It is once again list season, a time and activity that brings me excitement and stress. Ultimately the list allows me to consolidate thoughts on a one year check in on the players in the system. The actual numbers help in identifying value and justifying that value. I don’t do OFPs or Future Values, but I am going to continue to chunk up the list into tiers, which are logical groupings of similarly valued to me prospects. That helps you hopefully see where the gaps are in the valuation and where differences may be more preference or risk tolerance.
Overall I tend to value upside and lower risk major league contribution. Ultimately to build a competitive team you need players that provide impact per appearance. On the other side, there is value to just being a major league contributor.
As for how I construct the list. I did not attend any games in person this year. That means I am reliant on video, to which I am lucky enough to have access for every level of the system. I have access to publicly available stats, including statcast for leagues (AAA and FSL) where it is present. I do not have first hand access to team data, but occasionally have third hand numbers. I also track velocity when available for non-statcast leagues via video feeds with verification from first hand sources. I also talk with people who get first hand looks, but very limited this year in talks with scouts or front office personnel.
I will attempt to cite specific information and opinions from outside sites if used directly. For stats I have used publicly available Statcast, Brooksbaseball (powered by Pitch Info), Baseball Reference, mlb.com, milb.com, and Fangraphs. For historical background on drafted players, international signings, and those acquired via trade I have relied on Fangraphs, Baseball America, and MLB to supplement my available resources as my tracking is exclusive to post signing.
You can find my collected information in these resources.
- Phillies MiLB Statcast Data (2021-2023) – Phillies MiLB Statcast
- Phillies MiLB Statcast EV (2023) – Statcast EV Data
- Minor League Pitch Tracking – Phillies Pitch Data
- Org Rosters – Phillies Org Roster
- Depth Chart – Phillies Depth Chart
- Draft Tracker – Phillies Draft Tracker
- International Signings – International Signings
The bottom of the list is always populated with a group of players I feel compelled to write about, either because I couldn’t push them off the list because they still could be something, or because I find them compelling enough to think that they have the future value to be something. That means we have players like Ethan Wilson, Gunner Mayer, Dominic Pipkin, and Kendall Simmons, who have been around for a while, next to some Dominican Summer League players who may come stateside and have interesting attributes and tools that make them worth watching going into the future.
All ages are as of opening day (March 28)
39. Caleb Ricketts, C
Age: 23
Acquired: Drafted in the 7th Round of the 2022 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: L/R
H/W: 6’3” 225lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| CLW (A-) | 23 | 100 | 1 | 2 | 3.0% | 18.6% | .368 | .390 | .547 |
| JS (A+) | 44 | 188 | 3 | 4 | 8.0% | 18.6% | .218 | .287 | .300 |
| SCO (AFL) | 14 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 7.5% | 22.6% | .256 | .359 | .302 |
Role: Bat First, 3rd Catcher
Risk: High – Ricketts is not a good defensive catcher, so his bat will need to carry him to a major league role, and he was poor offensively in high-A.
Summary: Ricketts looked to be on a breakout path to begin the 2023 season. He hit the ball on a line all over the field for the Threshers. He struggled to impact the ball after being promoted to Jersey Shore, and injuries and setbacks caused him to miss almost all of June and July. He was better after returning, but was still a below average hitter the rest of the way, with an ok showing in the Arizona Fall League. Ricketts has a relatively quiet and simple swing that should generate a good amount of line drives and fringe average power. He has a relatively aggressive approach at the plate, but not a large amount of swing and miss. Defensively, Ricketts can stick behind the plate, but likely will be below average defensively, and teams ran often on him. He has played some first base, but that has been relatively out of minor league team need and not as a future position. If Ricketts can be a solid hitter, he has a chance to be up and down on a 40 man roster.
2024 Outlook: Ricketts barely got on the field for Jersey Shore and the Phillies brought in a bunch of AA catching depth in the minor league Rule 5 draft. That points to Ricketts starting as a BlueClaw again.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: 33
40. Felix Reyes, 1B/OF
Age: 23
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies on February 22, 2020
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’3” 195lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| CLW (A-) | 67 | 277 | 9 | 6 | 6.1% | 10.8% | .264 | .310 | .416 |
| JS (A+) | 10 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 2.6% | 10.3% | .257 | .282 | .343 |
Role: Bench Bat of Position Unknown
Risk: High – Reyes is an older player (entering his age 23 season) who has 10 games above low-A for his career. He does not have a position currently, and his offensive upside is driven by tools more than performance.
