The Philadelphia Phillies don’t have a deep farm system. They’ve struggled to develop high-level talent consistently, and the prospects they have been able to develop into well-regarded ones have been traded over the last few seasons to help improve the big-league club.
Philadelphia’s top-heavy system is headlined by Aidan Miller, Andrew Painter, and Justin Crawford — all nearing graduation. Painter and Crawford made the Phillies’ Opening Day roster and could spend most of 2026 in the majors. Miller, who is starting the year on the injured list with a back issue, will start at Triple A when he’s ready for game action. But he could be playing in Philadelphia this summer.
Beyond those three, here are four more Phillies prospects to monitor throughout 2026.
INF Aroon Escobar
Behind Miller and Crawford, Escobar is the third-best position player in the Phillies’ farm system. His defensive position moving forward is a question. But there’s plenty to like about his bat.
Escobar played at Low A, High A and Double A last season. Most of his time was in A-ball. Across 538 plate appearances, the then 20-year-old hit .270 with a .774 OPS; it was his first full season in the states.
Escobar’s 2025 numbers were inflated because of a strong start at Low A. But there’s still plenty of optimism he can remain a plus hitter as he makes his way up the minor-league system and to the majors. He’s walked plenty since signing with the Phillies in January 2022. There’s belief that as he matures, his selectivity could lead to more in-game power.
Escobar, who will start the year in Double A, is a name to watch for two reasons. There’s a chance he becomes the Phillies’ top hitting prospect this season with Miller (potentially) and Crawford (likely) graduating from prospect status. He could also play his way into being the best prospect the Phillies, who are trying to win the World Series, trade away at this year’s trade deadline.
RHP Gage Wood
If his name sounds familiar, Wood threw the third no-hitter in College World Series history last June; it was also the first in 65 years. The former Arkansas Razorback struck out 19 Murray State Racers hitters while hitting one, which broke up his bid for perfection in the eighth inning.
Wood dominated Murray State with his fastball, a pitch that sits in the mid-to-high 90s. The pitch made him a desirable player ahead of last summer’s draft where the Phillies selected him in the first round. He also features a curveball, slider, and change-up. The slider and change-up are works in progress; they’ll be important for him to stick as a starter.
Wood was drafted as and will be a starting pitcher in the Phillies’ system. But he wasn’t much of a starter in college. He was mainly a reliever his first two years at Arkansas. And last year, he made just 10 starts and pitched 37 2/3 innings before the postseason after dealing with a shoulder injury to start the season.
Without a lot of starter’s experience and last year’s injury, the Phillies will have to slowly build Wood up this year. Maybe they target around 100 innings.
The hope in general is that Wood sticks as a starter long-term. And if that doesn’t work, he does profile as someone whose arm is big enough to be an impactful reliever. Unless the Phillies feel better about fast tracking him this summer to help them in the majors out of the bullpen, Wood’s 2026 will be defined by how he navigates a starter’s workload and how much he develops a feel for his secondary pitches. The pure results won’t be that important.
OF Dante Nori
Nori was the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2024. He’s a left-handed hitter who finished last year strong after a slow start. Nori slashed .302/.414/.438 from June 1 through the end of August.
Nori should be able to stick in center field as he progresses through pro ball. Offensively, he’s shown discipline while flashing real speed. At Low A, where he spent most of last season, Nori stole 37 bases. He also walked in 13.1 percent of his plate appearances. But there are questions that surround him.
Even though he had a two-homer game for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, where he made the All-Tournament Team, Nori’s power is close to non-existent. During his summer hot stretch last season, he hit just three home runs; most of his slug came from doubles and triples.
Nori is an interesting player because he showcases tools that hint that he could become a regular center fielder in the majors one day. But first, he’ll have to find a way to drive the ball more frequently to impressively advance through the minor leagues.
With a strong first half, Nori, who’s starting the season at Double-A Reading, could finish at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Or, he could be a potential trade chip at the deadline alongside Escobar.
RHP Alex McFarlane
Entering his first season as a full-time reliever, McFarlane has the best chance of this group of four to reach the majors this year. Coming off Tommy John surgery in 2024, the right-hander had an up-and-down time as a starter a year ago. He transitioned into a bullpen role toward the end of the summer and flashed more promise.
Out of the bullpen, McFarlane sat in the mid-to-high 90s with his fastball. He also showcased a strong slider. Throughout the season, walks were an issue for him. He had command issues pre-surgery, too. Overall, the former fourth-round pick pitched 80 innings last year with a 4.84 ERA, 23.7 percent strikeout rate, and 12.4 percent walk rate.
McFarlane, in his age-25 season, will join Escobar and Nori at Double A to start the year. Proving to be more effective as a reliever would really help McFarlane’s stock. If the Phillies need bullpen help this summer, and he’s pitching well, he could find himself in red pinstripes by July or August.
