The Philadelphia Phillies’ 2026 MLB season has been anything but stable, featuring plenty of ups and downs.
With roughly a quarter of the season completed, The Athletic released its latest “Wish You Were Here” edition of its Power Rankings, identifying one player each team no longer has but could really use right now. For Philadelphia, that player was Aidan Miller.
Miller, just 21 years old, is the top prospect in the Phillies’ farm system. However, he has not played at all this season due to an ongoing back injury that has kept him sidelined.
Although the big-league club has found success since Don Mattingly took over as interim manager—posting a 16–6 record under his leadership—the Phillies’ lack of roster depth has become increasingly noticeable. That problem has been especially clear at third base.
Alec Bohm struggled badly early in the season, hitting .151/.218/.208 through April. While he has shown signs of improvement during an 11-game hitting streak, his overall production remains underwhelming, with a .220/.280/.351 slash line, 12 extra-base hits, and a .631 OPS across 46 games. Edmundo Sosa has also failed to make much of an offensive impact, batting .228/.262/.342 with a .604 OPS in 28 games.
Given those issues, Miller almost certainly would have received an opportunity to play third base at the major-league level if he were healthy. Instead, he continues to recover from the back injury that has plagued him for multiple seasons.
Last year, Miller showcased his upside across Double-A and Triple-A, posting a .264/.392/.433 line with 14 home runs, 27 doubles, two triples, an .825 OPS, 82 runs scored, and 59 stolen bases in 116 games. He finished the 2025 season on a dominant note, recording 22 extra-base hits and an OPS above 1.100 over his final 36 games.
Mattingly recently provided an update, noting that Miller has begun light baseball activities. While there is still no timetable for his return, his progress has been encouraging.
With third base remaining a weakness for Philadelphia and considering how strong Miller looked at the end of last season, his absence is being felt. If he were healthy, he would almost certainly be competing for — and likely earning — an opportunity in the Phillies’ big-league infield, particularly at third base.