Phillies 2024 Midseason Prospect Ranking and Trade Deadline Preview

The draft picks have all signed and the trade deadline is next week, so like last year I am going to combine the two into a rankings update and thoughts on the trade deadline. Like always I have divided the list up into tiers. Within a tier the order is my preference. It isn’t 100% a trade preference list because I take the roster implications less into account than teams might. I will reference the preseason rank, but I did a mid June snapshot list as well.

In general, I think the Phillies have asked around about a lot of possibilities, but I believe they really would like to just get a RH hitting outfielder and another reliever. The Phillies have an obvious group of pitchers with upcoming 40 man considerations that are likely to be at the center of trade discussions. Unlike the past two years, there is more beyond that the Phillies may use in trades if a big player becomes available at a good price or they can’t get the player type they are looking for.

Tiers: 1-2 | 3 | 4-5 | 6-13 | 14-25 | 26-50

The top of the organization is the same as it as been for a bit. Painter and Miller aren’t perfect prospects, but for me they are clear cut top 30 prospects in baseball.

1. Andrew Painter, RHP
Summary: It has been 16 months since Painter first injured his elbow and 12 months since he had Tommy John surgery. He is reportedly throwing side sessions in the bullpens in Clearwater, and his recovery timelines probably put him right at facing live hitters as the minor league season winds down. When he was healthy he was arguably the best pitching prospect in baseball and near major league ready. He is still just 21 years old.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: There are no untouchables, but there are very few things that would make Andrew Painter available in a trade. Those things have also not been made available, and many of them would likely demand a package with other members of this list included and that would cause the Phillies to walk away.
Preseason Rank: 1

2. Aidan Miller, SS
Summary: Miller has stumbled a bit at Jersey Shore, but otherwise has shown plus offensive upside with the ability to stay at shortstop in the near term. He has a good approach at the plate, good in zone contact and limited chase. There is some swing and miss and some passivity at times in his approach, but it is still very good for his age and experience. He can get the ball in the air to his pull side, but still has plenty of power the other way.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Like Painter, Miller is not untouchable, but there are only a few players he would be available for and likely not alongside a host of other prospects. It is very unlikely that Miller is traded, but it is not an impossibility.
Preseason Rank: 3

There is a clear in between space where I have Caba, and he is probably the biggest prospect in the org with a real possibility of being traded. I would have him as a top 50-75 prospect in baseball.

3. Starlyn Caba, SS
Summary: Caba is by all accounts an excellent defender, though he will make a mistake here and there. Offensively he clearly has a great feel for the strike zone (more so that complex league umpires), but can be passive at times, willing to just take the walk from inexperienced hitters vs attacking pitches. He still lacks strength, but he hits enough balls over 100 mph to indicate he won’t have the bat knocked out of his hands down the line. There is a chance he grows into average power and can be a plus hitter, but there is a chance he is a bottom of the lineup batter. He is at least a plus plus runner with aggressive base running tendencies who has improved as the season has gone on.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: The Phillies aren’t looking to Caba, but he also is their piece they will likely make available in a big trade. For example if there is Luis Robert Jr. trade it probably will include Caba. Whether such a trade materializes will be determined more by what else other teams are asking for alongside Caba.
Preseason Rank: 4

Rounding out the top prospect in the orgs is two very different prospects. I know the Phillies and national sources are higher on Crawford than I am, and I am higher on Tait than most others. I would put them on the fringes of a Top 100 list.

4. Justin Crawford, OF
Summary: No player is more divisive in the Phillies system than Crawford. He is athletic, with plus plus speed, the tools to be a plus defender, and has been filling out physically. His swing is often disjointed and late, leading to a large amount of ground balls, particularly the other way. He does have solid raw power, and can take a high fastball to the opposite field for a home run or to turn on an inside pitch to the pull side. His approach struggles, and he struck out 20.2% of the time with the BlueClaws and only had a 6.6% walk rate. There is a very good player in the overall collection of tools and the Phillies believe in him, but there is also a ton of risk that he just is never going to put together the at bats and outcomes to be an everyday player.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Crawford is functionally untouchable in trades. The Phillies are the high team on his value and so it will be near impossible for a situation to materialize where the Phillies feel like they are getting adequate value for him in a deal. That said, national rankings have been higher of Crawford of late so maybe another team has a very high opinion of Crawford as well.
Preseason Rank: 5

