Could This Surprising Prospect Become Utility Man for Phillies This Season?

The Philadelphia Phillies aren’t letting a little bit of adversity stop them from dominating on the baseball diamond.

Their closer, Jose Alvarado, has been suspended for 80 games and will not be eligible to pitch in the postseason, creating a sizable void for manager Rob Thomson to fill with other players needing to step up. Workhorse starting pitcher Aaron Nola is also on the injured list for the first time since 2017.

The lineup currently has five spots that are producing below league-average OPS+ numbers, and the bench isn’t offering any alternatives except for Edmundo Sosa, who has been one of their better players all year.

Despite those shortcomings, the Phillies are tied for the best record in baseball with the Detroit Tigers and are 1.5 games ahead of the New York Mets in the National League East race.

Possessing a lineup with star and name power but short on production, it will be interesting to see how Dave Dombrowski handles the next few weeks ahead of the trade deadline.

Will Philadelphia look to make a move, bringing in an established player to help keep the team in contention, or will he look within the organization for some answers in the minor leagues?

There are a few players who would certainly help the Major League team, starting with one of their top prospects, outfielder Justin Crawford.

He has been excellent at Triple-A, providing excellent defense in center field. His speed would be a nice addition to the lineup with his ability to steal bases, as well.

Crawford isn’t the only player at Lehigh Valley currently tearing it up, with Otto Kemp receiving some recognition from Jonathan Mayo, Jim Callis and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com as the organization’s most pleasant surprise prospect in 2025.

Otto Kemp Is Knocking on Door of Promotion to Phillies

The No. 24 overall prospect in the organization, he was an undrafted free agent and has performed so well, he has put himself in position to be called up to the big leagues.

He started garnering attention in 2024, playing across four different levels before taking part in the Arizona Fall League.

His production was great there, and he has carried all of that positive momentum over into the 2025 campaign.

Through 49 games and 228 plate appearances, he has a .319/.425/.602 slash line with 12 home runs, 16 doubles, one triple, 44 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Stuffing the stat sheet, he is a legitimate option for the Phillies with his incredible versatility, logging innings at first base, second base, third base and left field.

If someone on the bench doesn’t step up outside of Sosa soon, Kemp could be getting the call.

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