This Week’s Schedule
- Lehigh Valley (7-2) vs Rochester (4-5)
- Reading (0-3) vs Hartford (2-1)
- Jersey Shore (1-1) vs Brooklyn (0-2)
- Clearwater (2-1) vs Tampa (0-3)
Hitter Spotlight
1 G 5 PA 2-4 1 RBI 1 BB 0 K
Burkholder played in only one of the Threshers three games, but that is notable in its own way. The 2024 2nd round pick has struggled to stay health and he has struggled to perform when on the field. On Saturday he played center field, stole a base, and got caught stealing another time. In 2025, while dealing with leg injuries he attempted 1 stolen base in 34 games. He also started in center field after playing 31 of 34 games in right field last year. It is one game, but he has a 71% Z-swing%, 20% chase rate, and whiffed just one. He hit two balls over 100 mph (106.1 and 104.6), one of them off of a 96.5 mph fastball from rehabbing pitching Kendry Rojas. Burkholder has had good games before, and 1 game does not make a comeback, but it is encouraging to see him be treated as a healthy participant and for him to have a positive first impression back.
Pitcher Spotlight
RHP Gage Wood
4 IP 1 H 0 R 1 BB 7 K
Gage Wood is too good for Clearwater, will more specifically, Gage Wood’s fastball is too good for Clearwater. Everyone knows this, but the Phillies like to start their draft classes together and they also are looking at the long game with Wood which requires monitoring him and his workload. He will be in Jersey Shore soon, probably when the weather is warmer. The vertical movement on Wood’s fastball, as well as his velocity, waned a bit in his 2nd and 3rd inning, but he had stuff still in the tank to reach back for in the 4th (he averaged 96.8 mph for the game). He doesn’t have elite IVB on the pitch, but he gets low and flat with big extension for his size, and hitters whiffed in and out of the zone on the pitch all game. His slider has good shape, but hitters didn’t fish on it earlyand were able to get the bat to it in the zone. He threw one good changeup/splitter for a strikeout, and he threw a handful of mediocre versions of his curveball. The key for him will be working on the feel and usage of those secondary offerings even when he doesn’t need them now, because he will need them later. Since the Phillies are developing him as a starter, there are going to be a decent number of these dominant performances that are going to give the impression he is more ready than he is. The takeaway is that the fastball is ready and it looks much better than the brief glimpse we got last year.
Notes and Thoughts
- None of Jean Cabrera’s pitches jump out, but he once again had a solid appearance, giving up a run in 4.1 innings with a walk and 5 strikeouts. His fastballs averaged 93 mph and he has added more run to his sinker this year. His changeup continues to be his best pitch, with a chase rate over 50% this week. He actually got a lot of whiffs in the zone on his 4-seam fastball this week, which will be something to monitor to see how his arsenal interacts with itself.
- The Threshers and FCL Phillies face off on Tuesday with Brad Pacheco getting the start for the Threshers. He wasn’t up to 98 or 99 this time, but sat 95-97 with two fastball shapes. His new slider looks like a good pitch and he broke out a big curveball once as well as some changeups. This week we should get some more Statcast data on his full arsenal.
- It would have been nice to have seen a velocity jump for Matthew Fisher in pro ball, but he was 90-93 in the showcase against Clearwater. He has a lot of breaking ball shapes and feel for spin, so there continues to be a lot to work with.
- Alex McFarlane did allow a hit and a walk, but struck out the other 3 batters he faced. He should shred through AA if the stuff continues to hold up.
- It was one good game and one disaster game for Griff McGarry. He has a 1-2-3 inning and then he came in with men on base, allowed all 6 to reach, 4 by walk, and blew the game for the IronPigs. The relief role always seems to be right on the edge.
- The BlueClaws exploded for 19 runs, 18 hits, and 11 walks in their first game of the season, with hits from all over the lineup.
- Seth Johnson hit a legit 100 and averaged over 99 mph in his Friday appearance, after averaging 98.3 earlier in the week. He gave up a solo home run on a fastball in the zone on Friday, and a run in his first appearance as well.
- Matthew Ferrara hit the 3rd hardest ball in the FSL this opening weekend (Jonathan Hogart was 4th) at 110.7 mph. His 6 balls in play averaged 96.3 mph and he hit the ball on a line all series. He is swinging and missing a lot, especially against secondary pitches, but he is showing a better ability to impact the baseball so far.
- Alirio Ferrebus matched Ferrara in average exit velocity and hard hit rate. He swung and missed less, but he swung at a much larger percent of pitchers he saw. He is still not getting the best contact, but he scaled a double on Saturday.
- Zuher Yousuf only got 2 innings as part of a piggy back in a double header, but he sat 91-93 in game action, matching what he did in spring training.
- Much like Yousuf, Angel Liranzo carried a velocity increase into games, hitting up to 95 with his fastball.
- Sean Youngerman was up to 95 as the piggy back with Wood. He didn’t miss bats, but he controlled the zone. There is more for him to improve on.
- Gabe Craig still looks like a complete mess. His velocity is about 95, but he cannot land his sweeper near the zone, so he isn’t getting chases. His fastballs aren’t good enough to compete in the zone and so everything is spiraling.
Injuries and Transactions
- John Spikerman, Rene Pinto, James Tallon, Juan Villavicencio, Cade Obermueller, TJayy Walton, Wesley Moore, Kevin Warunek, Mitch Neunborn, Wen-Hui Pan, Christian McGowan, and Estibenzon Jimenez added to 7-day IL
- Cesar Mujica added to 60-day IL
- Juan Villavicencio sent on rehab assignment with Clearwater
- Zack Tukis added to Full Season IL
- Jaydenn Estanista and Lou Albrecht added to Development list
- Yoniel Curet (CLW) and Nolan Beltran (REA) assigned to new teams
Links and Things
Minor Thoughts
Around the Web
- 50 MLB Prospects Who Impressed Scouts Entering 2026 – Josh Norris – Baseball America (features Brad Pacheco and Anderson Navas)
Videos and Posts