JT Realmuto, Bryce Harper, and Alec Bohm all made their Spring Training debuts on Wednesday February 28th, and they all had big impacts on the game as usual. Realmuto and Bohm both hit home runs in the 1st inning, while Harper showed off his glove with a few nice plays at 1st base. The only star the Phillies have not played in a game so far in Spring Training is Zack Wheeler, and we have not heard anything regarding when his first appearance will be. Let’s take an in-depth look at the players that have played well to open the spring schedule for the Phillies that are not the stars of the organization.
The first player we need to discuss is Scott Kingery. Kingery signed a 6-year contract worth $24M in 2018, as a way for the Phillies to avoid all arbitration years as they felt like Kingery was a future star at the MLB level. While his career in the big leagues has not worked out as well as the Phillies had once hoped, he continues to look good in Spring Training. In just 3 games and 5 at bats, Kingery has a home run and a 1.571 OPS. The home run was hit against former top prospect Nate Pearson on a 97 MPH fastball. While this is quite the small sample size, Kingery having a good spring would be really advantageous for the Phillies. Kingery has played both infield and outfield and he could be an option if a bench bat is necessary during the season.
The next player we will look at is David Dahl. Dahl was signed 10 days ago to a minor league contract and could give Jake Cave a run for his money as a backup outfielder if he has a good spring. Dahl has only hit a batting average of .222 in 9 at bats but has also slugged one home run. Dahl is well past his prime where he was an all-star in 2019 with the Rockies. He played 100 games that season but has only played 91 games since then. He’s been plagued with injuries, but he is still only 29 years old, and a good Spring Training could certainly make things interesting between him and Cave for that last spot on the roster.
The next player I will look at Cristian Pache. Pache has been killing it so far in Spring Training. He has hit 2 home runs in 7 at bats with a 1.786 OPS so far this spring, and after his home run against the Blue Jays, many people are wondering if Pache should be the Opening Day centerfielder over Johan Rojas. Rojas’s bat has been the biggest question mark in his game, and with Pache being out of minor league options, Pache should definitely make the Opening Day roster and it might make sense to start Rojas in AAA Lehigh Valley. Pache was hitting very well by his standards before he got injured last season, and if he continues to hit like he has in the spring, I might need to make a change in my Opening Day lineup prediction.
The last player I want to analyze is one of the top prospects in the Phillies organization, Mick Abel. He has appeared in 1 game so far and struck out 2 batters in his only inning pitched. Abel was the 2nd ranked prospect in 2023 according to MLB.com, ranked only behind Andrew Painter. While other prospect Griff McGarry might be more MLB ready and could get called up before Abel, Abel certainly seemed to have a lively fastball and definitely has MLB stuff. It wouldn’t shock me if Abel gets called up this year if the Phillies starting pitching suffers an injury.
Watching baseball during Spring Training offers a truly special experience. It’s the time where fans can soak in the fact that baseball is back, and the new season is approaching very quick. This is the time for players to compete for roster spots and for fans to sit back and enjoy some baseball. It may seem like the games don’t matter, but to certain players, these games mean a lot more than any fan could imagine.
