You can find all of the rankings and other material for this year here.
20. Alexeis Azuaje, 2B
Age: 19
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent in July 2018 by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 5’10” 155lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| PHI (CPX) | 19 | 56 | 5 | 4 | 7.1% | 8.9% | .400 | .509 | .867 |
Role: Everyday Regular at Second or Third
Risk: Extreme – Azuaje is a 19 year old with 66 games of pro ball, none above the complex. He showed a huge improvement (in a very tiny sample size) this year in approach at the plate, but he is an aggressive hitter who probably is not a good defender at a premium position.
Summary: When the Phillies signed Azuaje, he was a speed demon without a ton of power and a lot of swing and miss. He spent 2019 showing the swing and miss and aggression at the plate while also stinging the ball. In his very brief season in the FCL, he dramatically cut down his swing and miss, and just scorched the baseball. He has a real feel for contact, and his small sample recorded exit velocities were not a fluke either. While his numbers have improved, he doesn’t have the advanced approach of some of his peers, and while he hits the ball hard, he doesn’t quite have their bat speed either. Azuaje is still playing shortstop some, but is probably slated for second or third long term. He has a shot to be something interesting, but he is going to need to continue to prove it every level, and so far he has.
2022 Outlook: Azuaje will start in Clearwater, and normally would spend the full season there, but like Luis Garcia this year, he is Rule 5 eligible after the season, which may prompt the Phillies to aggressively promote him.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: UR
19. Jamari Baylor, SS
Age: 21
Acquired: Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2019 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 5’11” 190lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| PHI (CPX) | 25 | 110 | 5 | 11 | 16.4% | 30.0% | .303 | .436 | .584 |
| CLW (A-) | 15 | 59 | 0 | 1 | 1.7% | 45.8% | .214 | .254 | .232 |
Role: Everyday Regular
Risk: Extreme – Baylor hit the ball hard when he made contact, but had a stretch to open his time in the FCL and after his promotion to Clearwater where he struggled to make contact at all. He is already 21, and the missed season has definitely set him back. However, it does look like his defense has improved to the point where he should stick up the middle defensively.
Summary: Baylor was a pop up guy in his draft year, and fairly raw at the time. An injury, and then the missed pandemic year, set back his timeline and robbed him of much needed development time. When he was drafted, Baylor was a bit of a disaster defensively, but he has made improvements in the area and has a real chance now to stick up the middle defensively. At the plate he makes hard contact and can really punish the ball. The problem has been his approach for stretches of time. In his first 7 FCL games he struck out 18 times to 5 walks, but then he struck out just 15 times with 13 walks in the next 18. He then followed that up with a disastrous 3 series with Clearwater, where he struck out 27 times with 1 walk in 15 games. He is going to make improvements with his pitch recognition and approach, but his ability to stick up the middle defensively while making hard contact gives him a very intriguing ceiling. He is still a long term project, but the arrow is pointing up some.
2022 Outlook: Baylor should join a stacked infield in Clearwater with Alexeis Azuaje and Hao Yu Lee. Given his age, it might make sense to push him, but the important thing will be for him to get a full year of at bats.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: 17
18. Yhoswar Garcia, OF
Age: 20
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent in March 2020 by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’0” 150lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| CLW (A-) | 18 | 77 | 0 | 11 | 7.8% | 29.9% | .229 | .299 | .271 |
Role: Everyday Regular
Risk: Extreme – With the age discrepancy and injuries, Garcia is already 20 years old with just 18 games of pro ball played. He should be a good defensive player, but his offensive impact is still in doubt.
Summary: Garcia was supposed to be the Phillies next big international signing, but an age discrepancy and injuries have really limited his time on the field. Garcia lacks present strength, but has the frame to add more. This has led to poorer bat speed that has led to not a ton of impact at the plate. That doesn’t stop Garcia from being very exciting to watch. He has elite speed and is not afraid to use it (he stole 4 bases in pro debut) and should be a plus defensive fielder. He plays hard, but it is clear the time not playing has hurt him. Overall, Garcia is a lot more of a project than initially anticipated, and with the missed time and age change, he lacks the time and projection to comfortably say he will overcome his roadblocks. It is a bit early for a make or break year, but Garcia is going to need to really show something in 2022 or fall off lists.
