It is almost time for the 2026 Philadelphia Phillies season to begin.
The club heads for Clearwater, Florida, on February 10th, when pitchers and catchers officially report. Many of the players have already made their way down to Florida as the team prepares to defend its National League East crown.
A lot of the main roster players will spend the beginning of spring participating in the World Baseball Classic. This means there will be plenty of opportunities for those players who are not guaranteed roster spots to shine.
One of those players is Bryan De La Cruz.
The former Miami Marlins outfielder has recently spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves organizations.
De La Cruz played in 102 games in the minor leagues last season, slashing .263 with a .762 OPS. He did not fare as well in his limited time at the major league level, hitting just .191 in 16 games with the Braves.
On November 6, 2025, the veteran outfielder signed a minor league deal with the Phillies before heading to join Toros del Este in the Dominican Winter League. It was with Toros del Este that De La Cruz would pop.
In 48 games this winter, the right-hander hit .301 with an .888 OPS. The talent in the Dominican League comprises players from all levels of Major League Baseball. He hit eight home runs and recorded 40 runs batted in. De La Cruz was named the regular season Most Valuable Player for 2025-26.
Heading into the season, the Phillies outfield will consist of Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford and Adolis Garcia.
The expectation is that Otto Kemp will likely platoon with Marsh in left field. Kemp is listed as a utility player rather than a pure outfielder, based on his ability to play the corner infield. Other bench players will certainly include Edmundo Sosa and Rafael Marchan.
With these spots all but guaranteed, that would leave one open roster slot for the Phillies. This would likely be reserved for another outfielder.
De La Cruz will have a chance to earn this spot with a strong performance in camp and in Grapefruit League action. He will compete with Gabriel Rincones Jr., Johan Rojas, and Pedro León, who are all currently on the club’s 40-man roster.
His experience and slugging ability could benefit the former Marlin in this race for the final roster spot. If De La Cruz can carry his hot bat from the Dominican Winter League into Clearwater, he might just find himself heading north to Philadelphia when the club breaks for Opening Day in March.
