Currently, Alec Bohm is manning first base for the Philadelphia Phillies, with Kyle Schwarber getting some spot starts there when he doesn’t DH.
That is obviously not what the Phillies would like at the position in 2027.
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Bryce Harper started out the year at first base before shifting to right field following the MLB trade deadline acquisition of Luis Arraez.
Arraez bumped Bryson Stott from second to third, which moved Bohm over to first and, in turn, pushed Harper back to the outfield.
You have to figure that Philadelphia will not want Harper in right field next spring. The prevailing thought is that he will be back at first base, which would then further increase the Phillies’ need for another outfielder.
But is there a world in which Philadelphia keep Harper in right and promotes from within to solve its problem at first?
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While the chances sound slim due to Harper’s significant deficiencies in the outfield (not to mention his knee issues), first base prospect Felix Reyes makes it an interesting discussion.
The Phillies do not have a strong farm system, but Reyes is one of their top chips. In fact, he was so impressive in Triple-A this season that Philly gave him 38 at-bats on the big-league level.
Sure, Reyes went just 6-for-38 during that stretch, but the 25-year-old is slashing .287/.418/.511 with 21 home runs and 70 RBI at Lehigh Valley in 2026.
The walk rate is concerning, to say the least. And we saw that in the majors when Reyes didn’t walk once during his brief call-up. But his pop is interesting, and it’s worth noting that he batted .335 in Double-A last year.
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Reyes is out for the remainder of 2026 due to a fractured wrist, but there is no question that the Dominican native further boosted his status moving forward.
And let’s say the Phillies do ultimately decide to move Harper back to first base next season. What stops them from putting the right-handed Reyes on the roster as a platoon bat to offset Harper’s struggles against lefties?
Somehow, some way, I think Reyes will find his way on to the big-league roster next spring. Will it be in a starting role? Maybe not, because I still believe Philadelphia would prefer to bring in a more established outfielder to balance the lineup. But Reyes has shown too much promise not to at least be considered.
It’s also worth noting that Reyes has played some outfield himself and even has experience at third base, but because of his pedestrian defense, my guess is the Phillies view him as more of a first baseman long term.
We’ll see if Reyes ends up becoming a real candidate next season.
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