2026 IronPigs Roster: “The Guy”

“Who is this guy?”

This post will be updated through the first week or two of the season, and then via the “IronPigs Today” columns after that.  We’ll pin this one as it’s a nice reference when you’re at the game to remember who “that guy” is.

[UPDATE]  This post has been updated for the weekend of the Red Wings Series, April 10. 

Injured List, Etc.

Let’s get this out of the way.  We’re not starting off the season particularly healthy.

INF Aidan Miller:  The guy who is a top prospect.  Balky back.  Return unknown.  Reports of him “swinging the bat” could be erroneous.  Stay tuned.

OF Gabriel Rincones Jr: We know him from last season.  Big lefty outfielder with light-tower power.  Bad knees.  Hopefully back sooner rather than later.  They’re leaning into the platoon with him, which is an interesting developmental strategy.  Something to watch.

1B Keaton Anthony:  Broke his foot during Spring Training.  It will be a few weeks probably before we see him.  If he does well we may see him in left field a bit.

OF Johan Rojas:  Not injured, but suspended for horse steroids until 6/25/26.

RHP Daniel Robert:  Balky heart.  Treatment ongoing, should be able to return to play. 60-Day IL.

RHP Andrew Bechtold:  “Shoulder Discomfort” now on the 60-Day IL

RHP John McMillon: (Dev List)

RHP Michael Mercado:  7-Day IL for “Shoulder Tear”

C Mark Kolozsvary: 60-Day IL “Knee Surgery”

INF Erick Brito: 60-Day IL for “Hand Surgery”

INF Jose Rodriguez: “Shoulder Tear” now on the 60-Day IL

* – denotes, on the 40-man roster

Starting Pitchers

#12 LHP Tucker Davidson (LHP):  The lefty from Texas.  AAA veteran started 23 of 36 games in 2025 and 2024 with Nashville.  Started 15 in 2022 with Gwinnett.  MLB time with Atlanta, Baltimore, the Angels and Kansas City, all as a reliever.

#18 RHP Bryse Wilson:  Another AAA veteran.  He came up with the Braves and has MLB time with them, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee and the White Sox.  Another AAA starter, MLB reliever type.

#69 RHP Jean Cabrera*:  They guy who’s a prospect, but should be a reliever.  From Venezuela, he spent the last couple seasons in Reading.  Plenty of pitch-ability but not the body or the stuff that you usually see in an MLB starting pitcher.  He did have some nice innings in MLB Spring Training.  He and Rangel are the depth starters for the Phillies at this juncture.

#55 RHP Alan Rangel*:  Hey we know him!  From Mexico, we saved him from the Braves and Angels and he’s been up with the Phillies for a bit.  He’s in the mix to be the Phillies #6 or #7 starter this season.

#41 Ryan Cusick:  The former Braves’ first rounder.  He was claimed off waivers from the White Sox last season, passed through waivers and here he is.  He pitched for Vegas and Toledo last season in Triple-A and had yet to make his MLB debut.  His numbers in 19 games, 4 starts (man, I don’t remember those four starts, doubleheaders?) with the Pigs last season were not tremendous. He kicked around the Big Leagues as a reliever but has been stretched out to start games here.

#43 Connor Gillispie: The guy who might be a starter.  He started six games for Miami last season and has another stint in the bigs with Cleveland.  Last season pitched for Jacksonville and St Paul, including starts for both teams. So far he’s been a bulk innings guy on Wheeler nights

#xx Zack Wheeler:  The guy who might be a future Hall of Famer.  MLB Rehab will next pitch for the IronPigs on Wednesday April 8.  Probably will not go to St Paul with the team for the next series, but should rehab somewhere, one more time, before re-joining the Phillies.

First Base

#13 1B/DH Felix Reyes: The guy who won the Eastern League batting title last season.  He’s listed with the outfielders and they might try that a bunch, especially when Keaton gets back.

Infielders

#00 Christian Cairo*: The guy who is Miguel’s kid.  Stands just 5’8″ and spent all of last season with AAA Columbus.  Has yet to make his MLB debut.  Listed as a shortstop.  Slashed .237/.338/.331 last season in the International Leauge.

#5 Liover Peguero:  The guy who was a Pirate.  Fiery competitor from the DR spent parts of the last four seasons in Pittsburgh.  Listed as a shortstop.  Has been playing some First Base, although he doesn’t really profile there.

#29 Carter Kieboom:  The guy who was a first rounder for the Nationals.  Spencer’s brother.  Listed as 3B, it just hasn’t clicked for him in the big leagues, but he hit .319/.368/.449 last season with AAA Sugar Land.  He was a late addition via cash trade with Cleveland where he was a non-roster invitee, but showed poorly this spring.

#4 Robert Moore:  Came over from the Brewers along with Hendry Mendez, for Oliver Dunn.  Scrappy second-base type drafted out of Arkansas with a sandwich-round pick. Never seems over-matched despite his diminutive stature.

Outfielders

#46 Bryan De La Cruz:  The guy from Miami.  He split last season between Gwinnett and Scranton in Triple-A.  He’s been in the bigs with Atlanta and Pittsburgh in addition to Miami.  He had a really nice Spring Training but got squeezed out for a spot with the Phillies.  The righty could get a shot if Otto Kemp falters. He’s got an opt-out over the summer some time.

