Phillies Minor Leaguers Start Spring Training 

CLEARWATER, FL - With Spring Training well underway at BayCare Ballpark, the Carpenter Complex is starting to liven up even more, as Minor League Spring Training for all Phillies farmhands began on Monday afternoon. Some players are coming to the states to play for the first time, and all are looking to prove themselves as camp begins to eventually form the Opening Day Rosters for all Phillies minor league affiliates. For most members of Phillies’ system, the road to Citizens Bank Park starts in Clearwater, and here are a few former Threshers to keep an eye on as they begin their Spring Training:

Eduardo Tait (C): At just 17 years old, Eduardo Tait joined the Threshers in late July of 2024 and quickly showed why he had advanced to Single-A before his 18th birthday with tremendous power. His first batting practice of the spring was no exception, pummeling everything in the air deep out to the outfield, with the outfielders barely needing to move as most of his shots got deep out to the fence (with many going over the fence). He showed solid contact with some hard-hit line drives, and maybe one of his pitches bounced in the infield. His strength also provides a strong arm behind the plate, and he enters camp in a slightly slimmer frame, which will likely increase his mobility blocking pitches behind the plate. Already in the MLB’s top 100 prospects and mashing with incredible power now at 18, there is no telling the potential that Eduardo Tait has, he is ready for a star turn in his first full season in affiliated baseball.

Nikau Pouaka-Grego (INF): A Thresher for most of 2024, Nikau finished his second pro season in the FCL after a strong start with the Threshers. He hit over .300 in the first two months of the season, but his bat wasn’t the same in the second half of the season. The middle infielder hails from New Zealand, so he worked on his game this past offseason with the Adelaide Giants of the Australian Baseball League. In his second season in Adelaide, Nikau finished with a .610 OPS and 15 RBIs in 36 games this winter. Now back in the States, Pouaka-Grego was spraying line drives all over the field in batting practice on Monday, routinely hitting balls the opposite way with hard contact as a lefty hitter. He can play all over the infield, typically stationed at second or third in Clearwater last season, and can play both consistently well. Though he did primarily play at third in 2024, Pouaka-Grego began the spring primarily at second base.

Bryson Ware (INF): An eight-round pick in 2023, Bryson Ware has spent the better part of his two-year minor league career starting for the Threshers, becoming one of the first two members of the 2023 Phillies Draft Class to get the call to Clearwater. His batting average improved over 60 points when he was called up to Jersey Shore in early August 2024, and judging from batting practice, Ware could be primed for another big jump in 2025. In each of his first three rounds of batting practice, Ware launched at least one home run, consistently pulling the ball down the third-base line on a rope. Ware’s power may have been his most impressive hitting tool, and it looks like that is back in spades for the start of camp. A big question for him will be where he is used in the field this season, as he played seven different positions for the Threshers between 2024-25. He started camping taking drills at second, but he best projects as a third baseman going forward. He spent most of the infield drills at third, showcasing a smooth release and maybe the best arm strength of the infield prospects all day.

Erick Brito (INF): A Thresher in 2022-23, Brito has bulked up since his call-ups, adding a significant amount of muscle in the offseason. He was used primarily at second base and shortstop throughout his minor league career but began the spring training mostly at third with former Threshers Diego González (‘24) and Brady Day (‘24). Day and González were both frequently used at third base in their Threshers tenure, but Brito certainly looked comfortable after playing just 12 games at third base between High-A and Double-A last season. Before 2024, Brito hadn’t played at third since 2021 in the FCL, but he didn’t miss a beat and his arm looked sharp, consistently firing in on-target throws towards first base.

Leandro Pineda (OF): Another surprising position change had the former outfielder turn to first baseman at the start of camp in 2025. Pineda was a corner outfielder when with the Threshers in 2021 and made it up to Double-A Reading by the end of last season. He continued to show promising power following a career-high 11-home run season in 2024 by lighting up batting practice before he went to the field, exclusively taking reps at first base. His glove looked solid at first despite just 30 games in his five seasons of minor league baseball being played at first base before spring training. And his pull power was on full display, consistently sending hard contact down the left field line and deep into the right field corner. He may start lower than he ended if the position change doesn’t take quickly in the spring, but it seems like he is on track to start the 2025 season at first base after beginning his career in the outfield.

Nate Karrafa (RHP): A reliever for the Threshers at the end of the 2023 season, Nathan Karrafa threw just 4.0 innings in High-A Jersey Shore last season, allowing one hit with four strikeouts and no runs. He was an innings-eater in the Threshers bullpen in his first pro season and looks to be making his way back with an improved delivery. Not only was Karrafa throwing heat in his bullpen sessions, but he also had a new-look delivery that was much shorter, coming from the stretch it seemed that Nathan had less than a second from hand to catcher’s glove on his delivery. The shortened delivery seems to add an extra push to his fastball, with a quick whip of a throwing motion sending it in in the mid-90s. Furthermore, the shortened release doesn’t change much on his different pitches, making Karrafa’s hard fastball and off-speed pitches look the same coming out of his right hand. 20th-rounder out of Ohio State, Nathan Karrafa looks to rise as he embarks on his first fully healthy minor league season.

You can purchase Threshers tickets at ThreshersBaseball.com/tickets or by calling 727-467-4457…The Box Office at BayCare Ballpark is also open daily to purchase Threshers tickets…The hours are 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and 10 AM-3 PM on Saturdays.