2022 Outlook: Garcia just needs to spend a full year playing baseball. He should start in Clearwater to open the year, but possibly gets a boost at some point to Jersey Shore.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: 13
17. Jhailyn Ortiz, OF
Age: 23
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent in July 2015 by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W:6’3 215lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| JS (A-) | 74 | 303 | 19 | 4 | 9.6% | 28.4% | .262 | .358 | .521 |
| REA (AA) | 21 | 88 | 4 | 0 | 10.2% | 30.7% | .208 | .307 | .377 |
Role: Second Division Regular/4th Outfielder
Risk: High – Ortiz has made himself into a good enough defender that his bat doesn’t need to quite reach the level it used to, but he is still putting up strikeout rates near 30%. He has made incremental improvements each year and still has highly impactful power.
Summary: Ortiz’s prospect star had already faded by the time he put pen to paper with the Phillies. He was a large 16 year old with real swing and miss issues. He had a great 2017 season with Williamsport, but had been largely underwhelming at many levels. The one thing that has been far from underwhelming has been that each year, Ortiz has shown up in even better shape and a better defender. He is not a centerfielder, despite getting some time there, but with his plus arm he might be an above average defender in an outfield corner. At the plate, he cleaned up some eye sight issues and made some approach changes, and the difference was a career high in walks and a decent drop in strikeouts. He is never going to run a low strikeout number, and his batting average will likely always be poor, so starting to get on base more is a good step. Ortiz still has mammoth raw power, and the increase in contact directly translated to a career high in home runs. Ortiz still swings and misses too much, and that likely keeps him from ever being a full time regular, but he is certainly back to trending in the correct direction.
2022 Outlook: Ortiz is on the 40 man roster, but it is unlikely he sees the majors for anything but an emergency. He is on pace to just make slow incremental improvements year over year.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: 26
16. Francisco Morales, RHP
Age: 22
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent in July 2016 by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’4” 185lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| REA (AA) | 22 | 20 | 4-13 | 83.0 | 6.94 | 8.2 | 1.2 | 15.4% | 28.2% |
| LHV (AAA) | 2 | 2 | 0-1 | 8.2 | 0.00 | 6.2 | 0.0 | 16.7% | 16.7% |
Role: High Leverage Reliever
Risk: Medium – Whether the ship has sailed already on Morales being a starting pitcher, or if it is still in port for now, he is strongly trending towards a bullpen role. His changeup continues to be more of an idea, and his control as a starting pitcher has been inconsistent.
Summary: Based on positive opinions out of Spring Training and the April Alternate Site, the Phillies jumped Morales over high-A (where he should have spent the 2020 season that never was) to AA. Morales’ raw stuff was plenty good enough for AA, but his control issues cropped up big time and were exacerbated by a Reading defense that was just a disaster for most of the season. The stuff is still there for Morales, his fastball sits mid 90s and touches a bit higher, and would theoretically improve in short stints. His slider continues to be a nasty pitch and is plus plus when he commands it, and he had some of his best success when he used it instead of his fastball as his primary pitch. Morales continues to attempt a changeup, and will occasionally break off one that looks good, but there has been no consistency over the years. Morales has never been an athletic pitcher, but he struggled throughout the year to keep his delivery in sync, often throwing fastballs high and wide, and relying on his slider to get him strikes. He is still only 22, so the Phillies could try the starter thing for one more year, but the fastball-slider combination and his current spot on the 40 man roster means they may have an impact reliever they could tap into. In a bullpen role, an ok strike throwing version of Morales is a frustrating 6th inning arm, but there is some potential for everything to play up in short bursts, and he is a closer level arm.
2022 Outlook: Morales still has two option years remaining, so the Phillies don’t need to make the bullpen move right now, but it should be on their minds. Given that, he probably starts in the Reading rotation, but if he doesn’t show marked improvement, the Phillies should consider starting on the bullpen transition.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: 3
15. Micah Ottenbreit, RHP
Age: 18
Acquired: Drafted in the 4th Round of the 2021 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’4” 190lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI (CPX) | 5 | 0 | 1-0 | 6.0 | 4.50 | 9.0 | 0.0 | 12.0% | 16.0% |
Role: #3/#4 Starter
Risk: Extreme – Ottenbreit is all projection. His fastball and curveball have good attributes, and he has a decent changeup for his age. However, his control is still well behind where it needs to be, and he will need velocity and strength growth.
