2019 Phillies Midseason Top 30

The Phillies system has taken some hits over the last few years, and they have no quite rebuilt their depth and they have used some in trades and not replenished with trades of their own. The top of the system is headlined with two very good prospects, but there are a lot of middling prospects and those that are far away. Currently the strength of the system is in catchers that can hit

1. Alec Bohm, 3B
After a rough debut year in 2018, Alec Bohm has become the player the Phillies thought they were drafting. Bohm has a patient approach at the plate and is not afraid to work deep counts, while maintaining a low strikeout rate. There are still questions about his long term power output, despite his numbers in Reading. The difference is more him being a  25 to 30 home run hitter or a 35+ home run hitter, than whether he will hit for power. His swing is geared for a lot of opposite field contact, but he can also turn on pitches and launch them. The real remaining question facing Bohm is where he will play defensively. He has improved at third base, but his actions still aren’t great and he profiles as below average there. Long term he probably moves off the position and tries an outfield corner before moving to first base. No matter which position he ends up playing, Bohm profiles as a middle of the order hitter who will provide plus power and onbase abilities.

2. Spencer Howard, RHP
The biggest question facing Spencer Howard in 2019 was whether the end to his 2019 season was real. The answer was a resounding yes, but an injury delayed everything by 2 months. Howard’s best pitch is his fastball, an explosive pitch that sits 92 to 97 and will hit 98 to 99 and occasionally 100. He backs it up with three secondary pitches that all could be plus pitches in the future. His slider is the best of the group. He uses his curveball to miss bats, but it can get a bit loopy. Howard is still refining his command, but he is athletic and repeats his delivery well, giving him a chance to be average in the future. The collection of pitches gives Howard the chance to be a #2 starter, but there are enough risks based on the lack of innings, that a #3 might be the more likely outcome, especially early in his career.

3. Bryson Stott, SS
Stott was not expected to be available when the Phillies picked 14th in the first round, but fell when teams reached for some under slot deals. Stott does not have star level tools, but he does have a lot of very solid ones. Defensively, he is going to stick on the left side of the infield. He probably should be able to handle shortstop, but depending on other defenders on a roster, he should be able to slide over to third where he has the arm and range to be a plus defender. At the plate, he has above average raw power, but it will likely play a little below that, and his hit tool is fine, but not elite. He is an above average runner and has a good approach at the plate to round things out. Stott is currently scuffling a little bit, as college guys often do after a long season, but he should move quickly like Bohm and Haseley before him.

4. Luis Garcia, SS
When the Phillies aggressively pushed 18 year old Luis Garcia to Lakewood, they knew it would be a challenge for him. They probably hoped it wouldn’t be as big a challenge as it turned out to be. Garcia was not physically mature enough to drive the ball consistently in full season ball, and that coupled with environmental factors (Lakewood’s rough travel schedule, pitcher friendly home park, and the general difficulty of full season ball) caused his numbers to crater. The tools are all still there for Garcia to be a very good prospect. He is a plus fielder at shortstop and has the bat speed and hand eye coordination to hold his own at the plate when the strength comes. Garcia may no longer look like he is on the path to being a super prospect, but it is more his rise slowing than his talent disappearing.

5. Adonis Medina, RHP
Adonis Medina’s 2019 year has been much like 2018 where he has flashed why he is a top prospect and also why he has been slipping down the rankings. The top end of Medina’s velocity is still there, but as he has worked higher workloads, he has been more in the 91-94 range rather than touching up to 96-97 consistently. Medina’s secondary pitches have not taken a step forward and still lack consistency and bite. At his best, Medina will show three plus pitches and look like a mid rotation starter, but there are a lot of times where he is pitching below that. He is still young (22), so there is time to build more stamina and see his stuff sitsin the top of his range more often. The Phillies may look to Medina as a reliever in the majors in September, given their pitching issues, and he has a chance to do a lot of what Seranthony Dominguez did before he was injured.

