2020 Top 50 Phillies Prospects: 1-10

The Phillies system is not where it was at the height of the rebuild. It lacks depth, especially depth in the 11-20 range and it is probably short another top 100 prospect. That said, Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard are one of the best 1-2 punches of major league ready impact talent the organization has had, especially when it comes to having loud impact tools. The rest of the top 10 is not filled out with nobodies. There are some first round picks, some big time international free agents, and then two guys who weren’t on anyone’s radar entering the year. For as depressing as it can be seeing that Mickey Moniak isn’t a superstar #1 overall pick, it is important to look at the players in the top as a group, and frankly there is some real talent here, and some talent that could be primed for a breakout in 2020.

Index: 1-10 | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50 

All ages are for major league opening day.

10. Damon Jones, LHP

Age: 25 Acquired: 18th Rd, 2017 Draft
B/T: L/L H/W: 6’5” 225lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	GS	W-L	IP	ERA	H/9	HR/9	BB%	K%
CLW (A+)	11	11	4-3	58.1	1.54	5.9	0.5	10.4%	38.1%
REA (AA)	4	4	1-0	22	0.82	3.9	0.0	11.1%	38.3%
LHV (AAA)	8	8	0-1	34	6.62	7.1	1.1	16.5%	20.9%

Role: #3/#4 Starter, Late Inning Reliever
Risk: Medium – Jones has the two pitch mix to be effective in a bullpen now, but he also potentially has the 3 pitch mix to start. His control needs work to have success, but he has made large strides in the area in recent years.
Summary: Of the high upside pitchers the Phillies took with late picks in the 2017 draft, Jones has taken the largest step forward. When drafted, he had some arm strength and big control problems. Thanks to hard work and some help from Driveline Baseball, Jones has reworked his body and his delivery. He is much more athletic, and his fastball now sits 90 to 96. He backs it up with a two plane slurvy slider (he can turn it into more of a curveball) that is a plus pitch. His changeup exists, but it is a clear third pitch. All of Jones’ pitches play up thanks to good extension that makes them appear to get on the hitters quicker than expected. Control is still a problem for Jones, who struggles to repeat his delivery and can have problems when hitters don’t chase out of the zone. Given that he is already 25 and his changeup is not really a viable 3rd major league pitch, the Phillies may move Jones to the bullpen quickly if he struggles in AAA soon. If his stuff plays up in the bullpen, he could be a dominant multi-inning reliever. If he can stick in the rotation, he has a chance to be a #3/#4 starter who does not work deep into games, but racks up a ton of strikeouts.
2020 Outlook: Jones likely returns to Lehigh Valley as a starting pitcher, and will be one of the guys the Phillies consider early and often when they have pitching needs. What role he plays in the majors is dependent on what kind of spot opens up.
ETA: 2020
Previous Rank: UR

9. Johan Rojas, CF

Age: 19 Acquired: 2017 International Free Agent
B/T: R/R H/W: 6’1” 165lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	PA	HR	SB	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG
GCL (Rk)	18	84	0	3	10.7%	14.3%	.311	.393	.527
WPT (SS)	42	172	2	11	2.90%	16.9%	.244	.273	.384

