Back To The Philadelphia Future

Johan Rojas, Gulf Coast League, July 13, 2019 - photo credit Bryan Green on Flickr

I had nothing better to do the other night since there are no baseball games being played so I decided to think about the future of baseball and I remembered that the Phillies are hosting the 2026 MLB All Star Game. At that moment, I decided to get into my time-traveling car and go to the game. As I was walking into Citizens Bank Park I wondered about the Phillies 26-man roster and what it looked like on that day so I bought a program and this is what it said about those players. 



Catcher

Logan O’Hoppe
Age in 2026: 26
How Acquired: 2018 Draft, Round 23, Pick 677
O’Hoppe was always known for his defense and intangibles but he took a similar path in his career to former Phillie, Darren Daulton, where his offense took longer to catch up to him. After struggling in the majors, something clicked for O’Hoppe in his age 25 season last year and he took the starting spot from Rafael Marchan at mid-season. O’Hoppe ended the year hitting over .300 and showed his leadership skills throughout the year.

First Base
Alec Bohm
Age in 2026: 30
How Acquired: 2018 Draft, Round 1, Overall Pick 3
After winning  NL Rookie of the Year in 2020, Bohm went on to win MVP awards in 2024 and 2025 ending Ronald Acuna Jr.’s three year run. Bohm replaced Rhys Hoskins at first base after 2023 as the team let him go as a free agent, where he signed for $200M, which was no surprise for the Scott Boras client.

Second Base
Kendall Simmons
Age in 2026: 33
How Acquired: 2018 Draft, Round 6, Overall Pick 167
After being drafted as a shortstop, Simmons moved over to second base once the team saw what they had in Stott (more about him below). Simmons went on to have good years giving the team a solid blend of speed and power at the bottom of the order.

Shortstop
Bryson Stott
Age in 2026: 29
How Acquired: 2019 Draft, Round 1, Overall Pick 14
Stott stepped right into the shortstop role once Jean Segura’s contract expired after the 2022 season. The team easily declined Segura’s option to give their 2021 Minor League Player of the Year the job and he’s put up solid numbers the last few years showing great contact skills and good power and speed.  

Third Base
Scott Kingery
Age in 2026: 31
How Acquired: 2015 Draft, Round 2, Overall Pick 48
Kingery moved to third base permanently once Bohm moved to replace Hoskins at first base in 2024. It seems like yesterday when Kingery signed his contract but he’s heading into the final year positioning himself to get an even  bigger payday with his above-average speed and power over the years.

Outfield
Bryce Harper
Age in 2026: 33
How Acquired: Free Agent signing on for 13 years/$330M
Harper is now in his 7th year with the team since signing his massive contract back in 2019. He’s been a rock in the lineup earning multiple MVP honors and leading the team to the World Series three years in a row.

Johan Rojas
Age in 2026: 26
How Acquired: Free Agent signing on 01/15/2018
Rojas has taken over as the most exciting player in baseball, posting three consecutive 30/30 seasons along with two Gold Gloves in his four years with the major league squad.  Signed as an international free agent, Rojas was promoted quickly to the majors after being compared to (who else?) Ronald Acuna, Jr. during his time in the minors.

Simon Muzziotti
Age in 2026: 28
How Acquired: Free Agent signing on 07/05/2016
Muzziotti has been the Phillies leadoff hitter since 2023, providing a solid bat and great speed and defense in the outfield. In 2021, Muzziotti replaced Mickey Moniak, who struggled in his time in the majors and was traded to the Orioles for International Signing Bonus money later that year. Muzziotti led the league in stolen bases in 2024 and 2025 and scored over 100 runs, setting the table for the team.

DH
Jhailyn Ortiz
Age in 2026: 28
How Acquired: Free Agent signing on 07/10/2015
Ortiz was close to being let go but in a somewhat surprising move, the National League adopted the DH starting in 2023. The Phillies had nothing to lose and moved Ortiz into that role. Without having to worry about his defense, Ortiz turned into the power-hitting masher that everyone had hoped when he was signed back in 2015. Ortiz led the National League in home runs and narrowly missed out to Bobby Dalbec for the major league lead in 2024 and 2025.

Starting Rotation 
Spencer Howard, RHP
Age in 2026: 30
How Acquired: 2017 Draft, Round 2, Overall Pick 45
Fresh off winning the Cy Young award last year, Howard has been battling Forrest Whitley the last three years for the strikeout title in the National League. Howard started the All-Star Game last year and is expected to be named starter in his hometown this year.

Francisco Morales, RHP
Age in 2026: 27
How Acquired: Free Agent Signing on 07/02/2016
Morales overcame a shaky start to the beginning of his career where he spent a year in the bullpen after posting horrible numbers as a starter in 2022 for the big league team. Two years later, something clicked for Morales and he harnessed his control and has teamed up with Howard to form the best 1-2 punch since Nola-Wheeler back in 2020.

Ramon Rosso, RHP
Age in 2026: 30
How Acquired:  Free Agent Signing on 06/02/2017
Rosso has done a solid job for the team in the rotation since 2023. He came back from an injury and ineffectiveness during 2021 and 2022 to give the team a great 3rd starter to team with Howard and Morales.

Ranger Suarez, LHP
Age in 2026: 31
How Acquired: Free Agent Signing on 04/01/2012
Suarez came up through the minors as a starter but went into the bullpen when promoted in 2019 and did a serviceable job. However, the team needed a 5th starter for 2020 and Suarez beat out old favorites like Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez to win the role and has been in the rotation since then.

