Projecting the IronPigs 2026 Infield
Compared to our first three installments of projecting the IronPigs roster, the infield group on Opening Day will be surprisingly easy to sus out. Part of that is due to injuries that have cropped up during Spring Training. Top Phillies prospect Aidan Miller will more than likely not be a
Compared to our first three installments of projecting the IronPigs roster, the infield group on Opening Day will be surprisingly easy to sus out. Part of that is due to injuries that have cropped up during Spring Training.
Top Phillies prospect Aidan Miller will more than likely not be a part of the IronPigs Opening Day roster as a balky back has kept him out of Spring Training action and it looks like he won’t get into any Spring Training Games. The Phillies have been playing it pretty close to vest on a timeline for Miller so there’s no inkling on when he will be ready to go or how quick his ramp up will be. An optimist’s view would probably put Miller in Coca-Cola Park sometime in late April or early May. But, we can say with some semblance of certainty he won’t be on the roster Opening Day. Replacing the presumptive starting SS will not be easy.
Another crushing injury to the infield group is Keaton Anthony. Anthony, who missed the final two months of 2025 due to injury, fouled a ball off his foot this spring breaking it and will require surgery. There’s no timeline yet on how long Anthony will be out but we know he won’t be available for Opening Day.
The only other roster machination that could affect this group is Dylan Moore. Signed to a MiLB deal by the Phillies this off-season, the utility man looks like he has the inside track on the final spot on the Phils bench. With a spring opt-out in his deal, we’ll work under the assumption that Moore ends up on the Phillies roster or elsewhere.
With those two injuries in mind, let’s detail what the IronPigs infield could look like on Opening Day.
The Prospects
Felix Reyes – Prior to Anthony’s injury, it looked like Reyes and Anthony would be eating into each other’s playing time at 1B and in LF. Now, Reyes will get a lot of runway to prove his 2025 Eastern League MVP season was no fluke. So far, he’s made a lot of noise in Spring Training, hitting .333 with a 1.022 OPS and three homers thru March 17th. Reyes got his first taste of triple-A at the end of last year.
José Rodriguez – Rodriguez has fallen out of favor in prospect circles, but was once a top-30 prospect in the White Sox system. He made his return after a year-long suspension related to gambling last year, hitting .303 in 26 games with Reading. Rodriguez brings an intriguing blend of speed and power, as he hit 21 homers and swiped 20 bags in 2023. He’ll start this year at 24 and can play third, short, and second.
MiLB Free Agent Pickups
Alex Binelas – This is technically cheating as Binelas was signed to an MiLB deal last year by the Phillies, but it still fits the sub-heading, so here he is. Binelas posted a .797 OPS with Reading, plating mostly first base with 15 games also at third. Binelas was a 3rd round pick out Louisville by the Brewers in 2018. Binelas starting with the ‘Pigs would probably be an indication of how much playing time in LF Felix Reyes is going to get. Otherwise, finding playing time for Binelas might be tough.
Christian Cairo – In what we think will be the first son of an IronPig to play for the team, Cairo is the son of Miguel Cairo who played with the ‘Pigs (and Phillies) in 2009. Christian is a super-utilityman who flashes plus baseball instincts with good speed. Cairo will fill the void left by Rafael Lantigua last year. Cairo was in the Guardians system, playing with Columbus last year where he hit .237 and stole 33 bases.
Liover Peguero – Peguero was up and down with the Pirates last year and signed with the Phillies this off-season. He has a career .721OPS at triple-A over 211 games all with Indianapolis with much of that time coming at shortstop. One would’ve thought coming into this year that he’d rarely play short with Aidan Miller there and all. Alas, with Miller’s injury Peguero would be the presumptive starting shortstop on Opening Night.
An Old Friend Returns
Erick Brito – Brito did an absolutely brilliant job as the ‘Pigs utilityman and bench role for the first half of the season. He played all over, showing plus defense, and came up with many a clutch hit, hitting .288 w/RISP. Depending on how many infielders get carried to open the season, Brito could find himself in that mix.
Trying to parse roster construction and who will play where with many players who can occupy different spots is touch. Best guess would be the ‘Pigs end up carrying five of the six listed players above with the final choice coming down to Binelas and Brito.
The Future
This section will be coming much sooner rather than later for the ‘Pigs. Aidan Miller and Keaton Anthony will hopefully join this group not too long after Opening Day. A good half-season at Reading probably brings Carson DeMartini to Coca-Cola Park by mid-summer. Ditto goes for Aroon Escobar, although if the Phillies really wanted to challenge him, moving him quicker (or even for Opening Night perhaps) up to Lehigh Valley is always in the cards, albeit unlikely. Playing a bit all over, Bryson Ware has improved at each stop on the ladder when he returns there the next year. If that form holds he could put up a good showing at Reading and push his way to Lehigh Valley since he is already 25.
Best guess for the infield group on Opening Night:
1B: Felix Reyes
2B: Christian Cairo
SS: Liover Peguero
3B: José Rodriguez
Bench: Erick Brito
Injured List: Keaton Anthony, Aidan Miller