Role: First Division Regular
Risk: Extreme – Rojas has the making of impact tools, but he is incredibly rough around the edges. While his defense in center field gives him a decent floor, his hit tool has a very long way to go.
Summary: Over the last decade, there has been a proliferation of prospect writing and analysis across the Internet. Yet, there continue to be gaps in our vision, players that go completely unseen for weeks or months by public facing writing. There was nothing on Johan Rojas’ stat page last offseason that would have made you predict he would be a top 10 prospect a year later (though he did hit very well as a 17 year old in the DSL). The Phillies’ dearth of talent in Extended Spring Training and early in the GCL season did not make them a destination scouting location. Many of the reports from those locations would filter out once Rojas arrived in Williamsport. Mitch Rupert of the Williamsport Sun Gazette was the first public facing person to draw attention to Rojas, and just from grainy video it is easy to see why. Rojas is an explosive athlete, a plus plus runner who already plays the outfield with reckless abandon. He has great bat speed, and the ball will jump off his bat. He also is extremely raw, which is why he is not being pushed as one of the very top prospects in the system. He currently has large contact problems at the plate due to an approach that involves swinging very hard at a lot of pitches. His swing mechanics are not consistent, and he is going to need to quiet them. Even with his obvious holes, there is a lot of optimism because he is so inexperienced. The 2019 season was just Rojas 2nd pro season, and he didn’t turn 19 until late in the summer. He was not a big time July 2 prospect, so he is just starting to see upper level competition. Then there is the defense. Rojas projects to be at minimum a plus defensive center fielder, and that kind of banked outcome gives him a high floor and gives him time for the offensive skill set to come around. If everything clicks, there is a chance he is a solid hitter with plus power and large defensive value. There is a chance that the hit tool never comes around, and he is more of a Michael A. Taylor typeplayer, who is a solid 4th OF because of his glove and pop, but ultimately cannot hit enough to play everyday. Rojas’ early season stats in Lakewood are going to be one of the most watched things in the 2020 season.
2020 Outlook: Rojas held his own enough to earn a start in Lakewood for 2020. Given the move to full season ball, and how pitcher friendly the park is, his numbers could look ugly at times.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: UR

8. Mickey Moniak, CF

Age: 21 Acquired: 1st Rd, 2016 Draft
B/T: L/R H/W: 6’2” 185lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	PA	HR	SB	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG
REA (AA)	119	504	11	15	6.5%	22.0%	.252	.303	.439
AFL	17	74	0	3	5.10%	22.9%	.186	.230	.300

Role: Average Regular
Risk: High – Moniak has some problems at the plate stemming from a subpar approach and poor pitch recognition. He can stick in center field, but is not a good enough defender to keep him out in the field everyday without the bat making improvements.
Summary: If all judgement around Mickey Moniak’s career is focused on his status as the #1 overall pick in the 2016 draft, then he has been a complete failure so far, but in reality that status became unimportant after they drafted him. What is important going forward is what Mickey Moniak can be for the Phillies, not what he could have been, and what he can be is still actually pretty interesting. The calling card for Moniak as an amateur was his hit tool, and that part of his game has slipped some, but not entirely. He has a good looking swing and a good feel for making contact. The part that has been lacking since day 1 is his pitch recognition and approach, and while he has made progress, he still swings at too many pitches that he shouldn’t. The combination of poor pitch selection and below average strength has led to a lot of poor contact. Moniak has done a lot, particularly this offseason, to get stronger, and he now projects to have at least average raw power. The end result is that Moniak probably ends up with a batting average of a plus hit tool, but a lower on base percentage, and 30+ doubles and 15-20 home runs. It is likely that line comes with heavy platooning, as Moniak has continued to struggle against same side pitching. Moniak was billed as at least a plus runner and plus defender out of the draft, and both of those tools are more in the average to above average range. It is really easy to see a major league career as a platoon outfielder or high end #4 outfielder. However, the ceiling continues to be a solid starter in center field, and Moniak is not that far off achieving that possibility. Moniak is only 21 years old, and while that doesn’t necessarily mean there is a large well of untapped potential, it does mean he still has time to make incremental adjustments and still peak in his early 20s.
2020 Outlook: Whether Moniak starts in AA or AAA could depend on Andrew McCutchen’s health and how many non-roster invite guys the Phillies keep around to open the year. It is likely that he spends most of the season in Lehigh Valley either way.
ETA: 2021
Previous Rank: 9

7. Adonis Medina, RHP

Age: 23 Acquired: 2013 International Free Agent
B/T: R/R H/W: 6’1” 185lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	GS	W-L	IP	ERA	H/9	HR/9	BB%	K%
REA (AA)	22	21	7-7	105.2	4.94	8.8	0.9	8.80%	17.50%

