A Critical Look at the Phillies Organization and Minor League Baseball
Matt Winkelman 
The final month+ of the 2018 Phillies system is going to hurt for a while. They squandered a bunch of chances due to poor play, poor management, exhaustion, and injuries. In the end they are going to beat their projections. It will feel like a Pyrrhic victory, because there will always be a bad taste … Read more
The minor league playoffs start in earnest tonight and IL North Champion Lehigh Valley IronPigs kick off their post season against their rivals the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. The IronPigs won 11 more games than the RailRiders, but both teams enter the postseason slightly depleted by their big league parents. This years the IronPigs also owe … Read more
The minor league playoffs kicked off in earnest yesterday with the Clearwater Threshers winning Game 1 of their series. Today the Lakewood BlueClaws and Lehigh Valley IronPigs get their turn. Lakewood enters the playoffs having gone 87-51 on the year and winning both halves of the season in the SAL North. Much like their friends … Read more
The Phillies value the playoff experience for their minor leaguers. This year the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Clearwater Threshers, Lakewood BlueClaws, and GCL Phillies East all made the playoffs. The GCL playoffs were over quick, but for the full season leagues, it is just getting started. The 2018 Clearwater Threshers started the year as the power … Read more
Winter Stats Arizona Fall League (Scottsdale Scorpions) Preview Sixto Sanchez (removed due to collarbone soreness) Luke Williams Luke Leftwich Arquimedes Gamboa Darick Hall Austin Listi Seth McGarry Tyler Viza Jonathan Hennigan Liga de Besibol Dominicano Ranfi Casimiro – Aguilas Cibaenas Deivi Grullon – Aguilas Cibaenas Logan Moore – Aguilas Cibaenas Jeff Singer – Gigantes del … Read more
Arizona Fall League is this weird combination of high level hitters getting extra at bats, Rule 5 eligible relievers trying to show off, and low level hitters just trying to make an impression, all surrounded by filler that is better than org guys. Also it is all played in a launching pad of a league. … Read more
Every draft pick matters. It is a concept that makes sense on paper, but when you start to see picks come off the board on Day 3 of the draft, it is much easier to see the low minors roster depth than actual talent. While teams can give any player picked after the 10th round … Read more
So far the Phillies have made 5 trades in and around the deadline bringing in IF Asdrubel Cabrera, C Wilson Ramos, LHP Aaron Loup, 1B Justin Bour, and LHP Luis Avilan while shipping out Franklyn Kilome, McKenzie Mills, Jacob Waguespack, Jake Thompson, Zach Curtis, and now Felix Paulino and potentially Jose Taveras (Taveras was designated … Read more
I decided to do a Top 30 list this year because it was as deep as I felt I could go while keeping the integrity of a list. However, 30 is just an arbitrary cut off and there are more players worth talking about. So here is a collection of other prospects I have thoughts … Read more
After taking first place back from the Atlanta Braves the Phillies find themselves a game back heading into a 2 game series with the Red Sox and a 5 game tilt with the Mets. Their month still contains 6 games against the Nationals and a trip north to Toronto. It isn’t a slog like their … Read more