As it was for everyone in everything, it was another strange year in minor league baseball. The missed 2020 season, COVID outbreaks, smaller org roster, and rules changes made for a year with a lot of variables. The nice thing is this year people did play baseball, and in the Florida complex we were able to have access to more data than we have ever had available to the public before. That data joined the more traditional measured and reported stats and data I normally have, along with video and conversations with people both inside and outside of the Phillies and team employment in forming this list. After last year’s tiered list, I have returned to the more traditional top 50, but did make sure to include in this first segment a bunch of players that either just missed the list or have things that make them interesting as prospects.
As always, this list and the information in it was stale the minute it was written or typed out. We are dealing with human beings who are actively trying to improve at their craft and so while we can project and extrapolate based on observation, there is always new information coming in that causes us to have to reevaluate our opinions for the positive or the negative. Overall my goal throughout this is to provide you with as much information as I can so you can make informed opinions and get to know who these players are a bit more.
Here are some players that did not make the top 50, presented in the order of which I wrote them and not in a ranked list. (all ages are as of opening day)
Hitters:
OF Gavin Tonkel (19) – Tonkel, the Phillies 9th round pick in the 2021 draft can really run and projects to stay in center field. He is a long term project at the plate.
OF Felix Reyes (21) – Reyes is a very physical outfielder who made his pro debut in 2021. His swing and approach is a mess, but he had some of the louder contact on the Threshers roster.
OF Baron Radcliff (23) – Radcliff hits the ball harder than any other prospect in the system, but he often does it directly into the ground. He has a great eye and approach at the plate, but he has too many contact issues to likely ever tap into his raw power consistently.
IF Kendall Simmons (21) – Simmons hits the ball hard, but not consistently at the top end of the spectrum. His contact abilities have stagnated, and he has started to slip down the defensive spectrum again. He still has interesting tools, but the missed year of development, coupled with injuries in 2021, has put him behind his peers developmentally.
OF Carlos De La Cruz (22) – De La Cruz is still long and lanky, and hits the ball very hard. He has not improved his contact abilities, and while he was especially hit hard by the pandemic lost year, he is no longer young enough where he has time to make up for what was lost. The Phillies left him exposed in the minor league Rule 5 draft, showing how much he has slid.
C Chris Burke (20) – Burke is a young, Australian catcher who flashed some interesting offensive skills in his pro debut.
OF Jared Carr (22) – Carr came from a small school, but more of his offense translated to pro-ball than might have been expected. He might be able to play some center field as well. His swing and miss is concerning, but there is enough intrigue to track him as a bench outfielder.
OF Jefferson Encarnacion (20) – Encarnacion missed the season due to injury, but is an interesting athletic outfielder.
IF/OF Matt Kroon (25) – Kroon had an early season shoulder injury and didn’t really start playing everyday in Reading until late July. He took off during the second half, driving the baseball much more. He still has some scary walk and strikeout numbers. The other reason for his breakout is he started playing center field and was playable there, giving him the flexibility to play all three outfield positions plus first and third, opening up an outside chance at a cup of coffee in a bench role.
IF Dalton Guthrie (26) – Guthrie was once a big time college prospect, but an arm injury caused him to fall in the draft. He didn’t hit at any level of the Phillies system and wasn’t great in AA, but got forced up to Lehigh Valley due to players out with COVID and injuries, and had long stretches of hitting the baseball hard. He missed more of August due to an injury. He still has approach and contact issues that make it unlikely he will hit in the majors. He does now play every position but catcher and first base, and is in AAA so a call up is no longer an impossibility.
OF Leandro Pineda (19) – Pineda is an interesting outfielder who did not make a ton of quality contact in the complex, but showed good approach numbers and has interesting physicality.
C/1B Vito Friscia (25) – Friscia was a 40th round pick in 2019 and has mostly moved to being a first baseman and emergency catcher. He hits enough to be a solid minor league org contributor.
1B/ 3B D.J. Stewart (23) – Stewart is a large bodied corner infielder who showed a lot of improvement during the missed year. His lack of athleticism put his ceiling more near solid AA/AAA player than the major leagues.
Pitchers:
LHP Christopher Soriano (20) – Soriano is a short left handed starter who sits about 90, touching 93. He has a high spin sinker, and 4 pitches topped by a big curveball.
RHP Nicoly Pina (22) – Pina was throwing in the high 90s in 2020 before having Tommy John during the pandemic. He was throwing rehab outings in Instructs, but he is a relief only prospect who has not pitched above the complex.
RHP Rodolfo Sanchez (22) – Sanchez is a short right handed starter with a 3 pitch mix. None of his pitches really stand out with his fastball sitting 92-94, touching 95. His control took a step back in 2021, though he did miss more bats (automated strike zone caveats apply). Given his lack of impact stuff in the rotation, he might be served with a move to the bullpen long term to see if his stuff plays up in short bursts.