Role: #3 Starter/High Leverage Reliever
Risk: High – Medina has a mid rotation starter’s arsenal, but he didn’t show it in 2019. He needs to show a lot more consistency and ability to hold his stuff deep into outings.
Summary: A couple of years ago, Medina was the rising star in the Phillies system. He was younger and more athletic than Franklyn Kilome, and while he couldn’t match Sixto Sanchez’s raw talent, his mix of pitches was not that far behind his fellow Dominican. Medina’s 2019 season saw all of that come crashing backwards. His fastball was more in the 90 to 94 mph part of his velocity range and less up into the 95 to 97 range. He mysteriously scrapped his slider, which was trending as plus for much of the season, instead relying on his average curveball. His changeup still flashed plus, but wasn’t consistently there. Medina’s profile also does not fit the new fangled discussions of what is effective, his fastball is more of a two seam sinker than an explosive 4 seamer. Medina is also not a large guy, and he wore down under the AA workload. The stuff that made Medina a high end prospect is still all present. He has plus fastball velocity, his changeup can be a plus pitch with good deception and fade, and he has shown a plus bat missing slider. If Medina can’t put all of the tools together again, he still has plenty of upside in a bullpen where he could be a high end setup man, especially if his pitches play up in short bursts.
2020 Outlook: Given his 2019 season and the collection of pitchers in AAA, Medina likely returns to Reading to open the year. With a good season,he could get a bump to AAA to compete for the 2021 rotation. A poor year, and he could be getting bullpen auditions late.
ETA: 2021
Previous Rank: 2

6. Rafael Marchan, C

Age: 21 Acquired: 2015 International Free Agent
B/T: S/R H/W: 5’9” 170lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	PA	HR	SB	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG
LKW (A-)	63	265	0	1	9.1%	11.7%	.271	.347	.339
CLW (A+)	22	86	0	1	7.00%	9.3%	.231	.291	.282

Role: Solid Regular
Risk: High – Marchan has a lot of the base tools to be a good catching prospect. He is not a great defender yet, but he should be a solid defender by the time he reaches the majors. He will need to show more power at the plate, but he has an advanced feel for contact given his age.
Summary: Jhailyn Ortiz was the Phillies’ big name and money signing in 2015, but Marchan was not far behind Ortiz at the time of signing. Marchan was a converted infielder who was new to catching, but he had an innate feel for contact. Since then, Marchan has taken to catching very well. He still has some maturing to do when it comes to receiving and blocking, especially when it comes to consistency, but he shows enough talent that he should be able to remedy those issues by the time he reaches the majors. He has a strong arm and has been pretty consistent at throwing out base runners. At the plate, he has a great feel for contact and has posted well below average strikeout rates everywhere he has played, while also starting to walk at a good rate too. Marchan has yet to hit a professional home run, but he has the raw strength to do it, and it is likely that he will grow into a 10-15 home run a year player. Otherwise, he is a line drive machine who is going to hit a lot of doubles. The Phillies left Marchan unprotected in this past Rule 5 draft because he is far from the majors, but they will not have that luxury next offseason, especially if he reaches Reading by the end of the year.
2020 Outlook: The Phillies pushed Marchan to Clearwater late, but he will need more time at the level. If he plays well, a midseason promotion to Reading is likely.
ETA: 2022
Previous Rank: 10

5. Luis Garcia, SS

Age: 19 Acquired: 2017 International Free Agent
B/T: S/R H/W: 5’11” 170lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	PA	HR	SB	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG
LKW (A-)	127	524	4	9	8.4%	25.2%	.186	.261	.255

