For years, the Philadelphia Phillies have had a drafting and development program problem.
One could argue that the problem remains a major issue in 2026. While the Phillies are among baseball's biggest spenders, the biggest difference between the Dodgers and the Phillies is the Dodgers' ability to fully develop their top farm system.
Just a week ago, Bryce Harper even complimented that ability. "They do it the right way, because they draft well; they get guys in their organization that are Dodgers," said Harper on the Bussin' With The Boys podcast.
Luckily for the Phillies, they soon may show off what their front office and scouting can truly do.
The Phillies' first-round picks from 2021 and 2022 look to be changing the narrative for the franchise. Starting pitcher and outfielder Justin Crawford has been a known commodity in the minors for years.
Andrew Painter almost broke through in 2023 as a 19-year-old before getting Tommy John surgery. He was first considered a major pitching prospect after his dominant 2022 campaign, when he posted a 1.56 ERA across three levels of the minors with 155 strikeouts over 103.2 IP.
After a 2023 in which Crawford hit .332, the son of former All-Star Carl Crawford started to be ranked as a top-100 prospect in baseball. Since then, Crawford has hit .334 between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
The pair of prospects now looks primed to impact the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies. Both will have roles on the team, and both have looked good in Spring Training.
Justin Crawford will almost certainly be the Phillies' Opening Day center fielder. In his first at-bat of the spring, he lined a double off the center field wall against the Blue Jays. He's continued to hit over the week to the tune of a .333 average with three doubles through five games. The oft-criticized groundball rate of Crawford has seemed to be negated by his 75-grade speed. He's also looked steady in center field defensively so far in Spring Training.
Painter was obviously hampered by his elbow recovery in 2025. The Phillies aggressively jumped Painter to Triple-A after just four starts in Single-A Clearwater. He posted a disappointing 5.40 ERA in 106.2 IP. He's looked to regain form in Spring Training. Facing the New York Yankees, Painter sat down six Yankees over two innings, throwing just 20 pitches. While Aaron Judge wasn't in the lineup, Painter faced two former All-Stars (Paul DeJong, Ryan McMahon) and three Yankees regulars (Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Jasson Dominguez).
He mostly threw fastballs but averaged 96.8 MPH and topped out at 97.8 MPH. In 2025, he averaged 96.6 MPH after his rehab. After his first start of 2026, he's looking on track for a memorable debut.
Along with infield prospect Aidan Miller waiting in the wings, these soon-to-be major leaguers could lead a monumental youth movement for the Phillies. Young controllable talent that would supplement the large contracts of the superstars already on the roster. In a best-case scenario, this will be the start of a pipeline (along with significant cash flow) to keep the Phillies competitive for the foreseeable future.
