Key Phillies and Storylines to Eye With Spring Training Games Finally Beginning

Aside from the 27 times they're off over the next 219 days, Friday will be the final day for more than seven months without a Phillies game.

Their Grapefruit League schedule begins Saturday with a quick trip from Clearwater to Dunedin to face the defending American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays.

(Here's how to watch each of their televised spring training games, which included several late additions.)

Who might play early?

The first day of spring training games doesn't typically include all the starters. Last year, for example, the Phillies regulars in the Grapefruit League opener were Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, Max Kepler and Johan Rojas.

Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh debuted the next day, the first start from a member of their rotation was Cristopher Sanchez in the third game and Bryce Harper first appeared in the fourth game.

You may, though, see more of the regulars than usual during this first week of Grapefruit League play because a dozen Phillies — including Bryce Harper, Schwarber, Sanchez and Aaron Nola — will leave for the World Baseball Classic when March begins.

Early assignments

The Phillies will start Bryse Wilson Saturday in Dunedin, according to Phillies Nation, with Sunday a bullpen game, Monday an Alan Rangel start and Thursday's nod going to Taijuan Walker.

Wilson and Rangel are two of the Phillies' few starting pitching depth pieces. With 30 games in camp and Sanchez (Dominican Republic), Nola (Italy) and Walker (Mexico) all participating in the WBC, innings will need to be covered.

Who makes the trip?

The Phils are close to or in Clearwater both days this weekend but the games Monday and Tuesday are on the opposite coast of Florida, nearly four hours away. That's a long bus ride and the big-named veterans don't often make those trips. MLB spring training rules do require, however, for teams to bring three or four veterans to each road game for the sake of competitiveness.

As an example, the Phillies' first long trip of spring last year was to Fort Myers and for those games, they brought Bohm, Stott, Marsh, Rojas, Jose Alvarado and Jordan Romano.

Painter's much-anticipated debut

The question on every Phillies fan's mind is when top prospect Andrew Painter will make his 2026 spring debut. He hasn't pitched in camp since 2023, when he was competing for a rotation spot as a 19-year-old and probably would have won it if not for the elbow injury suffered after his lone start against the Twins.

No exact date has been provided yet for Painter's start but it is not expected to come before Feb. 26.

Painter looks this spring and this season to incorporate what he learned from 2025, which included rusty command that was probably to be expected in a young pitcher's first full year back from Tommy John surgery.

By all accounts, Painter, who turns 23 on April 10, has looked sharp so far in camp with his upper-90s velocity and smooth delivery.

Not the only top prospect to monitor

Painter, of course, is joined in camp by the Phillies' other two top prospects, centerfielder Justin Crawford and shortstop Aidan Miller. Crawford will almost certainly be the everyday CF in 2026. Miller will likely open at Triple A, where he went 9-for-27 (.333) with nine walks after a late-season call-up from Double A.

Altogether last season for Reading and Lehigh Valley, the 21-year-old Miller hit .264/.392/.433. His best-case scenario is probably becoming an Alex Bregman-level player someday and, boy, would that be a huge addition to the Phillies' lineup if he reaches his full potential.

Miller is expected to begin the year at Triple A and his performance will dictate whether he debuts this season or next. He would make sense, at the very least, as a September call-up ahead of a much larger role next year if/when Bohm walks in free agency.

Miller has played exclusively shortstop in the minor leagues but will also see playing time this spring at third base as the Phillies try to ready him for either position.