Summary: Felix Reyes had a nondescript to poor first two seasons in pro-ball before having a breakout at age 22 in low-A. He is a large bodied right handed hitter who has been known for his raw power around the complex, but not for actual performance. He has long been an aggressive hitter at the plate, with poor walk and strikeout numbers, but in 2023 his contact numbers took a large jump forward. He is still a free swinger, swinging at over 56% of the pitches he saw with Clearwater, but his whiff rate was just under 18%. Making more contact allowed the power to show up more, though his quality of contact struggled at times. Where he really pops is the raw power. His average exit velocity was middle of the pack in the Phillies system, but among those with Statcast data, his 90th percentile exit velocity (107.2 mph) was second only to Gabriel Rincones Jr. and his max numbers are consistent with Rincones and Baron Radcliff at the same level. He also showed pronounced left/right splits at the plate that will be worth monitoring. Defensively, there are just as many questions. Originally he was a right fielder/first baseman, but he is not particularly fleet of foot and they moved him more to the infield dirt in 2023. He played some shortstop in Extended Spring just to see how he handled things, but mostly the result has been him moving more to third base to go along with first. He has a strong arm, and wasn’t a disaster at the hot corner. It remains to be seen if he can stick there, but if he does it takes some pressure off the bat. Overall, there are a lot of green flags and red flags, and nothing much in between.
2024 Outlook: Reyes got a taste of Jersey Shore at the end of the 2023 season and should return there in 2024. The big thing to watch will be the swing rate and quality of contact.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: UR
41. Ethan Wilson, OF
Age: 24
Acquired: Drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2021 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’0” 210lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| REA (AA) | 114 | 463 | 17 | 12 | 6.7% | 23.8% | .250 | .307 | .443 |
Role: Platoon Outfielder
Risk: High – Wilson does not destroy opposite side pitching and has limited defensive utility. He will need to find more consistent power output in order to make himself attractive in any sort of MLB role.
Summary: On paper it was a much better 2023 season for Wilson than his 2022, his power was way up and he cut his strikeout rate a bit. However, he also moved from one of the least hitter friendly parks to one of the most friendly parks in the minors (though I should note he did not have dramatic home/road splits in 2023). The power output is certainly a positive outcome, however he hit 9 of his 17 home runs in May and June, and his growth was mostly in a spike in HR/FB rate and not in overall batted ball profile. His approach at the plate and swing and miss continued to be poor, and outside of August (12 walks to 21 strikeouts), his numbers were very poor (19 walks to 89 strikeouts). Additionally, he struggled greatly vs LHPs, and the Phillies were already working him in a heavy platoon in AA. He is still an only ok defender in the outfield and should really only play left field. Overall, it was a year where Wilson needed to show that 2022 was an aberration and instead it solidified much of it as the new normal. He is closer to providing some sort of major league utility, likely an up and down platoon bat, but he remains far away from his draft promise.
2024 Outlook: The IronPigs outfield already looks full, so it would not be surprising if Wilson returns to Reading to try and force his way into the Phillies plans.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: 23
42. Dominic Pipkin, RHP
Age: 24
Acquired: Drafted in the 9th Round of the 2018 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’4” 160lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI (FCL) | 2 | 1 | 0-0 | 1.2 | 27.00 | 21.6 | 0.0 | 9.1% | 27.3% |
| CLW (A-) | 3 | 0 | 2-0 | 3.2 | 4.91 | 7.4 | 0.0 | 13.3% | 26.7% |
| REA (AA) | 18 | 0 | 2-2 | 19.2 | 3.66 | 7.3 | 1.4 | 8.8% | 28.7% |
| SCO (AFL) | 3 | 0 | 0-0 | 2.2 | 0.00 | 6.8 | 0.0 | 10.0% | 20.0% |
Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – Pipkin’s second move to the bullpen was much better than his first, and included a jump in his velocity and overall stuff. His results have lagged his velocity, and he now will need to have actual success on the mound.