6. Mickey Moniak, OF
It is easy to forget how young Moniak is among all of the concerns about him living up to his draft slot. The 21 year old has seen his power and walk numbers increase this year, especially after a slow start and a May where he hit but didn’t walk, Moniak is hitting .281/.361/.498 since the start of June. Moniak has used his speed and line drive approach to rack up doubles and triples this year, but has yet to really show much home run power. As he fills out, Moniak should hit around 15 home runs a year with plenty of doubles. Moniak’s defense is also improving back towards where it was as an amatuer, and he should be able to stick in center field long term. He  still has some approach and swing concerns, and he struggles against left-handed pitching. Moniak still doesn’t look like a superstar, but he has a chance to be a regular center fielder that maybe gets some platoon help.

7. Rafael Marchan, C
Marchan was the Phillies’ second big signing in 2014, behind Jhailyn Ortiz, and the 20 year old catcher has firmly surpassed the slugger. Marchan has yet to hit a professional home run, but he should grow into below average power as he gets older. Power potential is the only real weakness in Marchan’s game. He is an athletic catcher who projects to be a good defender behind the plate, with a strong arm and good framing and blocking skills. Marchan is a good contact hitter who rarely strikes out and walks at a good rate. The Phillies will face an interesting Rule 5 decision with Marchan this offseason, but he projects as an everyday catcher at the major league level.

8. Francisco Morales, RHP
Morales is a highly talented and highly flawed arm. He is a big bodied righty with a fastball that sits mid 90s, reaching up to 97. He has had problems consistently repeating his delivery, and his command has suffered at times. His changeup is poor and rarely thrown. The thing that separates Morales from generic hard throwers is his slider. It is a bat missing plus pitch that he can throw at at least 3 different velocities and shape from a slurvy curve like pitch in the low 80s to a tighter high 80s type cutter. Morales will need to develop his changeup and control to stick in a rotation, but he has a strong fall back as a high leverage reliever.

9. Simon Muzziotti, OF
Simon Muzziotti is good at most things on the field, except for hitting the ball out of the park. He makes plenty of contact and is a plus runner. In the field, he is an above average to plus defender in center field with a good arm. His lack of power gives him limited offensive impact upside, which puts pressure on his other tools to hit their ceilings. His upside is only as an everyday center fielder with a floor as a bench outfielder.

10. Enyel De Los Santos, RHP
It can be hard to judge players that have gone up and down to the majors, but at only 23 years old, Enyel is younger than most of his teammates who have not reached the majors. In his return to AAA, he is striking out more batters and walking fewer, but like most AAA pitchers, his home run to fly ball rate has gone up dramatically. None of the pitches that made Enyel a prospect have regressed. He still has a plus fastball and above average changeup. He still struggles to throw a good breaking ball, but he has flashed signs of improvement. There is still a chance he is a low end #3 starter, but it is more likely he is a solid #4 with an ok breaking ball, or a good high leverage reliever without one.

11. Johan Rojas, OF
A month ago, Rojas would not have made a Phillies prospect list, but in the last month the 18 year old outfielder has blitzed through the GCL and not been a total disaster in the NYPL. It isn’t the numbers that have put Rojas on the map — he is at least a plus defender in all three outfield positions and a lock to stick in center, and he might be a plus plus or better runner. He is athletic and projectable but already has solid power due to a strong upper half. Rojas is still over aggressive at the plate, but not to a point where it is long term concerning, given his age, but it is worth monitoring. Rojas is very young, and his track record is very small, which comes with a lot of risk. He will be a popular sleeper candidate nationally this offseason because he could be a year away from being something special.

12. Damon Jones, LHP
Damon Jones was the breakout prospect for most of the Phillies season. The big left hander got in shape over the summer, and his stuff got better across the board. His fastball has spent most of the year sitting in the mid 90s, touching up to 96. His slider is an above average pitch that he can throw in to righties and away from lefties. The pitch can get a bit slurvy and loopy at times, lessening its effectiveness. His changeup is his worst pitch, but it does show some promise. The big problem for Jones has been his control, which showed improvement all year, but has gone backwards as hitters chase less in the upper minors. He has the raw pitches to be a good #4 with the possibility for a bit more, but his control might force him into a bullpen role.

