We are under a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting to Clearwater, Florida for the start of the 2025 Phillies season. The team announced Tuesday morning the list of 23 players that will attend Major League spring training as non-roster invitees:

The big three names here are obvious. Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford.

Painter’s debut with the big-league club will happen at some point in 2025. Dave Dombrowski spoke to the media a few weeks back, stating that Painter will not pitch any live games this spring, but he will still be throwing bullpens and do off-field work. Painter is recovering from Tommy John surgery from the beginning of last season.

Miller is the most intriguing Phillies position-player prospect. He’s 20 years old and won’t turn 21 until June 9th. The Phillies’ 1st round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft is predicted to be the future of the infield, slashing .267/.375/.436 with an .811 OPS across Low-A, High-A, and Double-A the last two seasons. Miller hit .275 in 39 games in Low-A last season before being promoted.

Crawford isn’t far behind Miller in talent, and some believe Crawford will see the pros before Miller. While it’s not expected for Crawford to make his Major League debut in 2025, I wouldn’t rule anything out. If Crawford continues to fly through the minor leagues, the Phillies could try him in center late in the 2025 season if they truly think he’s ready. I repeat: don’t expect to see him, but at the same time, don’t rule a late-season test run out.


You won’t see a ton of these guys in the pros this year. One name that does stick out to me is Gabriel Rincones Jr. Just 23 years old, Rincones hit .273 in the AFL a few months  back and slashed .263/.357/.487 with an .843 OPS in Double-A last year. He’s got some power to the swing. He logged 59 hits in 224 ABs last year with 11 homers and 29 RBIs.

Nick Vespi, who signed a minor-league contract with the Phillies back on December 19th, is another name I’d look out for. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for Vespi. He struggled in Triple-A last year, but did log a 2.92 ERA in 12.1 innings for the Orioles as well. Otto Kemp is another one to look out for. He had a dominant stint in this past Arizona Fall League season. He struggled in 13 AAA games last season, but tore the cover off of the baseball in Double-A.