Summary: For the second year in a row, the Phillies moved Pipkin to the bullpen. In 2022, he eventually moved back to a bulk innings starting role. In 2023, he got off to a late start and then in his last appearance with Clearwater his fastball jumped from sitting 92 to 94, to sitting 96 to 98. He was able to hold that velocity through the end of the season, touching up to 99 and 100 while with Reading. He previously threw a slider, a curveball, and a changeup. The curveball has been scrapped and the changeup and slider are both in the 87 to 91 range. With the increased velocity, he did miss more bats, but his fastball (he has both a 2 and 4 seamer) does not have great shape, with sort of low to middling spin rates and not a ton of positive movement. He throws a good number of strikes, but there were a decent number of balls put in play for hits and opposite side hitters hit him pretty well. If the velocity jump is real and the Phillies can work to tweak a bit more out of the movement profile, he could be a near major league ready contributor who may never get the results that correspond with the radar readings.
2024 Outlook: Pipkin likely returns to Reading to pitch in high leverage situations. If his stuff is more polished and gets results, he could join the AAA queue of relievers.
ETA: 2024
Previous Rank: UR
43. Robert Moore, SS
Age: 21
Acquired: Traded by the Brewers to the Phillies with Hendry Mendez for Oliver Dunn on November 14, 2023
B/T: S/R
H/W: 5’9” 170lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| WIS (A+) | 123 | 563 | 8 | 26 | 9.8% | 19.2% | .233 | .321 | .361 |
Role: Glove First Bench Infielder
Risk: High – Moore had a below average offensive season in high-A in his first full year, and his power issues have a long enough track record to not be a fluke. His glove will play up the middle.
Summary: The Phillies acquired Moore when they declined to protect Oliver Dunn and wanted to get some value before losing him in the Rule 5 draft. He is a solid defender at both shortstop and second base, and has been reported to have plus speed (but has been a poor base runner). The problem is Moore’s bat. He had a breakout 2021 sophomore season at Arkansas where he hit 16 home runs in 61 games with a .275 ISO, but that has been the only average power he has ever really shown. He is already pull heavy, so there isn’t more power coming from maximizing that. His quality of contact was also poor, with a heavy diet of ground balls and pop ups to go with a low amount of hit-producing contact. He has decent contact rates, but nothing that will carry a lighter hitting bat. Without strength coming from somewhere unforeseen, he projects as a multi positional, up and down bench infielder.
2024 Outlook: Moore is young enough where repeating high-A wouldn’t be the worst, but the AA infield group looks much weaker than what is coming from behind, so he might get thrown into AA to try and keep his head above water.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: N/A
44. Kendall Simmons, 2B/3B
Age: 23
Acquired: Drafted in the 6th Round of the 2018 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’0” 180lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| PHI (FCL) | 8 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 12.1% | 18.2% | .346 | .455 | .615 |
| CLW (A-) | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 33.3% | 33.3% | .000 | .333 | .000 |
| JS (A+) | 50 | 213 | 8 | 3 | 10.3% | 25.8% | .267 | .362 | .494 |
Role: Power over hit bench infielder
Risk: Extreme – Simmons has never had 400 plate appearances in 4 full seasons, and he continues to swing and miss at a high rate.
Summary: Simmons was a raw player when the Phillies drafted him out of high school, and he largely has looked like that through his time in the Phillies system. He has plus to plus plus raw power coming from excellent bat speed, but his swing has some swing and miss, pitch recognition and plate discipline struggle at times. He has also missed time to injury in every season. 2023 was no exception, and he only managed 59 games with 4 trips to the injured list. He was incrementally better at the plate in 2023, and has tapped into his power much more consistently, especially just going to the pull side. Defensively, Simmons is primarily a second baseman, where he does not look out of place, and he still sees time at third as well. His swing and miss will likely hold him back from becoming anything, but the shape of a player is starting to make more sense, and he could be a power infield bat off of a team’s bench eventually.
2024 Outlook: Simmons should open the year in Reading, and while staying healthy is a big part of a successful season, he is slated to become a minor league free agent after the season, so 2024 could make or break his career.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: UR
45. Jake Eddington, RHP
Age: 22
Acquired: Drafted in the 7th Round of the 2023 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’2” 185lbs
2023 Stats: Did not pitch professionally in 2023
Role: #4 Starter / Middle Reliever
Risk: Extreme – Eddington missed 2022 due to Tommy John surgery and his control was poor in his return in 2023. He was a starter in college, but his role is not solidified.
Summary: The Phillies selected Eddington in the 7th round of the 2023 draft, where he fits their model of college arms on the starter/reliever borderline with control issues, but interesting pitch characteristics. The pre-draft reports have Eddington with a fastball that had ticked up after surgery and was up to at least 97 and possibly 99. His slider was his best pitch and looks to have two plane break. Baseball America cites him as having a changeup as well. In his return to the mound his control was poor, walking 40 in 55.2 innings, which is concerning, but considering the context will warrant future follow up. If the changeup doesn’t develop and the command is just ok, there does seem to be a reliever fall back with the fastball and slider, especially if the velocity on the fastball sits in the top end of the range in short bursts.