Role: Above Average Regular
Risk: High – Garcia’s biggest problem is his lack of physicality hindering his ability to impact the baseball at the plate. Despite the dreadful stats in 2019, Garcia still has a good feel for contact and is a good defender at shortstop.
Summary: In 2017, the Phillies once again went out and signed one of the top players in the international market, giving $2.5 million to shortstop Luis Garcia. A year later in 2018, he rewarded that investment by hitting .369/.433/.488 in the GCL at 17 years old. Garcia was widely praised as one of the most advanced teenagers in baseball, and even made some top 100 prospects lists, and the Phillies aggressively pushed him to Lakewood. Garcia was an offensive disaster in Lakewood. He is not a large framed individual, and was not physically developed for an 18 year old either. The result was he was physically overmatched at the plate all season long, hitting the same .186 in both first and second halves. The good news is that the tools that made Garcia a top prospect are all still present. He has a good approach, and he has a good feel for contact. Once he physically matures, that contact ability is going to translate into him consistently driving the ball more, and pitchers giving him more respect at the plate. He is never going to be a big power guy, but he has solid bat speed from both sides (yes, he had to manage two swings during this aggressive promotion) and that combined with his contact abilities probably means he will hit double digit home runs at his peak. Garcia is a good fielder, blessed with a plus arm, and he should not only stick at shortstop, but he should be good there long term. He has played a lot of second base, but that was more due to sharing a roster with another gifted shortstop in Jonathan Guzman. The biggest danger of promoting a player to a level where they will struggle is whether it will instill bad habits or mental blocks, and so far Garcia seems clear of those. He will get another crack at Lakewood to open 2020, and if he hits he will climb right back up national lists. He is going to take some time to develop, but he is only 19, so time is something he has plenty of.
2020 Outlook: Given his poor year in Lakewood and the presence of Stott likely in Clearwater, having Garcia repeat Lakewood seems prudent. If he can get his feet under him, a midseason move to Clearwater might be in his future.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: 3

4. Bryson Stott, SS

Age: 22 Acquired: 1st Rd, 2019 Draft
B/T: L/R H/W: 6’3” 200lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	PA	HR	SB	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG
GCL (Rk)	4	11	1	0	18.2%	0.0%	.667	.727	1.333
WPT (SS)	44	182	5	5	12.10%	21.4%	.274	.370	.446

Role: Solid Regular
Risk: High – Stott has a couple of knocks against him, particularly the swing and miss at the plate and his ability to stick at shortstop. However, Stott has good tools across the board to be a contributor of some sort.
Summary: For much of the draft process, Bryson Stott was viewed as a top 10 pick, but on draft day he started to fall a bit, as teams with extra picks swung deals and a couple high upside high school bats rose. Part of the reason Stott fell in the draft is he lacks not only an elite tool, but also a plus one. However, Stott does not have a tool that is below average. He is not the greatest defender at short. His range is fine and his fielding is good, but his arm just has average strength and his throwing motion is a bit funky. It is likely that, if he has to move off of shortstop as an everyday position, he could easily handle second or third base. For now, there is no need to force that issue, and if he can stick at the position it helps his overall profile. At the plate, Stott has some swing and miss because his swing has some upper cut to it. However, he has a good approach at the plate and makes good contact. He has above average raw power, which likely plays more average, and he is an above average runner as well. The collection of tools, if he can play a solid shortstop, has a chance to make him a first division regular in aggregate. It is highly likely some part of his skill set fails to develop to its peak, making him merely a solid regular that can be plugged in at three different infield positions depending on team need. He is not as polished as some other college bats, but he should move fairly quickly and could contribute to the Phillies by mid 2021.
2020 Outlook: Outside of Bohm, the Phillies have started their high pick college draftees in Clearwater, and Stott had a good enough year in Williamsport to not create concerns. If he follows the path of others, he will be in Reading by early July.
ETA: 2021
Previous Rank: N/A

3. Francisco Morales, RHP

Age: 20 Acquired: 2016 International Free Agent
B/T: R/R H/W: 6’4” 185lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	GS	W-L	IP	ERA	H/9	HR/9	BB%	K%
LKW (A-)	27	15	1-8	96.2	3.82	7.6	0.7	11.0%	30.9%

