Outfield is going to be a topic for the Philadelphia Phillies throughout the season until that unit shows they have taken a step forward following two years of inconsistent play.
At its best, Nick Castellanos is performing at an All-Star level, Brandon Marsh is hitting for power and getting on-base and Johan Rojas is doing enough with his bat where his elite defense is the talking point.
At its worse, Castellanos is slumping, Marsh is striking out and Rojas is unplayable.
That dichotomy is not good enough for a true World Series-contending team, which is a major reason why the Phillies slapped a high-upside Band-Aid on the group by bringing in Max Kepler who can be a dominant hitter when at his best.
Philadelphia is hoping this is the last time they have to deal with this predicament.
They could make an aggressive free agency play for Kyle Tucker next offseason, but they ideally would like to see growth from Rojas, Marsh and their star prospect Justin Crawford to ensure this unit is no longer a weakness going forward.
Crawford is the minor leaguer everyone has their eyes on, but another non-roster invitee in camp has turned some heads in his direction this spring after he hit a moonshot against the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
“It was a missile. He’s a really impressive guy. Very strong, great body, hit the ball all over the place. Can hit it out of any part of the ballpark. Play solid defense. He’s a gamer. He plays every pitch,” manager Rob Thomson said about Gabriel Rincones Jr., per Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required).
Rincones has been out of the conversation when it comes to future stars in the outfield.
After being taken in the third round of the 2022 draft, his career has already been marred by adversity. He missed the opportunity to compete in professional games following his selection because of a shoulder injury. And after a season in 2023 when he struck out a ton, he began the 2024 campaign red-hot before he tore a ligament in his thumb.
That reason is largely why he’s been pushed to the backburner in the outfield conversation.
But Rincones is taking this opportunity to showcase the potential he has, while also learning from the established stars he’s sharing a clubhouse with this spring.
Per March, the 23-year-old is picking the brain of Kyle Schwarber to understand how to better hit left-handed pitching as a lefty hitter, something the veteran was able to do in his own right by increasing his batting average from .188 against lefties in 2023 to .300 last season.
If Rincones can do that and take the next step in his career on the farm during the upcoming minor league campaign, he’ll find himself in the mix for an opportunity with the Phillies going forward.
He’ll certainly be someone to keep an eye on this spring.
