis García, OF
The Phillies need production from their outfield this season and they took a gamble on García, who's had back-to-back down seasons. After a bland start to the spring (he was hitting .192) he went 4-for-4 with a homer Tuesday. Seeing he has that kind of performance in him is a big reassurance.
Bryan De La Cruz, OF
Fighting for a spot on the big league bench as a fourth outfielder, De La Cruz has been one of the most consistent hitters for the team this spring. He's slashing .324/.378/.441 through 12 games and has a real chance at pushing for inclusion in the 26-man roster.
Kyle Backhus, RP
With the Phillies needing one more lefty in their pen, side-throwing Backhus looks like he should be the man to break camp with the job. He has not allowed a run in six outings this spring, with six strikeouts to just one walk over his six innings.
Trea Turner, SS
The star shortstop has just two hits in the month of March in spring training games, and those two came together on March 12. In his other 21 at bats since Feb 28, he's 0-for-21. The good news is, he isn't striking out — he's putting the ball in play. It's also spring training, so none of these numbers matter. But it is always better to see one of your three best hitters performing well in the preseason.
Brandon Marsh, OF
The outfielder is 3-for-29 this spring. He's struck out in 10 of 12 games he's appeared in. He hasn't had a hit since March 9. As we said, it's spring training. It doesn't count. And Marsh had a minor injury-related setback. But still, he hasn't looked good and that's bad.
Lou Trivino, Tim Mayza, Zack Pop, RP
With Orion Kerkering's late start to the preseason, it's possible as many as three Opening Day bullpen jobs are open. We'll pencil in Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, José Alvarado, Tanner Banks and Johnathan Bowlan in — five sure things. We mentioned Backhus' dominant spring, so let's call him the sixth. A bevy of realistic bullpen options have struggled and there's no clear picture for the last two spots (eventually one spot after Kerkering is back).
Trivino, Mayza and Pop each have various levels of MLB experience. They've combined to allow 15 runs in 19.2 innings — a 7.03 ERA. Trivino has allowed 10 hits, Mayza two home runs and Pop is the best of the trio with a 5.68 ERA. Add to this that Zachary McCambley has pitched well — a Rule 5 pick from the fall — and it's not looking promising for these three arms.
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