13. JoJo Romero, LHP
Romero’s start to the season was a disaster. His fastball velocity plummeted, and his control disappeared. His velocity has gone back up, but not to where it was in 2018. His control has improved, but he isn’t missing a ton of bats, and his collection of pitches is looking more ordinary than special. Coming into the season, he looked like a near major league ready #4 starter who could grow into a #3 with time. Now Romero looks like a guy who has a #4 ceiling with a high risk of being a #5 or a reliever. He won’t turn 23 until September, so there is a chance that a good offseason could see more velocity and sharpness return.

14. Starlyn Castillo, RHP
Castillo was the Phillies’ big splurge in the 2018 signing period. So far his career has been delayed by rain and a blister, so he has only had two professional appearances. As a 15 year old he was clocked up to 97, but he has been sitting more in the 92-94 range in pro ball. He has feel for a curveball and a changeup, but they need some work. Castillo is physically mature, but there may be a bit more velocity to gain just from experience. Castillo is advanced for a 17 year old arm and could move quickly.

15. Nick Maton, SS
Maton is an athletic middle infielder who the Phillies drafted as a second year JuCo player in 2017. He can play shortstop for now, but there is some worry he will need to move to second base long term. This season he has made strides at the plate with walks up, strikeouts down, and fewer weak fly balls. His power is still poor, but he should grow into a bit more with time. If he can stick at shortstop, he could be a regular despite his bat. However, it is more likely that his role will be as a multi positional semi starter bench bat.

16. Deivy Grullon, C
It has been a slow climb for Grullon, who has spent much of his career with his defense praised more than his offense. Last year he had a big offensive breakout with Reading, and he has mostly carried that over to Lehigh Valley. Grullon still has hit tool and approach issues, and likely will never hit at his current level. However, he profiles as a backup catcher, and his plus power will be a nice boost off the bench. Behind the plate, Grullon can be a bit stiff, but he has shown aptitude as a receiver. He has an elite arm and is not afraid to throw often to control the running game. Right now he is getting AAA at bats, but he is a free agent after the year if the Phillies don’t add him to the 40 man roster, so he will likely be added in September and compete with Knapp for the backup spot.

17. Jamari Baylor, SS
Baylor shot up draft boards before the Phillies took him in the 3rd round. He is a raw and athletic shortstop with plus bat speed and the chance at good power and ability to hit premium pitching. His approach is still immature and will need a bunch of work. He is a plus runner with at least a plus arm. This gives him a chance to stick at shortstop, but he needs to put a lot of work into his actions at the position. His fall back is center field, where he has the tools to profile as a solid defender. There is a lot of development ahead of him, and his tools could be impactful and exciting, but there is a lot of failure risk too.

18. Erik Miller, LHP
Miller had first round talent, but he fell to the Phillies in the 4th round because he does not have first round consistency. His fastball can sit mid 90s touching 97, and he will show a plus slider and average changeup. The problem has been that his control has been very spotty at times, and all of his pitches will show at least a grade below their ceiling for stretches of time. He has a large range of outcomes and could be a mid rotation starter or a bullpen arm, or his control could keep him from reaching the high minors. Given that he is coming off a full year of pitching in college, it might not be until next spring before we see what version of Miller the Phillies drafted.

19. Jhailyn Ortiz, OF
The Phillies aggressively pushed Ortiz to Clearwater after the hulking slugger had a down year in Lakewood. Despite offseason eye surgery, Ortiz is putting up similarly ugly strikeout and walk numbers. His tools are still evident, particularly the strong arm and plus plus power. Ortiz’s hit tool and approach issues probably are too much to overcome, especially since more evaluators are convinced that he is a first baseman or designated hitter long term. Ortiz is going to be Rule 5 eligible after the season, and likely won’t be protected or picked.

20. Juan Aparicio, C
The Phillies have made it a habit of late to sign one high profile catcher out of Latin America each year. Aparicio was the 2016 signing highlight. He is a solidly built former infielder, whose biggest strength is his bat. He mashed his way through the New York-Penn League, showing advanced feel for contact along the way. He should grow into some home run power, but he is going to hit a ton of doubles and put the ball in play a lot. He does have a chance to stick behind the plate, but he is not a plus defender and will need to constantly work to stay at the position.

