On Monday, the Reading Fightin Phils announced their initial roster for the 2026 season. The team will feature seven players listed on MLB.com's Phillies top-30 prospect list. The Double-A affiliate of the Phillies will be looking for its first winning record since 2019.
The 2019 squad went 80-59. At the plate, that team featured notable players like Mickey Moniak, Alec Bohm, Darick Hall and Adam Haseley. On the mound, familiar names such as Spencer Howard, Adonis Medina, Bailey Falter and Connor Brogdon could be found.
Two of the Phillies' top-10 prospects will start the year on the field for Reading. Ranked No. 78 on Baseball Prospectus' top-100 prospect list, Aroon Escobar broke out in 2025 as a 20-year-old. The third baseman slashed .285/.377/.452 with Single-A Clearwater, earning promotions to Jersey Shore and Reading by the end of the season. Across those three levels, he posted a .774 OPS with 15 homers and 24 stolen bases in 120 games.
Dante Nori is ranked No. 7 in the Phillies' system on MLB.com. He stole 52 bases in 2025 and earned a promotion to Reading for a five-game cup of coffee. He made more noise in the offseason. First, he hit .308 with an .822 OPS in the Arizona Fall League. More notably, Nori dominated in the World Baseball Classic for Team Italy, hitting .400 with a 1.185 OPS. He helped the Italians reach the semifinals for the first time in team history.
Moisés Chace is ranked No. 10 for the Phillies but will start the season on the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery this past May. Since being acquired from the Orioles in the Gregory Soto trade, he has recorded a 3.47 ERA in 36 1/3 innings with 54 strikeouts at Reading.
The other top prospects that will join the 2026 roster include Carson DeMartini (No. 18), Alex McFarlane (No. 19), Kehden Hettiger (No. 28) and Bryan Rincon (No. 29). DeMartini struggled in his first taste of Double-A but posted an .875 OPS in High-A in 2025. Alex McFarlane is a pitcher to watch in 2026 despite his 2025 numbers. He features one of the best fastballs in the Phillies minor league system. Hettiger and Rincon are ranked for their defensive skills.
Other Fightins players could be a big part of a successful season. Outfielder Dylan Campbell had a great AFL season, where he posted a 1.044 OPS. When healthy, Raylin Heredia has looked like a bona fide prospect, hitting .285 with an .809 OPS in 50 games with Jersey Shore in 2025. Alex Binelas was drafted in the 3rd round by the Red Sox. Since joining the R-Phils, he's hit .265 with a .797 OPS.
On the pitching side, Levi Stoudt made his Major League debut in 2023 with the Reds. At the Double-A level, he's had a 4.30 ERA in 129.2 IP. Chuck King could be the workhorse of the rotation. He threw 123.1 innings for Reading in 2025. Lenny Torres was a former first-round pick by the then-Cleveland Indians in 2018. Daniel Harper and Colin Peluse could be big pieces for Reading's bullpen.
Under the helm of manager Al Pedrique, there is hope for this 2026 Fightins team. The team opens its season on the road against the Akron Rubber Ducks on Thursday night.