Role: #2/#3 Starter or Closer
Risk: High – Morales’ fastball is plus and his slider might be the best offspeed pitch in the org since Aaron Nola was a prospect. However, he has not pitched above Lakewood, and there are legitimate concerns about his ability to consistently throw strikes.
Summary: The Phillies have had a history over the last half decade of developing hard throwing Latin American pitchers. Unlike most of that bunch, Morales was not an unheralded prospect when the Phillies signed him, instead he was one of the top pitchers in the 2016 July 2 class. Morales is a big guy with a thick lower half that he uses to generate power on his pitches. He has actually gotten more athletic and smooth as he has matured, but he still can struggle to sync up his delivery. He has been a real student of the game, working with pitching coaches on the background data to try and find that consistency. The appeal of Morales is pretty obvious from the first fastball he throws. He routinely sits 91 to 96, touching 97. It would not be surprising if that range goes up a little bit and he hits triple digits a couple of times a year, but it is already a plus pitch. His weakest secondary pitch is his changeup. It is a bit hard and flat, and it lacks consistency. He has shown growth in it, and will occasionally show that he does have feel for throwing it, but it is still more of a dream than a usable pitch. The real key for Morales is his slider. It is a plus plus pitch that he shows control over that would make most major leaguers jealous. At its base, it will sit in the mid 80s with a sharp two plane break. From there, he can tighten it up into more of a horizontal cutter pitch in the 87 to 89 range, or he will slow it down into the 79-83 range as more of a power curveball. Even if the changeup doesn’t come along fully, Morales’ control over his slider makes him more of a 4 pitch pitcher than a 2 pitch pitcher. The lack of the changeup and the control issues have a lot of people thinking his future role is in a bullpen, where he could profile as a closer or 8th inning type high leverage arm. However, he has the body to hold up to a starter’s workload, and while he will never have a dominant third pitch, he has the kind of arsenal that might survive as a mostly two pitch pitcher. For now, the Phillies have shown no sign of developing him as anything but a starting pitcher, and a good year in 2020 could put him among some of the best pitching prospects in the game.
2020 Outlook: Morales will open the year in the Clearwater rotation, but the Phillies have not been afraid to bump guys to Reading in the middle of the season. Morales is only 20 years old, so the clock isn’t ticking, but he is Rule 5 eligible after this year, so he can’t lollygag too much.
ETA: 2022
Previous Rank: 8

2. Alec Bohm, 3B

Age: 23 Acquired: 1st Rd, 2018 Draft
B/T: R/R H/W: 6’5” 225lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	PA	HR	SB	BB%	K%	AVG	OBP	SLG
LKW (A-)	22	93	3	3	12.9%	15.1%	.367	.441	.595
CLW (A+)	40	177	4	1	9.6%	11.9%	.329	.344	.500
REA (AA)	63	270	14	2	10.4%	14.1%	.269	.344	.500
AFL	19	78	2	0	6.4%	20.5%	.361	.397	.528

Role: First Division Regular
Risk: Medium – Bohm is essentially major league ready, and his bat is about as good as you could ask for from any prospect. His defensive issues bring some questions about value, but his bat works well at first base. He has not yet played in AAA, and while he should hit for plenty of power, there is not quite enough impact certainty to overcome the current lack of experience.
Summary: Alec Bohm was considered the best college bat in the 2018 draft, but certainly did not start at that level. After hitting terribly in his pro debut and then reportedly having a bad spring training, the Phillies sent the #3 overall pick to Lakewood. Whether it was to break him away from Florida (Bohm had bought a place near the Phillies complex and had been training there prior to Spring Training) or because they didn’t think he was ready for Clearwater, we probably won’t know, but it worked. Bohm went 1 for his first 13 with the BlueClaws, and then proceeded to hit .424/.481/.682 over his next 18 games, earning a promotion to the Florida State League, and then never really looked back. He would have a rough July in Reading after his promotion, but hit .311/.402/.535 down the stretch with more walks (17) than strikeouts (15). Bohm is really like no other hitter currently in the minors. His build is that of a slugger, hitting towering home runs, but his swing isn’t geared that way. He has plenty of raw power, and even without becoming the slugging monster some thought he might be, he still should hit 25-30 home runs a year. What Bohm is instead is a contact machine. He isn’t a free swinger either, instead he is quite patient at the plate and not afraid to work in a 2 strike count. His swing is quick, it is compact, it is in the zone for a while, and it has full plate coverage. The result is a season strikeout rate of 13.5% while still maintaining a 10.6% walk rate. It means that Bohm’s offensive profile is more in the Justin Turner or Matt Carpenter mold than Kris Bryant. It is likely not worse, it is just different than many expected. The problem of course with Bohm is his defense at third base. He is not a good defender, though much improved. He is not particularly athletic or instinctual, so while he moves well and has a plus arm, there are definite errors there. Bohm works really hard and has made enough strides that a below average defensive outcome is within reach. That might not be enough for most teams to keep him at the hot corner. The Phillies have Rhys Hoskins and no DH yet, and are going to be highly motivated to force it to work at very least for the short term. If Bohm hits his ceiling, he could be a perennial All-Star and middle of the lineup force, and while that might take a few years, his feel for contact and natural power should make him a contributor as soon as the Phillies call him up.
2020 Outlook: Bohm probably needs a little bit of time in AAA to get some more reps at third base and to polish things off at the plate a bit more. It is unlikely the Phillies keep him down for long, and he is likely the first call up if there is an injury, because thanks to Scott Kingery, Bohm is functionally the backup at 5 different positions.
ETA: 2020
Previous Rank: 1

