The Phillies were fresh off a World Series run when The Athletic last surveyed fans in January 2023.
Plenty has happened since then. But this marks the first offseason of real change for the core group that carried the Phillies to the Fall Classic in 2022. J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez are free agents. Nick Castellanos is unlikely to still be with the club come spring training. And the Phillies could deal from their major-league roster this winter, clearing the way for top prospects to debut.
It’s a time of uncertainty, of wait-and-see. That sentiment is seemingly reflected in how fans feel about the club’s direction.
The Winter Meetings next week will likely bring some news and roster moves. As fans wait for action, what do they think the Phillies should do? We’ve compiled results from nearly 2,000 respondents below.
(Note: Due to rounding, percentage totals for some questions may not add up to 100 percent.)
What should the Philliesʼ biggest focus be this offseason?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Re-signing one or both of Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto | 49% |
| Remaking the outfield | 38% |
| Finding a new clean-up hitter | 8% |
| Bolstering the bullpen | 2% |
| Acquiring starting pitching depth | 1% |
| Other | 2% |
The Phillies are prioritizing two key free agents: Realmuto and Schwarber. Fans seem to agree with this approach. Schwarber delivered countless enduring moments in 2025: breaking open NLDS Game 3 in the eighth inning at Dodger Stadium, the four-homer game against the Braves, hitting multiple grand slams at Citizens Bank Park. Realmuto’s impact, though quieter on offense, could be felt in the strength of the Phillies’ rotation, which has praised his guidance.
Next up was remaking the outfield. There are many factors at play this winter — whether Justin Crawford can play center, whether the Phillies re-sign Harrison Bader — and a generally average class of free-agent outfielders to choose from.
Should the Phillies re-sign Kyle Schwarber?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Yes | 85% |
| No | 15% |
There is a reason “MVP” chants filled Citizens Bank Park in 2025. Schwarber endeared himself to Phillies fans not only with his performance on the field, but also through years of clubhouse leadership and charity work in the community. The vast majority of fans answered “yes.”
Will they?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Yes | 85% |
| No | 15% |
The difference between this and the previous question? Two more votes for “yes” here.
Will the Phillies re-sign J.T. Realmuto?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Yes | 80% |
| No | 20% |
Fans seem to have a bit less faith the Phillies will re-sign Realmuto than Schwarber. He is no doubt the top catcher on the market this winter, even with his offense declining as he prepares to enter his age-36 season.
Is it more important to re-sign Realmuto or Schwarber?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Schwarber | 56% |
| Realmuto | 30% |
| Too difficult to answer | 15% |
This was an interesting split. Both players have their intangible strengths, including Schwarber’s clubhouse leadership and Realmuto’s poise leading the pitching staff. But it seems like Schwarber’s offensive performance (. 928 OPS vs. Realmuto’s .700) earned him greater support.
Who do you want to be the Philliesʼ Opening Day catcher?
| Response | Percent of vote |
|---|---|
| Realmuto | 63% |
| Rafael Marchán | 5% |
| Adley Rutschman | 15% |
| A different younger catcher acquired via trade | 14% |
| Another catcher acquired via free agency | 3% |
Nearly two-thirds of fans want Realmuto to start on Opening Day. But more than 550 respondents (29 percent) were interested in getting younger at catcher — via a trade for the Orioles’ Adley Rutschman or another controllable player. But, if the Phillies are unwilling to part with top prospects like Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller, orchestrating a trade for a top young catcher could obviously be difficult.
Should the Phillies re-sign Ranger Suárez?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Yes | 39% |
| No | 61% |
Suárez is set to receive a lucrative contract this winter. Phillies fans would prefer the club’s money be spent elsewhere.
Should the Phillies extend Jesús Luzardo?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Yes | 91% |
| No | 9% |
This was as close to a consensus for Phillies fans as we saw on any question. Luzardo recovered from an up-and-down summer to star in the NLDS. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has expressed interest in a Luzardo extension, so fans might just get their wish.
