As far as spring training games go, Friday’s was a big one. Starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo, the Phillies’ biggest acquisition of the offseason, made his debut in red pinstripes, pitching two spotless innings, giving fans a brief glimpse of what we can expect once the team travels back north in less than a month.
The pitching that came after Luzardo wasn’t exactly sparkling — seven of the nine pitchers who took the mound after Luzardo allowed 13 total walks, which is what allowed Boston to take the lead in the first place — but it wasn’t all bad. Jean Cabrera, one of the most intriguing pitching prospects in the Phillies’ system, had a great outing, allowing one walk and three strikeouts over one inning of work.
Luzardo’s two innings were electric, but we saw more than that. Over the last few innings a parade of young Phillies lifted the team over the Red Sox after falling behind, 4-1. Justin Crawford, a prospect who has drawn wildly different evaluations since he was drafted in 2022, led off the sixth inning with a walk and then stole second. He was knocked in after fellow prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. absolutely smoked a ball to right field.
Non-roster invitees Matt Kroon and Carson Taylor did their parts in the seventh. Kroon heaved a solo homer to left field, which was followed by a single from Taylor, who crossed home plate after 2024 fourth-rounder Carson DiMartini also hit a home run.
Rafael Marchan, who is battling with Garrett Stubbs for the backup catcher position, hit a two-out single, but was stranded at the end of the inning. You may want to get accustomed to seeing Marchan at the plate and behind the dish — while Stubbs is a crowd and clubhouse favorite, he’s got one option left and can still be sent down to the minors if need be. Marchan is out of options, which means he’ll have to be designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster if the Phillies want to send him to the minors. He’d have to make it through waivers before the Phillies would for sure get him back, and the front office appears to like him too much to risk another team picking him up for nothing.
Taylor, a catcher and former Dodger who was picked up by the Phillies at the end of 2023, homered in the eighth inning to add two more runs and complete the comeback. Taylor played just six games at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year, spending most of the season in Reading, but his early output may give him that bump to stay at Triple-A all season.
Not all these guys are supposed to be part of the Phillies future. But just like any future team, it will be made up of guys who were supposed to be good and guys who ended up being good. Seeing guys like Taylor, Cabrera and Rincones show flashes of who they could be down the road is exciting, and gives our collective imagination a little more meat to work with as we try to envision what the team will be like in 4-6 years, when a number of familiar faces will have moved on.
Hear us discuss Luzardo and the prospects on the Hittin’ Season podcast.