1. Spencer Howard, RHP

Age: 23 Acquired: 2nd Rd, 2017 Draft
B/T: R/R H/W: 6’2” 205lbs
2019 Stats:

Team (LVL)	G	GS	W-L	IP	ERA	H/9	HR/9	BB%	K%
GCL (Rk)	2	2	0-0	5.1	5.07	6.8	1.7	6.1%	34.8%
CLW (A+)	7	7	2-1	35	1.29	4.9	0.3	4.0%	38.4%
REA (AA)	6	6	1-0	30.2	2.35	5.9	0.6	7.4%	31.2%
AFL	6	6	1-1	21.1	2.11	4.2	0	12.0%	32.5%

Role: #2 Starter
Risk: Medium – You don’t really have to squint to see a plus plus fastball, a plus changeup, a plus breaking ball, and plus control from a big athletic pitcher. Those are all the pieces needed for a front line starter. All that is really missing for Howard is some consistency and track record.
Summary: The 2019 season was supposed to be Spencer Howard’s big breakout. His second to last start of 2018 had seen him throw a 9 inning no-hitter in the playoffs, while hitting 100 and showing an array of good offspeed pitches. For 4 starts in the Florida State League everything was going to plan, and then he had arm soreness and missed two months to healing and close to another month of just building his innings per start back up. It wasn’t until late in the season, this time with Reading in AA, that Howard started to look like the guy from late 2018. He once again was brilliant in the playoffs before the Phillies sent him to the Arizona Fall League in an attempt to try and make up for lost time from the injury. The end result was just shy of 100 innings, and with a career high of 126 innings set in 2018, Howard looks to have an innings cap of sorts for the 2020 season. Howard at his best sits in the mid to high 90s with an explosive fastball, routinely touching 98-99 while sitting a bit lower. His changeup is his best secondary pitch, and unlike with many hard throwers, his is actually in a more normal velocity band (80 to 84), leaving a large velocity separation from his fastball. However, he has great deception on the pitch, throwing it nearly exactly like his fastball, and it has good fade. His breaking balls inspire a level of controversy, as different evaluators like each one a bit differently. His slider is a two plane breaker that he can run out of the zone for swings and misses. His curveball is very vertical, and can really freeze batters who are not expecting it. The general consensus is that he has at least a plus breaking ball and an average breaking ball. Howard’s command has come and gone, at times making him look like a complete artist, and other times he will be loose in the zone. He is athletic enough that average command and plus control is not a stretch. It is not just the raw stuff that excites everyone with Howard, he has missed a ton of bats at every level, and for a guy with not a lot of starting pitching experience, he seems to have developed a good feel for it fast. The Phillies are still trying to figure out when they will be able to deploy him in the majors and still have him for September and possibly the playoffs, but he is very much a part of their 2020 plans. There is probably enough inconsistency to Howard’s game to make him probably more of a #2 than a true ace, more along the lines of the current version of Zack Wheeler than a Cy Young favorite. The floor is probably the optimistic version of Vince Velasquez and Nick Pivetta, where he is awesome one start and meh in another, and reaches the end of the season with solid #3 starter’s cumulative numbers.
2020 Outlook: No one really knows what Howard’s innings limit is this year, just that he has one. The Phillies seem to be prepping for 4+ months of him in the majors. That means he might not really break camp with Lehigh Valley, but instead spend some time building up innings per start, and then going to AAA for tuneups before joining the big league club.
ETA: 2020
Previous Rank: 4