Mar 28, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh (16) fields the ball against the Texas Rangers in the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
PHILADELPHIA — Even if it felt like he was nickel and dimed by medium-velocity singles Monday, Taijuan Walker's first start of the season — one in which he gave up 10 hits and seven runs runs (six earned) over 4 2/3 innings of work — can't leave the Phillies feeling great about what he'll be able to provide in 2026.
But among the other issues in a 13-2 loss that saw the Phillies drop to 1-3 was a clear lack of center field depth.
Granted, this all perhaps could have been avoided by just having Justin Crawford play in center field. After all, a 22-year-old can surely handle the workload of playing four times in five days to start the season. And while Rob Thomson cited before the game a desire to get Crawford a day off during a string of lefties, Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation noted that the rookie hit .376 against left-handed pitchers at Triple-A Lehigh Valley a year ago. And with all due respect to Washington starter Foster Griffin, it wasn't as though the Phillies were facing Chris Sale or Tarik Skubal Monday.
Justin Crawford batted .376 against left-handers in the minor leagues last season, so why is he sitting against a lefty tonight?
Rob Thomson explained: pic.twitter.com/WS4VcfSPb4
But even if we set aside questionable logic for Crawford not being in center field Monday, there are going to be games throughout a 162-game season — be it because of matchup, struggles or injury — where someone else has to play center field. And the Phillies don't appear to have an obvious solution for who takes down those reps.
Brandon Marsh started in center field Monday. The Phillies did once win an NL pennant with Marsh splitting time in center field with Matt Vierling, but there are years of evidence since — including an ugly showing after Harrison Bader got hurt in last year's NLDS — to suggest Marsh is much better suited to be in a corner outfield spot. He struggled on two early center field reads Monday, exasperating already tough innings for Walker. (Granted, it was hardly only Marsh who had a tough night in the field, as Edmundo Sosa, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper all had rough moments defensively.)
Additionally, where there's not really evidence yet to say that Crawford can't hit lefties, there's enough of a sample size to work with in Marsh's case. Last season, Marsh hit .197 with 32 strikeouts and a .577 OPS in 88 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers. In 2026, he's off to a 1-for-5 start against southpaws, with three strikeouts over that period.
If the days the Phillies plan to take Crawford out of the lineup are more likely to be against lefties, Marsh sliding over can't be the pivot.
Johan Rojas isn't an option because he's serving an 80-game PED suspension, and he hasn't shown enough offensively in parts of three MLB seasons to be even someone that gives Crawford an occasional night off.
Dylan Moore may prove to be the best option on the team right now to spell Crawford when needed, but for as flexible as he is, he's only logged 105 innings in center field in his career. He's also a career .206 hitter.
The Phillies do currently have Bryan De La Cruz stashed at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. De La Cruz had some impressive moments early in his career with the Miami Marlins, and did hit .326 with five RBIs during Spring Training. But De La Cruz has minus-four defensive runs saved and minus-three outs above average in 548.2 career innings in center field, which likely explains why he hasn't played there in the majors since 2023.
Óscar Mercado is a strong defender who is back with the IronPigs on a minor-league deal, but has a .237 batting average in 298 career MLB games.
Pedro León, also at Triple-A, could offer the best alternative. Though he didn't play that spot in the Houston Astros' system last year, León has prior minor-league experience in center, and has played center so far this year for the IronPigs. The 27-year-old did hit 24 homers at the Triple-A level in 2024, but he batted .231 in 26 at-bats with the Phillies in the spring. Frankly, we don't yet know if León provides enough to warrant a spot on the 26-man roster.
And, much to the chagrin of fans upset with the Phillies turning in three consecutive uninspiring performances following an Opening Day win, we don't yet know what the 2026 Phillies will be. But it's fair to be concerned by their center field depth behind Crawford, among other things.
