A Critical Look at the Phillies Organization and Minor League Baseball
Matt Winkelman 
Last night, Joely Rodriguez but up yet another solid line for a Reading pitching staff that seems near unbeatable as he went 7 innings, while allowing 4 hits (1 a solo HR), the 1 run, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts. It was the 5th straight solid start for the 23 year old left hander after … Read more
Much like the draft, the first evaluation point for a trade, is a shortly after everyone has played games and it is just double check that you got what was advertised. With the Hamels trade dominating the news around the deadline, the other trade returns got overshadowed. The goal is loop back around to the … Read more
I debated whether this qualified enough to warrant a post since there really is not much to this. But on Twitter yesterday fellow (now former) writer Chris LaBarge mentioned that Zach Eflin was throwing a curveball almost exclusively as opposed to his slider. @Matt_Winkelman not seeing many 2 seam or slider. Working on 4 seam, … Read more
I like mailbags because you all ask a lot of interesting questions. Some are things that I often talk about on Twitter, but the longer form here gives more space, and others are things I would never write a full piece on, but are great things to talk about. But enough about me, and more … Read more
I am going to start by saying that this subject deserves more space than I about to give it, because it is meaningful, but this better than saying anything at all. Andrew Knapp is the middle of just destroying the Eastern League (he probably got another hit somewhere while you read this sentence). After … Read more
In 2014 the GCL Phillies had a nice pitching staff and some interesting players, but the lack of HS players limited the prospect power of the team. This season has been much different. The lineup has a premium prospect at every position and while the rotation isn’t full of household names, it has carried the … Read more
I made the statement on Monday that the Phillies might have the deepest farm system in baseball. Two days later I stand by that statement. A lot of focus has been put on the premium trade returns and players like Crawford, Nola, and Franco, but that is really not the legacy of the last few … Read more
I was asked a couple of times after the trades who was Rule 5 eligible of the prospects the Phillies got back in trades. I will talk about the full 40 man and who needs spots and who could be gone when we get closer to September, but for now here is just who they … Read more
The minor leagues are not a static thing and there is little more challenging than writing anything definitive about prospects while games are going on. Players are constantly changing and adjusting, and the key is to try and stay current during the constantly changing evaluations. This list is just a snapshot in time, and frankly … Read more
Ben Revere has been much maligned over his time in Philadelphia, from his lack of power to his questionable route running. But overall he gave the Phillies good value in center field (and later left field) for two pitchers that have been really up and down over the years. The Phillies have been motivated to … Read more