Summary: Ottenbreit is the type of prospect you could have seen going to college for 3 years and coming out of the draft as a high round pick. His fastball is currently up to 94 with good attributes, and he has the frame to fill out and add at least another grade to his velocity. His curveball has high spin and big depth, and right now profiles as his best secondary pitch. He has a changeup that is already usable as well. Ottenbreit’s control has been poor so far, and he will need to find consistency with time. If Ottenbreit can fill out his 6’4” frame and find consistency he has mid rotation upside.
2022 Outlook: With no more short season ball, it makes sense for Ottenbreit to jump straight to Clearwater, rather than wait for the start of the FCL season.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: N/A
14. Hans Crouse, RHP
Age: 23
Acquired: Drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2017 Draft by the Rangers. Traded to the Phillies with Ian Kennedy for Spencer Howard, Kevin Gowdy, and Josh Gessner.
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’4” 180lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| FRI (AA) | 13 | 13 | 3-2 | 51.0 | 3.35 | 4.8 | 0.9 | 9.7% | 27.7% |
| REA (AA) | 6 | 6 | 2-2 | 29.2 | 2.73 | 7.3 | 0.9 | 9.8% | 31.1% |
| LHV (AAA) | 1 | 1 | 0-0 | 4.1 | 6.23 | 10.4 | 2.1 | 15.0% | 30.0% |
| PEO (AFL) | 4 | 4 | 1-1 | 16.0 | 5.06 | 6.8 | 1.1 | 13.4% | 35.8% |
| PHI (MLB) | 2 | 2 | 0-2 | 7.0 | 5.14 | 5.1 | 2.6 | 21.9% | 6.3% |
Role: #4 Starter/Multi Inning Reliever
Risk: Medium – On a good day, Crouse will show 2 average pitches and a plus slider, to go along with below average command. Nothing he currently has profiles him as a shutdown reliever, and his lack of command leaves him very much in doubt as a starter.
Summary: Coming out of high school, he was a power pitcher, up to 99 with a high spin rate. He had a more traditional slider and a changeup that lagged enough behind to create a lot of bullpen whispers. A few years of injuries, and a trade that saw him come back for a failed Phillies starting pitching prospect, and Crouse looks totally different. The fastball is now more a two seamer/sinker that is more in the 92-94 range, touching 96, and is no longer a bat misser. His slider is a tighter cutter-like pitch that has become his primary out pitch. His changeup is better than it used to be, but is still his third pitch. Overall, Crouse has a more complete starting pitching arsenal, but he lacks much of the impact that he used to have. The things that remain unchanged about Crouse is his middling command and his eccentric on mound (and off as well) personality. Crouse throws an ok amount of strikes, but he has a herky jerky delivery that gives some deception with not a lot of fine command of his pitches. His delivery itself can be a bit of a show with some added movement, and timing elements can make it difficult on hitters (and Crouse himself). Unless Crouse experiences a resurgence in raw stuff, he is caught in that in-between place where he is probably just a back end starter or multi inning middle reliever. There is a decent probability he can contribute something to the majors, but it might not be that big of an upside. In an ideal world, Crouse is one of those #3/#4 starting pitchers that is a crowd cult favorite despite never being one of the big names on the team.
2022 Outlook: With Zach Eflin likely starting the year behind schedule, Crouse is likely in the competition for the #5 starting pitcher slot out of Spring Training. Given their overall lack of starting pitching depth and his lack of impact reliever upside, the Phillies probably send him to AAA to be the #6 starter in case of emergency.
ETA: 2021
Previous Rank: N/A
13. Jordan Viars, OF
Age: 18
Acquired: Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2021 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’4” 215lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| PHI (CPX) | 22 | 64 | 3 | 2 | 17.2% | 18.8% | .255 | .406 | .468 |
Role: Above Average Regular
Risk: Extreme – Viars is a high school hitter with a limited track record against high level pitching. At best he ends up in an outfield corner, but he could end up at first base, and he is going to need to rake to make it work.
Summary: The pandemic created small sample sizes and information gaps. When the Phillies selected Viars in the third round, there was a collective “who?” from the public side of analysis and a “the Phillies got a steal” from some of the team based sources. Viars was only 17 at the time of the draft, but he is fairly physically mature already. He has a very quick short swing that generates at least plus power, and he should grow near to plus plus when he fully fills out. In his brief debut he showed a great feel for contact and good approach. If it all comes together, he could be a middle of the order impact hitter. He will need to at least approach that offensive ceiling, because he is going to either an outfield corner or first base long term. If he can stay in the outfield, it should help take a little pressure off of his bat, but he probably sees time at all three positions this year to maintain flexibility. Based on what he showed in his debut and his general physicality, Viars may be a faster mover through the system, because he won’t be waiting on his glove or muscle to catch up to his other tools.