2024 Outlook: Eddington likely starts the year in Clearwater. He only pitched 55.2 innings last year, so it is likely he has limitations on his innings. Like any college player he has a chance to move to Jersey Shore if he performs well in the Florida State League.
ETA: 2027
Previous Rank: N/A
46. Aroon Escobar, 2B
Age: 19
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies on January 15, 2022
B/T: R/R
H/W: 5’11” 180lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| PHI-W (DSL) | 33 | 134 | 1 | 13 | 14.9% | 9.7% | .209 | .343 | .300 |
Role: Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – Escobar is far enough away that it is hard to limit his ceiling, but he is also about as far away as a player can be. He has shown a good ability to make contact, albeit in a year repeating in the DSL.
Summary: Escobar was one of the Phillies larger 2022 signings and got that season off to a big start with a big home run. It was a much quieter season for Escobar in 2023 as injuries caused some disruption and he struggled to make quality contact. He is a solidly built infielder that has already moved over to a second base/third base timeshare and should be able to play both positions. At the plate, Escobar has plus bat speed and should have plus raw power as he grows older. Escobar does show a good approach and feel for contact with 26 walks to 17 strikeouts in 162 PAs on the season. He ended the season on a high note, hitting .273/.402/.364 in 19 games (84 PAs) after coming back from injury, as well as a solid postseason. He will need to start turning the good contact and approach numbers into quality of contact, and that will be the biggest thing to watch in 2024.
2024 Outlook: It looks like Escobar will get his stateside chance in 2024, where he will be in competition with the other young infielders for playing time in Extended Spring and FCL games.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: 49
47. Yemal Flores, OF
Age: 20
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies on February 2, 2021
B/T: R/R
H/W: 5’9” 206lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| PHI (FCL) | 14 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 16.7% | 33.3% | .282 | .417 | .513 |
Role: Second Division Regular
Risk: Extreme – Flores barely played in 2023, and his 33.3% strikeout rate was a career best. The most likely outcome is he doesn’t even make it to AA, but the tools are intriguing enough to not fully bury him yet.
Summary: Flores was the Phillies largest signing in the 2021 international signing class as an athletic outfielder with big bat speed and power, but serious questions about his ability to make contact. Through three years of pro-ball those concerns have largely been carried out. He does have a plan at the plate, but there is a large amount of swing and miss. He still has easy raw power. He missed most of the season due to injury, but in addition to some slight improvements in the walk and strikeout rates, his quality of contact greatly increased in the small sample. Defensively, he played mostly the outfield corners this season after getting time in center the last few years. The Phillies have indicated he has improved on defense, but reading between the lines it does look like his center field defense is behind the better gloves there. That said, he should be a good defender in either corner and if his bat hits its ceiling, then he will have the power for the corner position. There is still a large chance that Flores never makes enough contact to be anything, but he did look better this season. There just wasn’t a large sample of work to show that those improvements make him a much better prospect.
2024 Outlook: Flores has spent the last three seasons in the Dominican and Florida complexes, and at age 20 it is nearing the time to let him sink or swim in Full Season ball.However there are enough outfield bats in the low minors he might need to have a good spring to make that happen. He could see time in both the FCL and FSL depending on how things go.
ETA: 2027
Previous Rank: 38
48. Alexis De La Cruz, RHP
Age: 19
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies on January 15, 2023
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’6” 205lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI-W (DSL) | 10 | 9 | 2-2 | 31.1 | 4.31 | 7.2 | 0.6 | 12.7% | 32.1% |
Role: #3/#4 Starter
Risk: Extreme – De La Cruz has pitched one season in pro ball, but up an ERA of 4.31 and walked 4.9 per 9 in the DSL. While there is plenty to dream on in the frame and the base of his arsenal, it really is mostly a dream right now.
