This Phillies Player is Poised for a Breakout Year in 2027

Which player on the Philadelphia Phillies is poised for a breakout season in 2027?

Aug 28, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Edmundo Sosa (33) center fielder Justin Crawford (2) and right fielder Bryce Harper (3) celebrate the victory against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are getting set for an important offseason, and they will be hoping to make some key improvements to help the franchise. 

While making the playoffs is always a good thing, the Phillies were eliminated a lot earlier than they would have liked. Philadelphia is a team that has championship expectations year after year, but they have fallen short. 

As they head into the offseason, it appears like everything is on the table for the team, and this could be a different-looking roster next year. While the team might look to shake it up, they will also be hoping for some of their young talent to improve as well.  

In 2026, the Phillies started to bring up some of that young talent, and the results were mixed. Philadelphia isn’t known for their farm system, but they did have some of their top prospects get a chance this year. 

Andrew Painter was the prospect that everyone had a lot of expectations for as the top pitching prospect, but they had another player who was able to help quite a bit. That was the talented Justin Crawford. 

Crawford Could Have a Breakout Year in 2027

Sep 12, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (2) celebrates hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves with teammates in the dugout during the eighth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As the Phillies attempt to find things to look forward to next season, the development of Crawford will be one of them. Getting some talented youth on the MLB roster is going to be important for Philadelphia from both a payroll standpoint and for the long-term outlook of the team. 

Crawford isn’t a big power hitter and likely won’t develop to be one, but he showcased some of the reasons why he was regarded as one of the best prospects in the system for the Phillies in 2026. 

In his rookie season, he slashed .264/.309/.353 with three home runs, 41 RBI, and 17 stolen bases. August was the best month for Crawford, as he slashed .306/.358/.403 with 11 RBI.     

With Crawford playing in 149 games as a rookie, he is clearly going to be a part of the franchise in 2027, and with a full year of experience under his belt, he will be poised to improve. 

The 22-year-old shows the ability to be a high-contact player going back to his time in Triple-A last season. For a Phillies team that lacked consistency, that will is something valuable that he can bring to the lineup. 

Overall, the former first-round pick has a ton of potential and could be poised for a breakout year.