2022 Outlook: Viars should join what should be a stacked team in Clearwater. He probably will see some time in the outfield and at first base.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: N/A
12. Hao Yu Lee, 2B
Age: 19
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent in June 2021 by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 5’10” 190lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | PA | HR | SB | BB% | K% | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| PHI (CPX) | 9 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 12.0% | 20.0% | .364 | .440 | .773 |
Role: Plus Bat, Ok Glove Second Baseman
Risk: High – Lee is a 19 year old with some worries about moving down the defensive spectrum and only 9 games of pro ball, normally a recipe for plenty of risk. However, Lee has a long track record of doing what he did since signing, and that is to make a large quantity of hard contact.
Summary: Lee was the top hitter out of Taiwan this past signing period, and the Phillies inked him to a $600,000 deal in June. Lee has long smashed the baseball as an amateur, and when he got into games late in the summer, he did exactly that all the way through instructs. Lee has great bat speed, and it shows in both his contact abilities and power for his age and size. It is still a small sample size since he signed, but all of the public and team measures are extremely positive on his offensive ability. Defense is more of a question. He is listed at second base, and it works for now. He has enough arm that they will likely give him some work at third base as well. Given what teams like the Dodgers have done with some questionable glove/plus bat guys over the years, second base is probably the better position for him long term.
2022 Outlook: Lee only played 9 games in the FCL, but he is almost certainly going to help make the Clearwater infield a place to watch every night alongside Jamari Baylor and Alexeis Azuaje.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: N/A
11. Erik Miller, LHP
Age: 24
Acquired: Drafted in the 4th Round of the 2019 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’5” 240lbs
2021 Stats:
| Team (LVL) | G | GS | W-L | IP | ERA | H/9 | HR/9 | BB% | K% |
| PHI (CPX) | 2 | 2 | 0-0 | 3.2 | 0.00 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 20.0% | 13.3% |
| CLW (A-) | 2 | 2 | 0-0 | 5.2 | 3.18 | 6.4 | 0.0 | 18.5% | 37.0% |
| JS (A+) | 2 | 2 | 0-0 | 3.1 | 0.00 | 8.1 | 0.0 | 18.8% | 25.0% |
| PEO (AFL) | 6 | 0 | 0-0 | 10.0 | 1.80 | 5.4 | 0.9 | 17.5% | 30.0% |
Role: Frustrating #3/#4 SP/High Leverage Reliever
Risk: High – In pro ball, Miller has shown the ability to both throw strikes more consistently and to throw the ball closer to his college velocity peak. He has done neither of those at the same time, or for very long, as injuries limited his 2021 season greatly.
Summary: Miller fell to the 4th round of the 2019 draft because he struggled to maintain his velocity and control, but had intriguing upside. In his first season, the Phillies had him throwing more strikes, but at a lower velocity. At 2020 Instructs, Miller was one of the standouts, consistently up to 95-96 and throwing strikes. His breakout 2021 season was derailed by an inability to stay healthy, pitching in only 5 regular season games, and then 6 in the Arizona Fall League. Miller’s control wasn’t sharp in 2021, but he only pitched 22.2 innings so the sample is small. His fastball was up to 97.8 according to the Clearwater data, and both his four seamer and two seamer feature high spin. His best secondary pitch is a slider that profiles as plus. His changeup will show plus as well, and his curveball can be a “get me over” pitch as well. Collectively it is a middle of the rotation arsenal, if his control can consistently be average. However, he could end up like Nick Pivetta or Vince Velasquez as the “always hoping they will be better” back end starter. Given his injuries and the control issues, there is a growing chance Miller ends up in the bullpen as the Phillies’ needs outweigh his needed time to develop. He has the arsenal to pitch multiple innings, and in short bursts his stuff probably plays up to high leverage outs. For now, the Phillies need impact starters and Miller needs innings, so the rotation is probably his home for 2021.
2022 Outlook: Miller was slated to make the jump to at least Jersey Shore in 2021, if not all the way to Reading. With a healthy and good spring, the Phillies could start him all the way in AA. Miller will be Rule 5 eligible after the season, and the Phillies are going to need to decide if they want to let him get more time trying to be a starter or just let him loose in the bullpen.
ETA: 2023
Previous Rank: 10