#0 Pedro León*:  The Cuban from Houston.  Cup of coffee with Houston in 2024 where he was a highly rated prospect at one time.  Spent the last few years with Sugar Land, where he hit .299 in 2024.

#7 Cade Fergus:  [UPDATE:  Development List]  The guy who is clutch.  He’s been up and back from Reading and should continue along that path.  Money in extra innings.

#3 Oscar Mercado:  The guy who was on our team first part of last season; he returns for outfield depth.

#45 Steward Berroa*:  Came via cash trade with Milwaukee due to 40-man crunch for Brewers.  Switch-hitting Dominican outfielder standing 5’9″.  He slugged 10 HRs in 79 games for AAA-Buffalo in 2024, slashing .281/.371/.454.  He has MLB time with Toronto and Milwaukee.

Catchers

(It’s a lot of catchers)

#27 René Pinto:  [UPDATE: 7-Day Injured List] The veteran who played 83 games in the Majors with Tampa.  54 games in Reno last season in Triple-A.  He’s from Venezuela and has some pop in his bat.

#16 Caleb Ricketts:  The guy who is a catching prospect.  Phillies’ 7th round pick in 2022 out of San Diego.  The big backstop bats lefty and has been with Reading the last couple seasons.  Definitely advanced in 2025 over 2024, but did battle some injuries along the way.

#24 Paul McIntosh:  The guy who came over from Miami in the Luzardo trade.  He was originally drafted by the Angels out of West Virginia.  Was here a bit last season, but didn’t hit a ton.

C Garrett Stubbs:  He’s back!  They guy who passed through waivers!  He has a unique “two-way” kind of contract and anyone who claims him would have to initially have him on the MLB active roster and then might be responsible for his current deal.  He could elect free agency, but then he’d lose his current deal.  Why is this important?  Well, his deal will pay him $575,000 to play in the minors and $975,000 to play in the majors.  It’s good work if you can get it, in East Allentown.

Relief Pitchers

#50 Seth Johnson*:  The guy who throws gas.  But, needs to throw strikes.  If he can stay in the zone and get guys out, he’ll be good ‘pen depth for the Phillies.  He also might be the AAA closer.

#56 Griff McGarry:  The guy who was a National this spring.  Plucked via the Rule 5 draft, he was returned to the Phillies when he didn’t make the Nats 26-man roster out of Spring Training.  He was being groomed to be a reliever on the MLB level this spring, which is probably right, but we know he wants to start, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him perhaps piggy back with Wheeler a bit and start getting stretched back out so that the Phillies can have him eat AAA innings as a starter.  He’s a column-favorite, though, so we’ll be watching carefully for what their plan is.

#39 Chase Shugart*: The other guy who was a Pirate.  Drafted by the Red Sox initially he appeared in 35 games out of the pen for the Bucs last season with reasonable numbers.  Like Johnson, competing to be an up-and-down guy for the Phillies relief crew.

#47 Nolan Hoffman*:  The guy who’s not the original Hoffman.  He was here last season and will be in the mix with Johnson and Shugart for first call up.  Came over last season in a cash trade with the Rangers.  A Mariners pick out of Texas A&M.

#54 Genesis Cabrera (LHP):  The guy who hurt Bryce Harper.  It’s all good now, but he spent time with St Louis and then Toronto before kicking around to four teams last season: Mets, Pittsburgh, Cubs and Twins.

#67 Jonathan Hernandez:  The guy from the Rangers, via Durham.  He has a bunch of MLB time mostly with Texas.  He had a stint in the Seattle organization and returned to Texas before ending up on Durham last season spending part of the season injured.  His numbers with AAA-Durham though, were outstanding following his injury.  This guy’s a dark horse for a 40-man spot.

#33 Trevor Richards:  The guy from KC and Arizona.  He has 295 games in the MLB with Miami, Tampa, Milwaukee, Minnesota and Toronto, too.  The Phillies snapped him up in December on a minors deal; he almost certainly has an opt-out at some point.  His Triple-A numbers last season weren’t great, though, so he’ll be looking to get back to MLB form.

#57 Lou Trivino:  The guy they call “Sweet Lou” is a Slippery Rock product who was here for a spell last season as the organization was collecting former PSAC players.  He was originally drafted by Oakland and has a bunch of MLB time there, in addition to some with the Yankees and last season with the Phillies.  He re-signed on a minors deal to be here.

#44 Andrew Walling (LHP):  The guy who the Phillies signed to a minor league contract after he pitched for Williamsport in the MLB Draft League.  He spent a bunch of the past two seasons with Reading before showing well for the IronPigs late last season.

#27 Kyle Backhus (LHP)*:  The guy who throws side-arm.  He had a tremendous Spring Training, a horrible Opening Day, and has been good since.  He had options and got moved down to activate Kerkering.  Came over in a trade with Arizona for CF Avery Owusu-Asiedu.  26 games with AAA-Reno last season, 4-4, 2.05 ERA, also had 32 games with MLB Arizona last season.

Printable Roster: 4/9/2026

040926 LHV Roster

See you at the park,

@Kram207

Featured Image of Griff McGarry by Steve Kiebach