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Phillies Top Outfield Prospect 'Could' Make Debut This Summer Amid Brandon Marsh's Struggles

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 17, 2025 2:15 PM ET

It looks like the Philadelphia Phillies could be calling up Andrew Painter sometime in the near future. Whether that's in the next week or two, a month, or at the end of the campaign, the Phillies will eventually bring him up.

However, there are other prospects the Phillies will eventually have to make a decision on. With the outfield playing as poorly as it has, Justin Crawford could be a legitimate option to make his debut this season.

Only 21 years old after being drafted by the Phillies in the first round of the 2022 MLB draft, Crawford has played well every step of the way in the minors. At Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he's currently hitting .318 with an 806 .OPS, stealing 14 bags and hitting 10 doubles.

He has elite speed, is excellent defensively, and would bring the Phillies a different look to their lineup, something they could use.

When examining some of the Phillies' prospects, including Painter and Crawford, Geoff Mosher of Philly Voice predicted that he could be up in the majors during the summer, adding that he hit his first home run on Thursday night.

“Another Phillies top prospect who could be in the majors this summer, outfielder Justin Crawford, slugged his first homer on Thursday night also,” he wrote.

Similar to Painter, the Phillies bringing up Crawford without guaranteeing him Major League at-bats daily wouldn't make much sense.

It's like if the Phillies brought up Painter and couldn't guarantee he'd be in their rotation. Ultimately, the young players still need reps, and the Phillies have to offer them that.

If not, staying in Triple-A might be a better plan for their long-term future.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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