Each year teams open spring training with a plethora of players.

Some you've never heard of. Some are young prospects you're excited about but know have no shot of making that season's 25-man Opening Day lineup. Some will surprisingly be on the field with the major league team for that first regular-season game. Some are veterans who are locks and will use the next two months solely to get in shape and find their timing (hitters) or velocity (pitchers).

The Phillies have a mix from each group with 65 players invited to 2016's spring training in Clearwater, Fla., the team's 70th year consecutive year in the city for preseason camp.

Since the day general manager Matt Klentak was hired (Oct. 26), competition is something he stressed he was aiming for heading into the season. The offseason moves he's made certainly had paved the way for that. To compare, the 65 players showing up is seven more than the organization invited last spring.

The Phillies will need to whittle the following list down by 40 for Opening Day but here's a look at all the players beginning spring training in Phillies big league camp.

40-MAN ROSTER

Starting pitchers — RHP Alec Asher; RHP David Buchanan; RHP Jerad Eickhoff; RHP Severino Gonzalez; LHP Matt Harrison; RHP Jeremy Hellickson; LHP Adam Morgan; RHP Charlie Morton; RHP Aaron Nola; LHP Brett Oberholtzer; RHP Vincent Velasquez.

Heading into camp it appears Nola, Eickhoff, Morton and Hellickson are safe bets for four of the five rotation spots. If it lines up that way, the fifth spot might go to a lefty (Oberholtzer or Morgan) since any of the remaining options on the 40-man would give the Phillies an all-righty rotation.

Harrison, the other lefty, is still dealing with injuries so even though he's still on the 40-man roster, don't expect him to be in the running for a rotation spot. It's more likely he doesn't even throw a pitch this season.

Keep an eye on: Velasquez. The Phillies seem to be high on one of the pieces they received in return from Houston for Ken Giles. If he comes into camp and impresses, he could easily throw himself into the mix for the final starting spot.

Relief pitchers — LHP Elvis Araujo; RHP Jimmy Cordero; RHP Luis Garcia; RHP Jeanmar Gomez; RHP David Hernandez; RHP Dalier Hinojosa; LHP Mario Hollands; RHP Michael Mariot; RHP Colton Murray; RHP Hector Neris; RHP Edubray Ramos; LHP Daniel Stumpf.

Just as is the case with the starting pitchers, the bullpen is another area in which Klentak wanted competition. Before adding in the non-roster invitees, the Phillies have 12 players for what figures to be seven available spots.

Hernandez will compete for the closer's spot with three of the non-roster invitees while Araujo, Gomez and Hinojosa all performed well enough last year that they should be in position to fight for roles in the bullpen.

Hollands is still recovering from Tommy John surgery and won't be ready to pitch at the start of spring training. In mid-January, Klentak said the lefty still had a few more months to go in his recovery.

Keep an eye on: Stumpf. He's one of their Rule 5 picks, so the lefty will have to make the 25-man roster and stay there all season or the Phillies have to offer him back to Kansas City. Stumpf is best against left-handers, limiting them to a .167 batting average last year in Double-A.

Catchers — Jorge Alfaro; Carlos Ruiz; Cameron Rupp.

The catching position seems pretty cut and dry.

Just as was the case at the end of last year, it appears the starting job goes to Rupp with Ruiz filling in.

Keep an eye on: Alfaro. The 22-year-old who came over in the Cole Hamels/Jake Diekman trade with Texas is regarded as one of the organization's top prospects. He's healthy heading into camp but will likely start at Triple-A. He'll be interesting to watch now that he's at full strength after not playing in the Phillies' organization until the end of August last season because of an ankle injury.

Infielders — 2B/3B/SS Andres Blanco; 2B/3B/SS Taylor Featherston; 3B Maikel Franco; SS Freddy Galvis; 2B Cesar Hernandez; 1B Ryan Howard; 1B/OF Darin Ruf; OF/INF Darnell Sweeney.

Franco, Galvis and Hernandez have spots while Howard and Ruf are expected to platoon at first base. Coming off his best offensive season as a pro, Blanco heads into February as the favorite to grab a bench spot.

Sweeney has options remaining, so it's possible he's one of the odd men out of this group by the time camp breaks.

Keep an eye on: Featherston. The recently acquired utility infielder has just over 100 games in the majors, all coming last year with the Angels. Klentak, who was also with Los Angeles last year, must have seen something he liked to trade for the 26-year-old.

Outfielders — OF Aaron Altherr; LF/3B Cody Asche; OF Peter Bourjos; OF Tyler Goeddel; OF Odubel Herrera; OF Roman Quinn.