We want baseball development to be clean and linear, but it is messy and all over the place. A pitcher may only be a good secondary pitch away from becoming a major league starter, but that may be a totally different grip that a coach might introduce. A teenager could still be waiting on achieving enough muscle for their coordination to actually translate to results. In the end, it takes time and it takes patience. This has always been a hallmark of Phillies development as they spent most of the current century signing teenagers in Latin America and drafting American high schoolers with huge athletic talent and not a whole lot of on field skills. The Phillies haven’t really changed, but this current group represents less big bonuses and high picks, and more smart scouting. Some of these players will shoot up lists in the next year, others will fade from our thoughts, and some may linger here for years waiting for the last little piece to click into place.
Index: 1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50
All ages are for major league opening day.
21. Jonathan Guzman – SS
DOB: 8/17/1999 (19)
H/W: 6’0″ 156lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 2015 International Free Agent signing by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| Williamsport (SS) | 62 | 259 | 2 | 3 | 3.9% | 23.6% | .210 | .241 | .272 |
Role: Average Regular
Risk: After a breakout 2016 campaign and solid 2017, Guzman flopped offensively in 2018. He has plenty of excuses given his age (18 for most of the season) and physical underdevelopment. His defensive prowess will keep him afloat in the Phillies system while his bat gets time to develop, but it will need to develop.
Summary: Guzman looked poised to break out in 2018, but his offense fell completely apart in Williamsport. Guzman has his offensive limitations due to a skinny frame that could use a bunch of muscle, but that hadn’t previously stopped him from making contact at the plate. It wasn’t that everything fell apart, Guzman still hit .279/.318/.426 off lefties (albeit with 3 walks to 12 strikeouts), he just could not hit right handed pitching. Guzman doesn’t have a textbook pretty swing, but he has plenty of hand-eye coordination and the swing had worked at all previous levels. The season the began to spiral, and he likely tired down the stretch as August and September were dreadful. The other side of Guzman’s game is still good. He is a plus defender at shortstop, and there is no indication that he will do anything but get better there. Despite the offensive weaknesses, Guzman’s future outlook is still optimistic because he won’t turn 20 until late July. It may take him longer than expected to find his offensive groove, but his glove should keep him on the field while he continues to mature.
2019 Outlook: Despite how advanced he looked a few years ago, Guzman likely repeats Williamsport while Luis Garcia jumps to Lakewood. He will be 19 for almost all of the 2019 season, so he has time to get back in order.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: 22
22. Will Stewart – LHP
DOB: 7/14/1997 (21)
H/W: 6’2″ 175lbs
B/T: L/L
Acquired: 20th Round pick in the 2015 Draft by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| Lakewood (A-) | 20 | 20 | 8-1 | 113.2 | 2.06 | 7.1 | 0.4 | 4.8% | 20.5% |
Role: #4 Starter
Risk: High – Stewart does not have any true plus pitches, however he has strong underlying contact and control numbers. He will need to maintain this plus control and high ground ball rates to be a more than an up and down starter.
Summary: It has been a slow growth path for Stewart, who was young and raw when he was drafted by the Phillies in 2015. By 2016, his fastball velocity increased to its current 90-93. The pitch has long had good run and generated ground balls at a high rate. In 2018, his secondary pitches took a big step forward. His changeup will show above average potential and has great armside fade. He also added a slider in place of his curveball, and while it is a bit loopy, it is tough on lefties because of his arm angle. Stewart throws from a crossfire delivery and low arm slot, making it very tough for lefties to pick up the ball. Additionally, Stewart’s command took a step forward in 2018, and he was able to fill the strike zone with all three pitches. None of his offerings are real bat missers, and he will need one of them to take that step forward in order for him to be more than a back end starter. Stewart’s real calling card is a ground ball rate among the highest in the minors, which has allowed him to put up good numbers even without the strikeouts. He is still pretty young (he turns 22 in July) and has a bit more room to add muscle, but he is unlikely to add a lot of velocity. It is pretty easy to see Stewart’s floor as an effective lefty reliever because of his delivery, but for now he should stay in a rotation.
2019 Outlook: Stewart will start the year in Clearwater, but if he repeats his Lakewood season he will move quickly to AA.
