The Philadelphia Phillies’ roster appears to be a concrete situation heading into Opening Day. With one of the best lineups in baseball and three players – Rafael Marchán, Edmundo Sosa, Buddy Kennedy – out of minor league options, there’s not a lot of room for a position player to make his case in Spring Training. But in the case of Gabriel Rincones Jr., he’s doing his best to change their mind.
Rincones entered Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays with a two-run home run and a walk in four at-bats this spring but added to his resume with an opposite-field bomb against Jose Berríos in the third inning of a 9-6 victory on Wednesday afternoon.
Another day, another dinger for Gabriel Rincones Jr.! pic.twitter.com/5zoNe3Z3yW
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) February 26, 2025
While the power surge was his second homer in five games, it’s a sign of a player that has overcome adversity to make a dark-horse bid to make the Opening Day roster.
Gabriel Rincones Jr.’s Power Makes Him a Candidate For Phillies Opening Day Roster
Rincones has flashed power throughout his career, hitting 19 home runs in 58 games during his final collegiate season with Florida Atlantic in 2022 and smashing 15 home runs between Class A Clearwater and Advanced A Jersey Shore in 2023. In between, he gave the Phillies an impressive showing during last year’s Spring Training and caught the attention of Phillies manager Rob Thomson.
“He’s really impressive,” Thomson said of the 6-foot-3, 225-pound outfielder earlier this week. “Very strong, great body, hits the ball all over the place. He can hit it out of any part of the ballpark, plays solid defense. He’s a gamer. He plays every pitch.”
The 23-year-old had a blazing start to the 2024 season, posting a .600 slugging percentage through his first 13 games at Double-A Reading, but tore a ligament in his right thumb. While he played through it, the injury eventually required surgery and wiped out two months of the season.
Some adjustments at the plate helped him finish the year strong as he hit .273/.367/.403 over 22 games with Glendale in the Arizona Fall League and Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer noted that he has worked with Kyle Schwarber to improve his approach against left-handers.
If Rincones can improve on his .189/.250/.243 line in 40 appearances against southpaws, he could be just what the Phillies need. Brandon Marsh has been an impact player for the Phillies but has been platooned due to his struggles against left-handers. The Phillies would also like to keep Johan Rojas on the roster, but with two minor league options and his recovery from a shoulder injury suffered in winter ball, he could also be sent down if Rincones continues to hit like he has early in Spring Training.
There’s still roughly a month to go until Thomson has to make that decision but Rincones’s power display could make things difficult as Philadelphia prepares for the March 27 opener at the Washington Nationals.