21. Logan O’Hoppe, C
O’Hoppe draws rave reviews from coaches for all of the intangibles of catching, especially for someone who is still a teenager. He definitely will stick behind the plate, but he is going to need to improve his actions in order to be a plus defender there. At the plate, O’Hoppe has good power, especially to the pull side, but his swing is a bit stiff and his approach needs work. There are a lot of positives to O’Hoppe’s game, but the weaknesses show why teenage catchers are so risky, even if they are athletic like O’Hoppe is.

22. Connor Seabold, RHP
After fixing some delivery issues late in the 2018 season, Seabold was a popular choice for a surprise 2019 major league contributor, but an injury on the eve of the 2019 season caused him to miss the first 3 months. Seabold’s arsenal does not jump off the page, but at his best he will sit 92-94 touching 95, with a solid breaking ball and changeup. Seabold doesn’t have a bat missing pitch to lean on, so he relies on his plus control and average command to keep hitters off balance. His ceiling is a solid innings eating #4 starter, but he has a fall back as a solid middle reliever.

23. Victor Santos, RHP
Santos had a breakout year for the 2018 GCL Phillies and has carried that success into 2019. For a 19 year old pitcher, Santos is more polish than upside. His fastball sits in the high 80s to low 90s, showing good arm side run. His changeup has good sink and is his best secondary pitch, but it has not progressed much since 2018, He matches it with a useable slider. Santos has a mature body, so there is not much projection left. Instead, he ties his arsenal together with command and feel for pitching. He profiles more as a back end starter.

24. Jonathan Guzman, SS
Part of Lakewood’s cadre of teenagers who are still too skinny to hit the ball hard, Guzman is a 19 year old shortstop who is a precocious fielder at both middle infield positions. After a disappointing 2018 season, Guzman is striking out less, walking more, and is finally putting his plus speed to work on the bases with a career high 26 stolen bases this season. Guzman has the glove to be a major league shortstop, however his frame and lack of physicality causes a lot of worry that he will never be strong enough to be more than a zero at the plate against major league pitchers.

25. Kyle Dohy, LHP
Dohy started the year off on the fast track, blitzing through Reading. He has hit a wall in AAA as his poor control has been too much for his raw stuff to overcome. Dohy’s stuff is electric, with his fastball touching up to 97 and his slider giving him a second plus pitch. Unlike many relievers, his changeup is a solid third pitch. However, he is going to need to throw strikes to be a major leaguer, but if he can, he could be a high leverage arm.

26. Kyle Glogoski, RHP
Glogoski’s path is a strange one. He comes from New Zealand, signed with the Phillies at 19, and pitched to solid results in the GCL. This year, the Phillies fast tracked him as he dominated the South Atlantic League. He has good size, a good curveball, and surprisingly good feel for pitching. His control needs work at times, and his fastball is mostly 88-92 (though he has touched 94). He profiles as a back end starter, but his unusual development path opens the chance that there is still untapped potential.

27. Abrahan Gutierrez, C
Gutierrez has spent much of the season overshadowed by Rafael Marchan and now Juan Aparacio. He is mature physically, and lacks the physical projection present in most 19 year olds, but he does a lot of things pretty well. He is unlikely to make much impact at the plate, but it is reasonable to assume he will tap into more power as he matures. On defense he projects to be average, but he will stick at catcher. Overall he is more of a strong backup than an everyday player.

28. Mauricio Llovera, RHP
Llovera is a prototype starter now, reliever later type arm. He has a slight chance to start, because he does have a 3 pitch mix now that is changeup/splitter has become a useable pitch. Llovera’s profile starts with a plus fastball that is up to 96 as a starter. He also has a slider that flashes above average to plus. The problem is that while his control is solid, his command still needs work. As a starter, he profiles as an inconsistent #4 starter, however his fastball routinely was up to 98 in the bullpen and he has touched 100, so there is likely more upside in the bullpen if the Phillies decide to make that move. Llovera has also been on and off the Injured List without much explanation for the past few months.

29. Ethan Lindow, LHP
Lindow in many ways is the left-handed version of Victor Santos, a polished arm lacking in impact stuff. Lindow has seen his stuff tick up this year and remains projectable. However, his lack of impact stuff and still below average fastball leave a chance that he may stagnate as a 6th starter in the same way that Bailey Falter has in Reading. Lindow likely won’t be challenged until he reaches AA, and for now the Phillies seem content to allow him to finish out the year in Lakewood.

