Phillies 2025 Spring Breakout Roster

For the second year in a row, MLB is hosting the prospect v prospect showdown that is the Spring Breakout. The Phillies will be facing the Pirates on Friday March 14 at 1:05pm ET at BayCare Ballpark. Rosters were announced today with the Phillies having a 27 man roster of 15 hitters and 12 pitcher.

Overall the list is about what you would expect given it was done in conjunction with MLB Pipeline’s rankings. Just some notes on some of the choices and the roster overall.

• Andrew Painter was never going to pitch in the game, so not a surprise he is missing.
• The entire set of AAA pitchers are also not present. The biggest name is Mick Abel, but also Seth Johnson, Michael Mercado, and Max Lazar are also not on the roster because they have played in a MLB game.
• You can argue that Ricketts isn’t actually a top 3 catching prospect in the system, but he is the only one above low-A so it is a fitting nod.
• On the reliever side, I am mildly surprised we didn’t get Andrew Walling so there is a lefty other than Mavis Graves. The rest weren’t my top rated, but also I think the difference between say Andrew Baker or Luis Avila isn’t a big one.
• On the pitching side, however much Alex McFarlane throws will be must watch. He has not pitched in a real game since having Tommy John in 2023, but he is coming off a full offseason post rehab. It remains to be seen what his role is, but he has some of the best stuff in the org.
• Mavis Graves is young and has some additional projection left. He is probably only going to appear for one inning, which means we will probably see more max effort from him. That should be a good hint at the ceiling.
• Micah Ottenbreit did not have the best year in 2024, but he is only 21 and that was his first year fully back from Tommy John. It will be important to see if his stuff has taken any step forward.
• Aaron Combs came over from the White Sox for Tyler Gilbert, so this will be his Phillies debut of sorts. He has an outlier breaking ball and the chance to move through the org quickly.
• Daniel Harper is mostly fastball-cutter with mid 90s velocity. He probably doesn’t have more than a middle reliever ceiling, but he could be a major leaguer.
• Luis Avila was very good in the complex and Florida State League. He is mid to high 90s with his fastball and mixes in a slider and a changeup.
• Gunner Mayer has never really put his command and stuff together. He threw one pitch this spring in a MLB game and it was 96.6 mph. There is probably more still to unlock.
• Casey Steward has flown under the radar, but has back end starter potential thanks to a big frame, a 5+ pitch mix and mid 90s velocity.
• If you aren’t familiar with Aroon Escobar, you should be soon. He has a great feel for contact, an outstanding approach, and good pop in his bat.
• It will be interesting to see if there are any changes to Nori or Burkholder that are noticeable in small sample sizes.
• Carson DeMartini is probably the steal of the Phillies 2024 draft class and had a home run in a Spring Training game. He struggled to hit for power in his pro debut, but had great contact rates, a complete flip from college. He has also been a better than advertised defender.
• Alirio Ferrebus can’t be called underrated since he appeared on a bunch of lists this winter. He is a 19 year old catcher with a knack for good contact. He has the tools to catch, but not all of the other feel for the position yet.
• It will be fun to see Chace air it out for an inning with Statcast, since we have already seen Jean Cabrera pitch in spring training.
• Tait, Miller, and Crawford are obviously the big name hitting prospects and each has the chance to do something special, so if you don’t watch the minors they are the guys to tune into the at bats of.
• Brad Pacheco was added to the roster as well. He has barely pitched in his two years in the org, but was the best arm on the Phillies DSL teams. He sits 90-95 with good movement and then a promising changeup and big curveball.