Minor League All-Star games tend to not be reflective of the best talent in a league and this years EL All-Star Game is no exception. The Fightin Phils are sending three players to the game in IFs Carlos Alonso and Albert Cartwright, as well as LH starting pitcher Hoby Milner. None of these players are major prospects of note, but lets take a minute to talk about them.
Albert Cartwright was signed by the Phillies to start the 2012 season following him missing the 2011 season due to a torn Achilles. Cartwright is hitting .260/.310/.343 in his worst season in the organization. What he does bring is good speed and solid defense at 2B and in the outfield. He is unlikely to stick around the organization much longer as he is now 26 and has yet to show a major league future despite some intriguing abilities.
Carlos Alonso is in many the safer version of Cartwright, though he is showing much more power this year. Alonso was a 32nd round pick in the 2010 draft and has shown the ability to make good contact as well as a knack for drawing walks and getting hit by pitches to a career .369 OBP. Alonso is also a very good defender at second base, but he has seen some time at 3B for Reading this year. Alonso is a guy who could find himself getting a cup of coffee, but his lack of power means that major league pitchers are much more likely to attack him in the zone and the walk rate could start to plummet. Alonso should move to AAA next year where he is just a step away from a quick trip to the majors.
Hoby Milner was the Phillies 7th round pick in 2012 out of the University of Texas. He was a reliever in college but the Phillies have put him back in the rotation. Milner’s frame intrigues scouts, but at 23 years old he is likely to actually fill it out. His fastball sits in the high 80s and can touch 91, he pairs that with a fringe average curveball and average changeup. Milner can command the fastball well, but lacks plus command overall. This leaves him with a walk rate increasing as he progresses and a declining strikeout rate. He has also been home run prone due to the flat fastball. He could stick around for a while because he has the pitchability to figure out minor league hitters, it just is not an attractive major league profile. He could eventually move to the bullpen where you hope the stuff plays up enough he could be a passable middle/long reliever if needed.