Who is your Phillies’ dream free-agent signing (not named Schwarber or Realmuto)?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Kyle Tucker | 32% |
| Bo Bichette | 23% |
| Alex Bregman | 22% |
| Pete Alonso | 8% |
| Cody Bellinger | 7% |
| Other | 7% |
Kyle Tucker topping this list is unsurprising; he is the consensus No. 1 free agent, including on The Athletic’s Big Board, and could provide some stability to a Phillies outfield that desperately needs it. Infield options Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso also interested fans.
Should the Phillies prioritize premier free agents apart from Schwarber and Realmuto?
| Response | Percent of vote |
|---|---|
| Only if one or both of Schwarber and Realmuto do not re-sign | 51% |
| Yes | 42% |
| No | 7% |
Opinions were mixed here, but most fans supported solely focusing on re-signing Schwarber and Realmuto.
How should the Phillies approach center field this offseason?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Re-sign Harrison Bader | 47% |
| Prioritize Justin Crawford as the everyday CF | 34% |
| Pursue another option via trade or free-agent signing | 17% |
| Play Brandon Marsh and/or Johan Rojas | 1% |
Bader endeared himself to Phillies fans in his two months with the club, and nearly half of respondents approve of Bader re-signing and playing center field next year. Justin Crawford, one of the club’s top prospects, is working on his center-field defense. More than a third of fans supported playing him there next season.
What, if any, player would you like the Phillies to pursue from Japan this offseason?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Tatsuya Imai | 28% |
| Munekata Murakami | 20% |
| Kazuma Okamoto | 14% |
| None | 35% |
| Other | 3% |
The Phillies have emphasized their operation in Japan, and signing a top player from the country remains a priority. Fans seemed interested in pitcher Tatsuya Imai, who was posted Nov. 18. and could command a sizable contract this winter. Of note, this was the least-responded-to question, as only 1,848 of 1,955 survey participants answered.
What do you think the Phillies should do with their fifth rotation spot?
| Reponse | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Promote Andrew Painter | 59% |
| Re-sign Ranger Suárez | 22% |
| Pursue a different fifth starter via trade or free agency | 11% |
| Use Taijuan Walker | 7% |
Fans overwhelmingly want to see Painter in 2026. “July-ish” 2025 did not happen. But those around the club think 2026 is likely, given Painter will be further removed from Tommy John surgery and have a full offseason under his belt.
Should the Phillies trade Alec Bohm?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Yes | 78% |
| No | 22% |
Another winter has brought more discussion of trading Bohm. Fans overwhelmingly want to see Bohm moved. Doing so could be a chance for the Phillies to replenish their farm system and clear the way for Miller, 21, to play third.
How would you grade Rob Thomson’s 2025 performance as manager?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| A | 19% |
| B | 60% |
| C | 17% |
| D | 3% |
| F | 1% |
Fans gave Thomson a B for a 2025 in which the Phillies won 96 games en route to another National League East title, but fell in four games in the NLDS for the second straight season.
How confident are you in president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 35% |
| Somewhat confident | 51% |
| Unsure | 8% |
| Not very confident | 5% |
| Not confident at all | 1% |
Most surveyed fans are “somewhat confident” in Dombrowski, who is in his sixth offseason as president of baseball operations. The club has seen sustained success for most of Dombrowski’s tenure, but has yet to win a World Series. His numbers on this question have fallen somewhat since the 2023 poll, when more than 96 percent of fans said they were confident in Dombrowski. About 86 percent of respondents said they feel confident now.
How confident are you in ownership, led by managing partner John Middleton?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 69% |
| Somewhat confident | 26% |
| Unsure | 3% |
| Not very confident | 2% |
| Not confident at all | 0% |
Nearly 70 percent of those surveyed are “very confident” in Middleton’s leadership; only four respondents said they were “not confident at all.” He hasn’t been hesitant to approve big contracts, giving Phillies fans some of their favorite stars including Zack Wheeler, Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. The percentage of Phillies fans confident in Middleton has slightly increased since 2023 (95 percent in 2025 compared to 90.7 percent two years ago).
How confident are you in the Philliesʼ coaching staff? (The staff was fully retained, although the club is hiring a new bench coach.)