Summary: De La Cruz signed as an 18 year old for an undisclosed (likely low) signing bonus at the open of the 2023 signing period. If you don’t look at the stat line and just at the video, it is pretty clear why the Phillies and outside observers like De La Cruz. He is tall and well proportioned with the room to add a bit more strength. He also repeats his delivery well for his size. His fastball mostly sat 90-94, but the Phillies have reported him up to 96. He comes from a fairly high angle, but gets good extension on it and can work it up in the zone well, and it appears to have a good movement profile (all visual, I don’t have the spin or movement). His breaking ball has been called both a curveball and a slider, and the truth is definitely in the middle as it sits 77-81 and has two plane sweeping movement. It would not be surprising if it shaped into either more of a curve or a slider, or they keep it as a sweeper and then add around it (commonly the Phillies have gone with a cutter and/or true vertical curveball). He shows feel for a mid 80s changeup with fade. It is not hard to visually see a big bodied innings eater type from De La Cruz, but I don’t know if there are currently front line traits, and the command and control can get a bit loose. The big question will be if there is more stuff to be worked out of the frame and delivery, and whether he settles in on a sort of mid rotation trajectory or we are waiting for a breakout to come.
2024 Outlook: De La Cruz is slated to come stateside where he should pitch in Extended Spring Training and the FCL.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: N/A
49. Angel Liranzo, LHP
Age: 17
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies on January 15, 2023
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’1” 172lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI-W (DSL) | 10 | 4 | 5-0 | 30.1 | 0.89 | 4.7 | 0.0 | 7.5% | 28.0% |
Role: #4 Starter
Risk: Extreme – Liranzo is likely to add more velocity as he matures, but he is currently throwing in the high 80s. There is a very long developmental road ahead of him.
Summary: Liranzo was one of the youngest signees in the 2023 international class, and spent most of the season at 16 before turning 17 in early August. He has an advanced feel and arsenal for his age, but his actual velocity and stuff was lagging behind his teammates. He has a 4 pitch mix with a slider, curveball, and changeup complimenting the fastball. His fastball sat 87 to 89, with the occasional 90. His breaking balls both were in the 70s, and while there appears to be feel for shape and command, both looked like they need some more power behind them as they were a bit loopy. He sells his changeup well, and it is likely to be the pitch that carries him for a while. Statistically, he was one of the best starters in the league, as hitters had little answer to the pitch mix and good command. The command comes from a fairly simple delivery that he repeats well, and he should have good command and control going forward. The Phillies coaches have gone on the record with Ranger Suarez comps, and given the height and arsenal there are definitely similarities to Suarez, especially when he was a prospect. Much like Liranzo, Suarez’s fastball was well below average velocity for many of his early years, and it was slow development to start before he grew into more velocity and his stock took off. It is likely we see somewhat of a similar path with Liranzo where he moves a bit slowly, especially given his age, and then moves quickly once his stuff is more prospect caliber.
2024 Outlook: Given his lack of current stuff, and that he will pitch most of the season at age 17, it is likely that Liranzo repeats the DSL
ETA: 2029
Previous Rank: N/A
50. Cam Brown, RHP
Age: 22
Acquired: Drafted in the 10th Round of the 2023 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’3” 225lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI (FCL) | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | 0.1 | 54.00 | 27.0 | 0.0 | 60.0% | 0.0% |
| CLW (A-) | 2 | 0 | 0-1 | 1.1 | 20.25 | 20.3 | 0.0 | 45.5% | 9.1% |
Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – Brown walked 40 batters in 55.1 innings at TCU and had 8 walks to 1 strikeout in 1.2 innings across 3 games in pro ball. His stuff will not allow him to have success with below average control.
Summary: Brown fits the Phillies model of college draftee. He was a starter with good size, control issues, and one interesting trait. In this case, Brown throws a low to mid 80s slider with spin rates averaging over 2600 RPM that is more of a traditional two plane pitch than a sweeper or gyro. His fastball is mid 90s with middling spin and movement, and he throws a changeup, but one that likely does not stick around as a reliever. The Phillies could run him out as a starting pitcher, but it is likely he goes to the bullpen where they could look to add a cutter or other option, but most likely his path is throwing his slider over 50% of the time and using the fastball more sparingly.
2024 Outlook: Brown briefly made an appearance in Clearwater, and is not a dominant enough arm where the Phillies should be prioritizing fast tracking him. That means a likely return to Clearwater in a bullpen role.
ETA: 2027
Previous Rank: N/A
51. Wilmer Blanco, RHP
Age: 20
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies on December 14, 2021
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’3” 170lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI-W (DSL) | 11 | 10 | 2-2 | 45.0 | 2.80 | 6.2 | 0.2 | 10.5% | 26.0% |
Role: #4 Starting Pitcher
Risk: Extreme – Blanco was good in the DSL, but was not overwhelmingly dominant or showed stuff that would portend future dominance.