Ethan Lindow, LHP
Age in 2026: 28
How Acquired: Free Agent Signing on 07/27/2017
Lindow has been a mainstay in the rotation since being promoted in 2022, giving the team a nice amount of innings and producing very well during that time. Lindow’s career averages of 180 innings per year and 1.10 WHIP and 7.5 K/9 had many people comparing him to Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks during his time in the majors.

Bullpen
Adonis Medina, RHP
Age in 2026: 29
How Acquired: Free Agent Signing 05/29/2014
After having problems in the rotation and being sent back and forth from Triple-A and the majors in 2020, the team moved Medina to the bullpen early the next season.  He led the teams in holds from 2022 through 2024 and blossomed into the closer once Seranthony Dominguez demanded a trade and the team needed someone to close out games.

J.D. Hammer, RHP
Age in 2026: 31
How Acquired: 2016 Draft, Round 24, Overall Pick 710
Hammer struggled in his first go-round in the majors in 2019 but rebounded to average 12 K/9 in the years since then with low WHIP as the 8th-inning set-up man for the team.

Erik Miller, LHP
Age in 2026: 28
How Acquired: 2019 Draft, Round 4, Overall Pick 120
After experimenting as a closer for the team in 2023 due to injuries to the bullpen, Miller was given a chance to start the next year.  That didn’t work out so well as Miller led the league in walks and was moved back into the bullpen where he’s been doing well.

Kevin Gowdy, RHP
Age in 2026: 28
How Acquired: 2016 Draft, Round 2, Overall Pick 42
Gowdy was a highly touted 2nd round pick but health issues never allowed him to succeed as a starter but the team put him in the bullpen and his career took off two years ago, once he was finally healthy.

Connor Brogdon, RHP
Age in 2026: 31
How Acquired: 2017 Draft, Round 10, Overall Pick 293
Brogdon had a great few years for the team as a set-up man/occasional closer.

Mauricio Llovera, RHP
Age in 2026: 29
How Acquired: Free Agent signing on 02/12/15
Llovera overcame wildness early in his career to become a dependable part of the bullpen.

Kyle Young, LHP
Age in 2026: 28
How Acquired: 2016 Draft, Round 22, Overall Pick 647
The tall lefty was hurt most of his early career but blossomed once he was moved into the bullpen with his ability to limit walks.

Bench 
Jamari Baylor, INF/OF
Age in 2026: 27
How Acquired: 2019 Draft, Round 3, Overall Pick 91
Coming off a career season where he hit 25 home runs but batted .225, Baylor is looking to take over the shortstop position from Stott to move to 3B if Kingery doesn’t resign after this season.

Miguel Tejada, Jr, INF
Age in 2026: 24
How Acquired: Free Agent Signing 03/03/2019
Tejada gives the team a power-hitting utility infielder with give some pop off the bench.

Rafael Marchan, C
Age in 2026: 27
How Acquired: Free Agent Signing 07/03/2015
Marchan took over catching duties in 2022 from Deivy Grullon after he replaced J.T. Realmuto when he left as a free agent after the 2020 season. Marchan didn’t provide enough power at the spot but hasn’t hit below .300 in his time with the team.

Luis Garcia, SS
Age in 2026: 25
How Acquired: Free Agent Signing 07/02/2017
Garcia never turned into the great player he was once thought to be when he first signed with the team. The tools didn’t turn into results but the team was happy enough with his speed and defense to turn him into a utility player.

Matt Vierling, OF
Age in 2026: 29
How Acquired: 2018 Draft, Round 5, Overall Pick 137
Vierling steadily moved up the ranks giving the team some pop and speed off the bench. He never appeared on any top prospect lists but he has always been a solid presence in the lineup.

Jay Bruce, DH
Age in 2026: 39
How Acquired: Trade with Seattle Mariners on 06/02/2019
Bruce is the power hitting masher off the bench providing leadership in addition to clutch home runs.

Injured List:
Roman Quinn, OF
Age in 2026: 33
How Acquired: 2011 Draft, Round 2, Overall Pick 66
Quinn has been out all season with an oblique injury this time but was solid for the few at-bats he’s given the team over the years.

I had a lot of fun at the game where the National League won in a lopsided 10-0 victory and I came right back to the present to let everyone know what I had learned after eating a few cheesesteaks. I hope you enjoyed this exercise in time-travel as much as I did. It will be fun to look back on it when we reach 2026 to see just how correct the Phillies program is (was?) in its assessments of the players. Feel free to give me your predictions in the comments!

Tony Bps Spina is a lifelong baseball fan hailing from the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia! Tony has loved baseball since 1980 and has followed the Phillies through good and bad times. Tony is married with 3 kids and works for a financial institution but has enough free time to play in 20 fantasy baseball leagues with 75% of them being Dynasty Leagues. He lives a few blocks away from Citizens Bank Park and attends many Phillies games per year in addition to their minor league teams in Lehigh Valley and Reading. He can be reached on Twitter at @TonyBps1.




2 Comments

  1. Connor Seabold for Starter Consideration All he does is record outs, and puts Zeroes on the Board. Ave. 5k’s per 1BB in his Pro Career. Low ERA and WHIP. Consistent strike thrower with all his pitches. AFL Pitcher of the Year in 2019.

  2. Hi T.L.
    Seabold should have been in consideration for a spot in the rotation considering his potential and he was 7th in my top 50. It goes to show how much potential the pitchers have in the organization. If I get enough plutonium to make another trip, I will definitely look him up! 🙂

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