Weston Wilson vs. Otto Kemp: Who should make the Phillies postseason roster?

This year’s postseason roster for the Phillies has a little more intrigue in it than in years past. Most of the starters and bullpen are still mortal locks to make the roster as long as they stay healthy from now until when those rosters are finalized, but there are a few debates worth having for the depth pieces. 

Perhaps the biggest one, at least for the earlier rounds of the postseason, is who should occupy the last spot on the Phillies bench. Two spots are presumably locked in already, belonging to Edmundo Sosa and Rafael Marchan. The next spot would be whatever outfielder isn’t playing that day in the Phillies’ rotation. That is likely to be either Nick Castellanos or Max Kepler. There was some talk about leaving Castellanos off of the postseason roster among fans, but the safe bet is that his recent resurgence in his limited role has likely secured his spot. If the Phillies carry 13 pitchers on the roster, which is not necessarily a given considering the schedule, that will leave one spot left. If the Phillies carry 12 pitchers instead, there’s a good chance that Johan Rojas occupies a bench spot, even if his recent injury makes the possibility murky. Nevertheless, if Rojas is on the roster instead of a pitcher, it still leaves one spot between Kemp and Wilson.

Weston Wilson and Otto Kemp are both candidates to fill that spot, and both fulfill similar roles. Both are right-handed and both can play multiple positions, albeit not very well in some cases.

Kemp appears to be the favorite, as he has seen a resurgence since returning to the Majors in the wake of Alex Bohm’s recent injury. The rookie infielder got off to a decent start to his career before flatlining, leading to his demotion. But in the 13 games since returning prior to last night, Kemp has served as a relatively reliable hitter, slashing .261/.300/.543. He’s been able to tap into his power much easier this time around, accounting for seven extra-base hits (three home runs and four doubles) after having just 11 extra-base hits in his first 46 games played with the Phillies. But his defense continues to be an issue, whether it be at first base, third, or in his short time in the outfield where he hasn’t played since being recalled.

Wilson on the other hand was on the postseason roster last season but went 0-3 across two appearances. He’s had a rough season in the Majors, hitting just .206 with a .669 OPS. He suffered an oblique injury late in spring training that delayed his season debut until April 23rd. Wilson has since split time between the Majors and Triple-A, appearing in only 52 big league games. He’s been a good right-handed bat off the bench for the Phillies in the past, as he owns an .836 career OPS against left-handed pitching and hit .341 off of lefties in 2024. But that number too has come down this season, as Wilson is hitting just .197 against lefties across 80 plate appearances with a .654 OPS.

The path to playing time for either of these players in the postseason would be as either a starter in place of Brandon Marsh against a LHP or as a pinch hitter late in a game for either Marsh or Max Kepler. Wilson is 3-21 in his career as a pinch hitter in the Majors while Kemp is 2-5. However, Wilson has much more experience playing the outfield than Kemp, something that could come into play if they enter a game to pinch hit for either Marsh or Kepler. Nick Castellanos would be the first off of the bench in this pinch-hitting scenario, but the other right-handed bench bat would be Edmundo Sosa, who the Phillies likely don’t want to put into the outfield again. If Rojas is on the roster, he could come into the game to play defense to fill that spot, but that leaves the risk of him hitting in the middle of the order. Wilson or Kemp would likely have to be able to play left field for at least a few innings in a postseason game and not be liability.

So, who do you think should make the Phillies postseason roster: Weston Wilson or Otto Kemp?