30/ Dominic Pipkin, RHP
The Phillies moved the latter part of their 2018 draft around to give Pipkin a 2nd round bonus. Pipkin had a down senior year of high school, but his stuff has bounced back in pro-ball, with his fastball running up to 97. He has a changeup and breaking ball, but both need a lot of work. The biggest problem for Pipkin is his control. He has an athletic delivery, but he will need to learn to repeat it in order to have future success. He has mid rotation upside, but he has a long bit of development ahead of him. The Phillies challenged him with the assignment to Lakewood.

Others of Note (in order of when I wrote them):

• Carlos De La Cruz (OF): De La Cruz is a skinny 6’8” outfielder who has shown at least plus raw power and surprising athleticism and speed. He is extremely raw at the plate, and his long limbs lead to a lot of swing and miss.
• Kendall Simmons (2B/SS/3B): Simmons is a big athletic right handed hitter, with a strong chance to stay on the infield dirt. He has big raw power and a big arm, but the hit tool is currently poor and that likely will hold him back.
• Rodolfo Duran (C): Duran is a small athletic catcher with strong defensive tools. He had an offensive breakout in 2018, but his aggressive approach at the plate has been his undoing in Clearwater. He still has enough power and glove to be a future solid backup.
• Arquimedes Gamboa (SS): The Phillies aggressively pushed Gamboa to AA after adding him to the 40 man roster in the offseason. He has not really hit, though the walk numbers are impressive given the context, mostly due to a complete lack of strength. He is only 21 years old, so there might be moderate power coming, but that chance dwindles by the day. He is a good defensive shortstop, and that probably gets him to the majors in a bench role by his mid 20s.
• Daniel Brito (2B): Brito has all of the raw tools to be an everyday major league second baseman. He is athletic, he can play plus defense, he has average power, and his swing should hit for good contact. He hasn’t done any of that since 2016 in the GCL, and we are moving rapidly beyond where we can rely on the tools to manifest.
• Gunner Mayer (RHP): Mayer is the age of a high school draftee, and it shows in his projectability and rawness. He recently converted to the mound where he has good size (6’6”) and a fastball that is already in the low 90s. He has sky high upside, there is just a ton of development before we will know if he is on that path or not.
• Matt Vierling (OF): Vierling started the year looking like a 5 tool outfielder, but the hit tool has faded and taken the power with it. The big knock on him in college was an inability to hit with a wood bat, and the lack of impact in 2019 certainly lines up with that. The raw tools are still there to be a 4th outfielder.
• Andrew Schultz (RHP): Schultz has a lightning fast arm and an explosive fastball that sits 97-100, but his control is extremely poor. He is athletic and has the makings of a solid slider, so there is something here for the Phillies to mold into a late inning arm.
• Alejandro Requena (RHP): Requena’s fastball is a little harder this year, touching 95 and 96 a bit more regularly, but his secondary pitches are all average, as is his control. His results have never really matched the stuff. He looks like a backend starter or future reliever.
• Connor Brogdon (RHP): Brogdon has really taken off since moving to the bullpen in the middle of last season. He sits 93-95, touching 96 with his fastball. His slider is his best secondary pitch, but he also has a changeup. That ,coupled with good extension and good command, gives him a solid reliever profile.
• Bailey Falter (LHP): Falter has everything you want in a starting pitcher arsenal except for velocity. Falter still sits 89-91 mostly, but gets good extension. His curveball is a bit loopy, but misses bats, and his changeup is useable. At this point it is unlikely he will add more velocity, making him more of a AAAA SP.
• Kyle Young (LHP): Young was on a bit of a breakout path this year before he injured his arm and had Tommy John in the spring. The 7’0” LHP gets great extension on his pitches, with surprisingly good control. His pitches are all fringe average, but play up due to his size. He probably won’t throw in a game until late summer 2020.
• Zach Warren (LHP): Warren still has the tools that led to his 2018 breakout (plus fastball and plus curveball), but his control has regressed, leaving him stuck in Clearwater.