RHP Colton Eastman (25) – Eastman sits about 90 with his fastball with a good curveball. His command has not held up to pro-ball. His ceiling is an emergency call up innings eater.
RHP Dylan Castaneda (20) – Castaneda is a young, sinker-slider starting pitcher who struggled with his control and injuries in Clearwater.
RHP Jason Ruffcorn (23) – Ruffcorn is an accomplished college reliever with a large group of pitches. He likely needs to tighten up his group of pitches, but could be a quick moving up and down middle reliever.
LHP Zach Warren (25) – Warren continues to throw low to mid 90s with high walk and strikeout rates. His low ERA in Reading hides some underlying problems, but as a left handed reliever he has a chance if he can put things together for a few months.
RHP Victor Vargas (21) – Vargas is a low 90s sinker-slider starter who throws strikes. It is a short slider, and he struggles to miss bats against higher level batters.
LHP Kent Emanuel (29) – Emanuel is an up and down major league reliever, picked up off waivers.
LHP Kyle Dohy (25) – The Phillies once again added and removed Dohy from the 40 man roster. After some injuries and delivery issues, the Phillies sent him to Clearwater where he made large improvements and was in the mid 90s in Reading and dominant down the stretch. However, he was in the low 90s in the majors and his control issues continue to crop up. If he can find consistency, he has a major league future.
LHP Damon Jones (27) – Jones has the fastball and breaking ball to be a major league reliever, but he continues to not throw enough quality strikes, and that leaves him on the fringes of the 40 man roster.
LHP Braeden Ogle (24) – Ogle took a jump forward in relief in the Pirates organizations before being acquired for Abrahan Gutierrez, but regressed hard after the trade. He can reach the upper 90s with his fastball, but control issues have been his undoing. If the Phillies player dev can get him straightened back out, he could be an interesting middle reliever.
LHP Maikel Garrido (22) – Garrido throws hard with big spin on both his fastball and slider. He is up to 98 with his fastball, but struggles to throw strikes and does not project for much improvement in that area.
LHP Scott Moss (27) – Moss is a large lefty who would be better served in a bullpen role, but might be used as rotation depth. He is a project with an interesting slider, but is probably a fringe of the 40 man guy during his last option year.
LHP Samuel Aldegheri (20) – Aldegheri is an interesting Italian lefty who has a 3 pitch mix topped by his low 90s fastball, which was up to 94 this season.
LHP Jake McKenna (19) – Pre-2020 draft McKenna was written up as a high 80s-low 90s type pitcher, but the projectable 6’6” LHP is now in the mid to high 90s. Like many tall pitchers, his control has been a problem. He is more of a long term project, but one with tantalizing projectability.
RHP Manuel Urias (21) – Urias is a tall righty with 3 years of dominant performances in the DSL. He is only entering his age 21 season and currently sits in the low 90s.
RHP Tyler McKay (24) – McKay was a project out of JuCo in 2018, and was largely pedestrian in his first full year in 2019. He had an injury in mid 2021 and went down to Clearwater for some rehab and development. He showed improvement on his return to Jersey Shore, including some dominance down the stretch.
LHP Jared Wetherbee (23) – Wetherbee was a 4 year starter at Elon with a strong track record of missing bats. He is a short (5’10”) lefty who already looks to be moving to the bullpen. He is up to 93 with a four seam fastball with interesting attributes. He also has a curveball and split change.
RHP Alberus Barber (26) – Barber was a NDFA signing in 2019 and put up great numbers in his debut. During training in the lost 2020 season he was throwing in the mid to upper 90s. He never pitched in a game as arm injuries in the spring led to Tommy John surgery. He is once again throwing in his rehab.
LHP Rafael Marcano (21) – Marcano got off to a great start in Clearwater, but things faded down the stretch. He averaged 92 on his fastball and was up to 95, and has some interesting qualities. He also has a changeup and a curveball.
RHP Chase Antle (25) – Antle was part of the 2020 NDFA group of signings. A velocity spike in college had him into the high 90s, but he ultimately missed all of 2021 due to injury. He is back throwing again and has late inning upside if he can get healthy.
RHP Brett Schulze (24) – Schulze was the Phillies 7th round pick in 2019 and put up great numbers after signing (26.2 IP 0.34 ERA – though 7 unearned runs – 17 walks and 37 strikeouts). He missed all of the 2021 season due to injury, though he was back throwing in Instructs with good velocity.
RHP Noah Skirrow (23) – Skirrow missed some time due injury, but put up solid numbers in high-A and poor numbers in AA. He has a starter’s arsenal and a feel for pitching, but lacks impact stuff. He profiles as a AAA depth starter.