ETA: 2021
Previous Rank: UR
23. Jake Holmes – 3B
DOB: 7/2/1998 (20)
H/W: 6’3″ 185lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 11th Round pick in the 2017 Draft by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| GCL East (Rk) | 31 | 129 | 4 | 4 | 7.8% | 14.7% | .353 | .395 | .534 |
| Williamsport (SS) | 29 | 116 | 0 | 3 | 8.6% | 19.8% | .252 | .330 | .272 |
Role: Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – Holmes was old for a high school player when the Phillies took him in the 2017 draft, so while his numbers are good, he put up many of them in a talent diluted GCL. Holmes has plenty of offensive upside, but he has already moved permanently to 3B where his bat needs to be strong.
Summary: Under the new draft rules, 11th round picks are not talent wise 11th round picks, and Holmes was a 3rd to 5th round talent in the 2017 draft. He likely should have opened the 2018 season with Williamsport, but he repeated the GCL when the Phillies drafted Alec Bohm. He mashed in the GCL, eventually making it up north in early August. His power didn’t show up with the Crosscutters, but he also didn’t embarrass himself either. Holmes is a pretty prototypical projectable high school shortstop in that he had a frame that would outgrow short as he got older. Despite Holmes still being a plus runner, the Phillies made the move to third base early so that he could adjust to the position. At the plate, Holmes shows a good approach and feel for contact. He still needs to grow into his power, both in terms of getting stronger and tapping into it more with his swing. It is a long shot, but he has a chance to have plus hit and plus power tools. In the field, Holmes is taking to the hot corner and should be a future above average defender at third. There might be more upside than average regular for Holmes if he can actualize all of his tools, but there is a good chance many of them come in a bit lower than ceiling. Like most high schoolers who have yet to face full season ball, there is also considerable risk that Holmes does not make it to the high minors.
2019 Outlook: Because Holmes turns 21 over the summer, it is likely the Phillies push him on to Lakewood to open the year, rather than have him repeat Williamsport. He has the tools to move quickly, but he also has little experience against advanced pitchers.
ETA: 2022
Previous Rank: 45
24. Ben Pelletier – OF
DOB: 9/2/1998 (20)
H/W: 6’2″ 190lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 34th Round pick in the 2015 Draft by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| Williamsport (SS) | 69 | 286 | 9 | 1 | 5.6% | 22.0% | .277 | .333 | .480 |
Role: Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – Pelletier has major league offensive upside, but he is already in left field so he will need to reach his offensive ceiling in order to have a major league role.
Summary: Pelletier was the youngest player ever drafted when the Phillies took him in the 2015 draft. He is functionally an international free agent for age and progression because of time missed to finish school. The 2018 season was Pelletier’s first away from the Clearwater complex, and he finally started to show his plus or better power in games. In addition to the power, Pelletier shows a good feel for making contact. He has been inconsistent at the plate due to a noisy swing and an approach that can come and go. When he is on, he will look like one of the most talented players on the field. If he can clean up the noise in the swing and find consistency in his approach, he could be a middle of the order hitter. He is already in left field, and not a plus glove there, with some risk to end up at first base, so he will need to hit at a high rate. Since he was drafted in 2015, Pelletier will be Rule 5 eligible after the 2019 season. The Phillies may look to aggressively push him at some point soon.
2019 Outlook: In his 5th year in the Phillies system, Pelletier will get his first taste of full season ball and should be the starting left fielder for the BlueClaws.
ETA: 2022
Previous Rank: 43
25. Logan O’Hoppe – C
DOB: 2/2/2000 (19)
H/W: 6’2″ 185lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 23rd Round pick in the 2018 Draft by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| GCL West (Rk) | 34 | 124 | 2 | 2 | 8.1% | 22.6% | .367 | .411 | .532 |
Role: Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – High school catchers are incredibly risky, because there is so much that needs to go right and the development time is so long. O’Hoppe is optimistically over 4 years from the majors, and while he has solid tools across the board, almost all of them have to hit their expected outcome for him to have a major league future.
Summary: In 2018, the Phillies once again took a Long Island high schooler in a late round for an overslot bonus. O’Hoppe’s biggest standout tool is his position and ability to stick there. He has a strong arm behind the plate, and he shows an advanced feel for recieving. He showed up in the GCL and just hit. He didn’t qualify for the GCL batting title, but if he did, he would have been second to teammate Luis Garcia. His batting average was inflated by a high BABIP, but he also hit line drives at a high rate. His strikeout rates and walk rates were fine, but not exemplary. O’Hoppe has all of the raw tools to be an everyday catcher, but it is going to be a while for the bat and glove to develop (catchers often don’t have the pair develop evenly and never incrementally), so he is likely going to be moving a level a year at an optimistic pace. A good spring and trip to Williamsport could see him repeat a breakout like Rafael Marchan.