Summary: Blanco was a late signing in the 2021 signing period and made his debut in 2022 as a starter and reliever, and struggled with his control. In 2023, he was a starter (he had a couple of late appearances where they backed off his innings) from the start of the season. He was able to pitch deep into games as the year progressed, sort of an outlier for an arm at his level. Blanco’s primary pitch is a fastball at 90-94 that visually looks to have good carry, and he already has a feel for elevating it for misses. He then pitches off of that with a vertically oriented mid 70s curveball that fooled the Dominican Complex level hitters. He has a mid 80s changeup that shows some run to it, but he will need to work on it to stay in a rotation. Blanco still has a bit of room to add a bit more velocity, and he repeats his high three quarters delivery well and shows good command for his age. As an added bonus, Blanco pitched a gem for the DSL Phillies White in the elimination game against the Angels and came out of the bullpen 4 days later in the elimination game vs the Pirates, where he saved them late but ultimately gave up the walk off home run
2024 Outlook: Blanco is projected to come stateside for Extended Spring Training and Florida Complex League. He is on the older side so the Phillies could push him to the Threshers at some point.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: UR
52. Alex Rao, RHP
Age: 24
Acquired: Drafted in the 10th Round of the 2023 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’4” 230lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI (FCL) | 1 | 0 | 1-0 | 1.0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| CLW (A-) | 15 | 6 | 0-3 | 27.0 | 6.00 | 9.3 | 0.7 | 11.5% | 27.0% |
Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – Rao largely missed most of the season and did not pitch in his expected role for most of it. His college control issues continued in pro ball.
Summary: Rao was expected to be a fast moving reliever when the Phillies drafted him, but the Phillies moved him to the Clearwater rotation to open 2023. He struggled in the role, pitching 2-3 innings per appearance. They then moved him to the bullpen, and he was better there for 3 of 4 appearances before missing 2 and a half months with an injury. He was a one inning reliever upon his return. His fastball was 92 to 95 earlier in the season and more 91 to 93 upon his return. He struggles to throw the pitch for strikes, but he actually gets a decent number of swings and misses on it (27%). He throws a slider with decent spin and sweeper movement, but struggled to get results on it, and late in the season he started to throw a harder cutter. His best offspeed is a mid 80s split change that he threw mostly as a chase pitch (51% ball % and 3% called strike %), but gets a large number of whiffs on it (45%). If he is going to find success in a relief role, it is going to be on the back of the changeup in a pitch mix that resembles Hector Neris.
2024 Outlook: Rao struggled for the Threshers, but is entering his age 24 season, so unless he looks terrible in camp, it is likely he opens in the BlueClaws bullpen.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: 37
53. Gunner Mayer, RHP
Age: 23
Acquired: Drafted in the 5th Round of the 2019 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’6” 190lbs
2023 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| JS (A+) | 23 | 20 | 3-7 | 77.1 | 5.47 | 9.0 | 0.5 | 15.1% | 22.1% |
Role: #5/#6 Starter
Risk: High – Mayer probably has a bit more upside, from physical projection, than up and down starting pitcher, but right now his stuff is more fringy. He doesn’t have the fastball or secondary pitches to profile as a reliever.
Summary: Due to his inexperience pitching and age, Mayer was functionally a high school level arm when drafted. Due to the pandemic and injuries he pitched under 90 innings total over his first four pro seasons. His 77.1 innings in 2023 represented a career high, and he ended up pitching in 23 games and spending the full season in the BlueClaws starting rotation (both his relief appearances were “starts” after a rehabbing player on reduced innings). Mayer still has room for a little more velocity, but sat mostly 90-94 in 2023. He throws a trio of secondary pitches, and both the curveball and changeup have shown promise at times, but overall he has lacked consistency. Delivery and command consistency have also been a problem for him, and there were multiple starts where he racked up a bunch of base runners and pitches early and was out of the game quickly. The shine has started to come off of Mayer, and he is going to have to show actual growth next season, and not just the ability to stay on the mound.
2024 Outlook: Mayer pitched the full season at Jersey Shore, so a trip to Reading seems in the works. He will need to start to put up actual results on the mound and not just physical potential.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: 28
As always nice summary of the players. Just so you know you listed Dominic Pipkin as an OF.
Thanks!
Thank you, copy-paste strikes again