PHILADELPHIA -- Pitchers and catchers don’t so much “report” anymore as they reappear — like groundhogs with arm sleeves, wandering back into the sunlight at the Carpenter Complex on Feb. 11 with fresh-taped fingers and big plans.
And when the Phillies show up this week, they won’t just be bringing gloves and new playlist energy. They’ll be bringing a roster that feels oddly familiar up top… and totally re-wired in the places that tend to decide October.
There are four storylines that will potentially shape what happens here for the organization over the next six weeks.
The first is the Wheeler gap.
Wheeler is unlikely to pitch in a Grapefruit League game and a realistic target for his return remains late May, assuming his recovery from thoracic outlet surgery proceeds without setbacks. That leaves roughly 40 to 45 regular-season games without the staff’s tone-setter.
Before being shut down last season, Wheeler was again pitching at a frontline level. His absence does not simply subtract innings. It changes the way games are managed. Without him, the Phillies must navigate April without their most efficient starter — the one who historically protected the bullpen by consistently working deep into games.
How they distribute innings early will matter. The bullpen cannot absorb excessive strain in April without consequences later. The rotation behind Wheeler must carry more than its usual share.
Which leads to Cristopher Sánchez.
Sánchez was not merely steady in 2025. He was elite. He finished 13-5 with a 2.50 ERA over 202 innings, struck out 212 and posted a 1.06 WHIP. His 2.55 FIP reinforced that the performance was sustainable, not fortunate. He finished second in National League Cy Young voting.
Now, with Wheeler sidelined and Ranger Suárez no longer in the picture, Sánchez moves from complement to anchor. The Phillies will ask him for 30 starts again. They will ask him to halt losing streaks. They will ask him to stabilize the rotation until Wheeler returns.
A contender needs that presence. Sánchez has already proven he can deliver it.
In center field, Justin Crawford represents a different kind of pivot.
Crawford spent 2025 at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and hit .334 with a .411 on-base percentage and an .863 OPS. He stole 46 bases and showed the contact skills and speed that have defined his development. The organization has made clear that if he earns the job, it will not be in a platoon or cameo role. He would play.
The question in Clearwater is not whether Crawford is talented. It is whether he looks major-league ready against top-level pitching. Strike-zone control, quality at-bats and defensive comfort will determine whether the Phillies open the season with a rookie in center or opt for a more gradual introduction.
If Crawford claims the job outright, the outfield alignment solidifies. If he struggles, the Phillies must adjust before April.
Finally, there is Orion Kerkering.
Kerkering’s 2025 regular season was solid: 69 appearances, 60 innings, a 3.30 ERA and 65 strikeouts. For much of the year, he looked like a late-inning fixture. But his season ended with a defensive misplay in the NLDS against the Dodgers, a throw that sailed past home plate and allowed the decisive run to score.
One play does not define a career. It does linger.
This spring is less about mechanics than conviction. The Phillies need Kerkering to take another step — to command the strike zone more consistently and to show he can handle leverage without hesitation. A reliable late-inning arm changes the complexion of the bullpen. An uncertain one tightens the margin.
The Phillies do not need perfection in March.
They need clarity.
They need to know that Sánchez can carry the staff until Wheeler returns. They need to know whether Crawford is ready to hold center field. They need to know whether Kerkering can reclaim leverage innings. And they need to manage the early season without compromising the stretch run.
Clearwater offers no guarantees.
But it will reveal whether this roster remains built not only for contention — but for endurance.
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