2019 Outlook: The Phillies had at least 3 interesting catchers in the GCL this year, and are likely to add at least one college catcher in the 2019 draft. That means there is not room for everyone in Williamsport, so O’Hoppe is not guaranteed a trip north. Either way, O’Hoppe will be positioning himself for a 2020 trip to Lakewood.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: N/A
26. Connor Seabold – RHP
DOB: 1/24/1996 (23)
H/W: 6’3″ 190lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 3rd Round pick in the 2017 Draft by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| Clearwater (A+) | 12 | 12 | 4-4 | 71.2 | 3.77 | 7.2 | 0.8 | 4.9% | 23.8% |
| Reading (AA) | 11 | 11 | 1-4 | 58.2 | 4.91 | 8.4 | 1.5 | 7.6% | 25.5% |
Role: #4 Starter
Risk: Medium – Seabold has a solid 3 pitch mix and good control. Nothing stands out about his profile, but he made some adjustments to his delivery in the last month of the season that give reason for future optimism.
Summary: The Phillies took Seabold out of Cal State Fullerton and their stable of strike throwing right handed pitchers in the 2017 draft. While Seabold can fill the strike zone, he is not a command artist, instead he has a bit more pitch selection to get outs with. None of that is particularly unique for a right handed starter in the modern game. What was unique to Seabold was a Bronson Arroya like delivery.
When he got to AA, the Fightins’ pitching coach Steve Shrenk overhauled his delivery.
The new delivery was smoother and more direct to the plate. The results showed in both numbers and stuff. His fastball was consistently 91 to 95 with good extension. His slider and changeup looked crisper. He still doesn’t have a dominant pitch, though his slider will show above average potential, but the changes give him a great base to work with. He is still a strike thrower, and his new delivery should improve his command. Without one of his pitches taking a large step forward, he profiles as a backend starter, and one that should be major league ready soon.
2019 Outlook: With a large group of major league ready starters in front of him, Seabold likely returns to Reading to open the year. If he can build on the end of his season, he should be in Lehigh Valley by midseason to queue in the line for a major league start.
ETA: 2020
Previous Rank: 29
27. Manuel Silva – LHP
DOB: 12/18/1998 (20)
H/W: 6’2″ 145lbs
B/T: L/L
Acquired: 2015 International Free Agent signing by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| Williamsport (SS) | 13 | 12 | 2-5 | 62.1 | 2.60 | 7.8 | 0.6 | 10.4% | 23.1% |
Role: #4 SP
Risk: High – Silva shows a 3 pitch mix from an athletic delivery, a combination that provides a good framework for future upside. Silva is young and physically projectable, so there is plenty of reason to believe he will build on that frame.
Summary: Silva was one of the Phillies moderate money signings next to Jhailyn Ortiz in 2015. Silva was, and remains, a highly projectable lanky left handed starter project. He shows good secondary pitches for a short season arm, with both the changeup and slider showing the ability to get to average in time, with the slider possibly having some more projection beyond that. He has slowly gained velocity, moving from more 89-91 to sitting 91-93, touching 94, by the end of the 2018 season. His control will come and go, but it should be average to slightly above by his peak. The big place for optimism is Silva’s frame. He is listed at 6’2” 145lbs, and that probably is not far from the truth. He isn’t big enough bodied that he should fill out to the upper 90s, but it is reasonable to expect him touching up to 96-97 once he fills out. If he can establish a plus fastball, it will help his secondary pitches play up in a backend starter role. The Phillies probably won’t rush Silva to begin with, but like Ranger Suarez and JoJo Romero, he could move quickly once things start to come together.
2019 Outlook: Silva has been moving at a level per season, and with his good year in the New York-Penn League, there is no reason to think that won’t continue. He is Rule 5 eligible after the year, so the Phillies may push him if he gets off to a good start.
ETA: 2022
Previous Rank: 46
28. Nicolas Torres – 2B
DOB: 9/23/1999 (19)
H/W: 5’10” 155lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 2016 International Free Agent Signing by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| GCL East (Rk) | 39 | 151 | 1 | 7 | 5.3% | 17.9% | .302 | .340 | .396 |
Role: Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – Torres is a second base prospect who will have little power at full maturity. He is a plus plus runner who should be a plus defender at second long term, so he does have enough upside to be an everyday player at the position.