• Manuel Silva (LHP): Silva is still a beanpole on the mound, but he is throwing a little bit harder as he matures. His slider is his best secondary pitch, and his changeup needs work. Silva has the upside of a backend starter, but he might still be 2 years away from being physically there.
• Colton Eastman (RHP): Eastman’s vertical high spin curveball is a plus pitch and is reminiscent of Jerad Eickhoff. However, his velocity is 88-91, and his changeup is just ok. He might be better suited as a reliever.
• Andrick Nava (C): Nava is another bat first teenage catcher for the Phillies. The 17 year old is one of the best hitters in the GCL this year, but it has mostly been without power. He still has some defensive work to do before he climbs rankings.
• Ramon Rosso (RHP): Rosso is a big righty with an average fastball (sometimes it will be above and sometimes below) with natural cut. His slurvy slider is an above average pitch, but his splitter is below average. His control is better than his command, and he might be better suited for a bullpen role.
• Alexeis Azuaje (2B): One of the Phillies top signings last summer, Azuaje was supposed to be a speed first middle infielder. He has shown some power this summer in the DSL, but the approach remains a problem.
• Marcus Lee Sang (OF): The Phillies took Lee Sang in the 11th round of the 2019 draft, going overslot to sign him. He is an athletic outfielder with a rocket arm. He has power and speed, and has been solid after a slow start in the GCL.
• Eduar Segovia (RHP): Segovia is an 18 year old starting pitcher in the GCL with a 3 pitch mix topped by a fastball that sits 90-94 and solid control.
• Josh Stephen (OF): The Phillies gave Stephen a large bonus in 2016 and he has been slow to live up to it. He has kept his head above water in a double jump to AA, showing both hit and power tools. The problem is he is left field only on defense, which leaves his bat a bit light on offense, profiling him best as a bench outfielder.
• D.J. Jefferson (RHP): Non-drafted free agent out of high school who looked like a top few rounds pick a few years ago. He has a good arm and was up to 94 in his pro debut. He is projectable but will need work on all of his secondary pitches, but he is closer to Dominic Pipkin than he is to normal late pick high school arms.
• Brandon Ramey (RHP): Projectable 19 year old starter with a decent fastball, solid slider, and solid control.
• Jhordany Mezquita (LHP): Mezquita is fairly similar to what he was a year ago. His fastball is up to 94, his curveball is solid, and then his changeup and control are problems. He profiles more as a reliever, but the Phillies may leave him as a starter for a while longer to develop.
• Keylan Killgore (LHP): Killgore is a fastball-changeup reliever with a fastball up to 95. His control has been shaky at times, and he profiles as a middle reliever more than high leverage.
• Addison Russ (RHP): Russ has an above average fastball up to 95 that he backs with a solid splitter. His control has come and gone, and neither pitch projects as a dominant one, meaning he is more a middle reliever long term.
• David Parkinson (LHP): Parkinson features a collection of below average pitches coupled with solid control. It is a combination that works in the minors, but struggles in the majors.
• Austin Listi (1B/LF): The Phillies have tried to make Listi positionally versatile, but he still is mostly a 1B/DH without the bat for the position. If he can fake left field and third base, he may be able to carve out a bench role with the expansion to 26 man rosters.
• Ben Brown (RHP): Brown is a big righty who was starting to show some promise in Lakewood before he had Tommy John surgery. He is mostly projection, but lacks the athleticism of some of the arms in the system.
• Luis Pacheco (RHP) : Pacheco is a 20 year old righty in the GCL up to 94 with a 3 pitch mix.
• Nicoly Pina (RHP): Pina is a 19 year old reliever in the GCL with a fastball up to 97. He is a pure arm strength guy with poor control, but there is something to work with.
• Maikel Garrido (LHP): Garrido is another arm strength reliever for the GCL Phillies. He is 93-95 with a slider from the left side. He has a projectable body and a quick arm, but his control problems are going to need work. He has given up more run than hits allowed this year.
• Kevin Gowdy (RHP): Gowdy is a former top prospect and big money signing who has essentially missed two years to injury including Tommy John. The velocity is not back, the slider is poor, and the command is bad. He is still working his way back, but the arsenal is not that of a prospect.