The Philadelphia Phillies are going to have some very difficult decisions to make at the end of the 2025 season when it comes to their lineup.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber are both playing out the final year of their respective contracts. Depending on how the season goes, it could determine their fates with the franchise.
Will the Phillies shake up their core for the first time in years?
If they have another disappointing showing in October, nothing can be taken off the table when it comes to improving the roster.
Philadelphia is never afraid to make a splash in free agency. How they approach spending in the offseason could be determined by how things unfold with their star prospect, Aidan Miller.
The Phillies were able to land him late in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft because his stock dropped after an injury during his senior year of high school. His age profile is one that doesn’t have a long history of paying off, either. On top of that, there were concerns about his long-term outlook and if he can remain at shortstop.
Thus far, he has surpassed all expectations and is proving all of the doubters wrong.
Not only is he handling himself well defensively, he is taking his game to another level at the plate.
That has led to him being a consensus top prospect in the game.
But what still separates him from his peers is the unbridled power that he possesses, as Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com selected him as the team’s top power-hitting prospect heading into 2025.
“He’s turning into a better all-around hitter than some anticipated, making mechanical adjustments and better swing decisions, giving even more confidence he’s just scratching the surface in terms of tapping into his raw pop,” they wrote.
In his first full season as a minor league player, Miller hit 11 home runs across 462 plate appearances with 28 doubles and six triples.
He played at three levels of the organization, starting at Single-A Clearwater for 39 games, spending 58 with High-A Jersey Shore and finishing the year with Double-A Reading.
Miller is a player who a lot of people will be keeping an eye on in 2025.
Not only will they want to see more of that power potential shine through, but he is key to the future of Philadelphia’s roster construction.
Miller’s development will have an impact on the futures of Trea Turner, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm.
His power potential makes a move to third base feasible, but if he can hold his own defensively at shortstop, his own value skyrockets.