Summary: Torres was part of the Phillies’ large international signing class in 2016. Unlike Francisco Morales and Brayan Gonzalez who came to the GCL, Torres was one of the best prospects in the DSL during the 2017 season. Torres hit extremely well to open the 2018 GCL season before fading down the stretch, possibly from tiredness. Torres is a slightly built second baseman who is never going to hit for much power. He also struggled at time with his approach at the plate, being a bit aggressive in chasing pitches. He does have a good feel for contact and will spray the balls to the gaps for doubles and, with his speed, triples. Speed is Torres’ selling point, as he is a plus plus runner who showed a better feel for stealing bases in the GCL. Torres also should be a good defender at second base (his poor arm is the only thing that pushed him off of shortstop). Second base has become a more power oriented position of late, but if Torres can make contact and play good defense, he could be an average regular in the mold of a classic leadoff hitter (who might be more of a 9 hole hitter in the more stats oriented lineup construction era). He will be a slow moving prospect through the system though, because he does need time to add muscle to his frame.
2019 Outlook: Normally for a player of his age and playing experience, Torres would be a lock for Williamsport. The struggles of Brayan Gonzalez and Jonathan Guzman complicate matters, as they could repeat short season ball. It still is likely that Torres is manning the keystone for the Crosscutters on opening day.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: UR
29. Kevin Gowdy – RHP
DOB: 11/16/1997 (21)
H/W: 6’4″ 170lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 2nd Round pick in the 2016 Draft by the Phillies
Role: #3 Starter
Risk: Extreme – Gowdy hasn’t thrown a pitch in a real game since his draft year, 2 and a half years ago. At the time, Gowdy showed the potential for 3 plus pitches and plus control, but there is a lot that can go wrong after surgery.
Summary: When the Phillies took Gowdy in the second round of the 2016 draft, he was supposed to be the most polished high school pitcher in the draft. Unfortunately injuries, culminating in Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2017, have led to very little time on the mound. Gowdy finished his rehab this fall, taking the mound during Florida Instructional League. His stuff was down in his single appearance, with his fastball sitting 89-91 and only a few sliders thrown. Gowdy will have a full healthy offseason to build back to where he was. At the time of the draft, Gowdy showed a low 90s fastball, plus slider, and solid changeup, to go with solid command. If he can get back on track, he profiles as a #3 starter, but has enough youth and projection to possibly end up a bit higher than that.
2019 Outlook: Gowdy will have had a full healthy offseason to ramp up for 2019, however the Phillies are almost certainly going to heavily limit his season innings total and probably his game totals as well. If he is back to his old self, he could open the year in Lakewood.
ETA: 2022
Previous Rank: 31
30. Victor Santos – RHP
DOB: 7/12/2000 (18)
H/W: 6’1″ 191lbs
B/T: R/R
Acquired: 2016 International Free Agent signing by the Phillies
2018 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| GCL East (Rk) | 11 | 11 | 6-1 | 59.1 | 3.03 | 9.6 | 0.6 | 1.7% | 27.1% |
Role: #4 SP
Risk: Extreme – Santos has the base parts of being a good starting pitcher, and he dominated the GCL at 17 years old. However, he is mostly maxed out physically and is ages away from the majors.
Summary: Santos was the latest in a long line of breakout pitchers in the GCL for the Phillies. Santos is different than many of his predecessors though, especially when it comes to velocity upside. Santos will sit around 90 with his fastball and can get up to 93 with the pitch. He does have good movement, but he is maxed out physically, so he is unlikely to add a bunch of velocity in the future. His best pitch is a splitter like changeup that already is above average to plus. He will also throw a low 80s slider. The thing that makes Santos impressive is his control. With the playoffs, he walked a Sixto Sanchez-esque 4 batters in 64.1 innings. He didn’t blow away hitters, but 69 strikeouts over that span is solid. As he is right now, Santos profiles as a good backend starter, because the changeup and control are so good at a young age. If he can somehow find some more velocity, possibly starting to touch into that 95-96 range, he could be a mid rotation or better pitcher because of the foundational pieces he already possesses. His advanced feel for pitching would normally indicate a fast mover, but he is going to need to find a way through a large glut of pitching in front of him.
2019 Outlook: The Phillies have sometimes pushed young pitchers as advanced as Santos directly from the GCL to Lakewood, but currently the BlueClaws look to have a full rotation. Santos won’t turn 19 until the middle of July, so he will be one of the youngest players in the New York-Penn League.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: UR
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