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 25% |
| Somewhat confident | 53% |
| Unsure | 14% |
| Not very confident | 7% |
| Not confident at all | 1% |
Fans are mostly confident in the Phillies’ coaching staff, which has seen little change since Thomson became the interim manager in 2022.
Which Phillies prospect are you most excited about?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Aidan Miller | 37% |
| Andrew Painter | 29% |
| Justin Crawford | 29% |
| Gage Wood | 3% |
| Gabriel Rincones Jr. | 1% |
| Other | 1% |
There’s been some change here. This is a category Painter won in a landslide (91.8 percent) in January 2023. Granted, he had Tommy John surgery and has played only one full professional season since then. But it also reflects the emergence of other key prospects, such as Miller and Crawford, who should have a chance to make an impact next year.
How do you feel about the Philliesʼ outfield right now?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 0% |
| Somewhat confident | 6% |
| Unsure | 27% |
| Not very confident | 46% |
| Not confident at all | 21% |
Only six respondents said they are “very confident” about the Phillies’ outfield — ouch! — while 906 said they are “not very confident.” The good news for fans is that significant change is likely on the horizon. But in what form is unclear, with an average free-agent class beyond expensive upgrades (Bellinger and Tucker) and plenty of teams seeking right-handed-hitting outfielders.
How do you feel about the Philliesʼ rotation right now?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 34% |
| Somewhat confident | 57% |
| Unsure | 7% |
| Not very confident | 1% |
| Not confident at all | 0% |
More than 90 percent of respondents expressed confidence in the Phillies’ rotation entering 2026. There’s plenty to be excited about, with Cristopher Sánchez’s emergence as an ace, Luzardo under team control for another season and Wheeler returning from surgery for venous thoracic outlet syndrome.
How do you feel about the Philliesʼ bullpen right now?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 4% |
| Somewhat confident | 51% |
| Unsure | 28% |
| Not very confident | 14% |
| Not confident at all | 2% |
More than half of respondents said they’re confident in the Phillies’ bullpen — a total that would’ve seemed unfathomable on July 1, or really at any point during José Alvarado’s PED suspension but before the club acquired Jhoan Duran. Having a closer has changed everything for the Phillies, though they will continue to build around him and other leverage pieces like Alvarado and Orion Kerkering.
How do you feel about the Philliesʼ infield right now?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 18% |
| Somewhat confident | 66% |
| Unsure | 11% |
| Not very confident | 5% |
| Not confident at all | 0% |
The vast majority of fans are confident in the infield, which makes sense. Trea Turner came into his own at shortstop last season. Bryce Harper, in a down year by his standards, was still 11th in the National League in OPS. Bryson Stott overcame a difficult start to the season and again played strong defense. Bohm was consistent when not dealing with injuries.
All four could return next year. And, behind them, is the versatile Edmundo Sosa and Miller, a shortstop ranked among the top prospects in baseball.
How do you feel about the Philliesʼ catchers right now?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 7% |
| Somewhat confident | 22% |
| Unsure | 44% |
| Not very confident | 21% |
| Not confident at all | 7% |
With Realmuto’s free-agent status, there’s uncertainty around who will start for the Phillies come Opening Day. So, “unsure” as the top response makes sense.
How confident are you that the Phillies are heading in the right direction?
| Response | Percent of Vote |
|---|---|
| Very confident | 9% |
| Somewhat confident | 45% |
| Unsure | 30% |
| Not very confident | 14% |
| Not confident at all | 3% |
There’s some significant change from the January 2023 poll, where just 0.2 percent of fans said they were “not very confident.” This time around, 14 percent of fans chose that response. Another 3 percent are “not confident at all” — a choice that hovered at 0.1 percent in the previous survey. Thirty percent answered “unsure” in this poll, a major increase from 2.6 percent in 2023.
There’s a lot up in the air right now and, after three years of significant strides in the regular season, the Phillies have yet to win the club’s third World Series title. All of that seems reflected here. Perhaps fans will start to lean further one way or the other soon, as the Winter Meetings get underway in Orlando next week and the Phillies’ 2026 roster begins to take shape.