5. Eduardo Tait, C
Summary: Tait has yet to turn 18, and departed the FCL with a .321/.377/.500 batting line in 51 games. He gets to his power easily, routinely posting high end exit velocities. He does make some bad contact at times, and he doesn’t always have the best approach at the plate. He can be an aggressive swinger and he has some chase, but he makes plenty of contact. Tait will need to become more discerning in order to tap into his power more and take advantage of some of the respect he will get at the plate. He is still growing defensively, but he looks like he should stick behind the plate, even if he won’t be a great defender.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Teams are going to ask about Tait, but I expect the Phillies to try and steer towards other players and to be shopping in a slightly lower tier. If there is a big deal, he could be involved, but he has much less universal value than Caba does.
Preseason Rank: 7

This next group is broadly “top 10 worthy” type prospects and outside of the two top draft picks it is where the headliner for a mid tier deal is likely to come from.

6. Mick Abel, RHP
Summary: It has been a terrible year for Mick Abel. The Phillies made some delivery changes and it rendered Abel unable to locate his fastball, missing up and armside. He has slowly regained some velocity over the course of the season, though he is still sitting about an mph below where he was last year. He and the Phillies are trying to rebuild things on the fly but it has often been many steps forward and back, often during the same start. His last start saw his fastball sit 95-97 with better control.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Teams will probably look to buy low on Abel, but the Phillies may not be looking to give up on Abel at this low point. Unless the Phillies want to get out of the Mick Abel business, I suspect he will be around after the deadline, but maybe a team will still value him highly in a deal.
Preseason Rank: 2

7. George Klassen, RHP
Summary: Klassen could not throw strikes in college, and while his command has not always been ideal as a pro, he has mostly been able to as a pro. His fastball sits mostly 96-98 and will get to 99, with not ideal shape. What has been carrying him his his hard slider/cutter at 88-92 and his mid 80s curveball. Klassen has not pitched deep into games and has already eclipsed his innings total from last year. While the Phillies have been cautious with him, his lack of full starters workload is making questions about him being a reliever louder. He is still a pitch or two short of a starter’s arsenal, but for now they have already done some of the hard work.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Unless he is the deal breaker on a key deal I expect the Phillies to direct teams to other arms in the organization in actual trade talks.
Preseason Rank: 22

8. William Bergolla, 2B
Summary: William Bergolla can hit. After a slow start he was on fire, bringing his season batting average nearly up to .300. He barely strikes out and walks at a good rate, especially once he settled in after the rough April. He is showing more power, and his swing and approach is geared in a way where more strength will lead to more impact at the plate. He still has to add more strength to even get to poor power, but he is still only 19. He has also shifted over near permanently to second base, which puts more pressure on his bat to perform. He still will play some shortstop and offer that defensive versatility to a team.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Bergolla is in the blocked position that Hao-Yu Lee was last year, but unlike last year the Phillies have some more options to move in a deal. The Phillies won’t have to make a 40 man decision on Bergolla for 2 more years, so they can take their time and grow into a potentially more valuable trade chip if there isn’t a deal there.
Preseason Rank: 8

9. Griffin Burkholder, OF
Summary: Burkholder was the Phillies 2nd round pick in this past draft. He has plus plus speed, athleticism, and potential plus raw power due to a projectable frame. For now he profiles as a center fielder, but if he fills out and the speed slips a bit he should slide into being a plus corner defender. He is far from a sure thing, but he is an interesting player to see how he grows.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Just drafted, can’t be traded.
Preseason Rank: N/A

10. Dante Nori, OF
Summary: The Phillies made Nori their first round pick, reaching a bit so they could afford Burkholder. He is a good defensive center fielder with plus plus speed, athleticism, and physical strength. However, he is geared for contact and not power and unless the Phillies can get more power out of him, he is going to need to be a plus defender to not slip into a 4th outfielder role.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Just drafted, can’t be traded.
Preseason Rank: N/A

11. Jean Cabrera, RHP
Summary: Still a string bean, Jean Cabrera added strength over the offseason and now is sitting 93-96 with his fastball with better command of his pitches. His high 80s changeup is his best pitch, with great deception and fade, allowing him to dominate left handed hitting. His sweeping slider is more average, but he pitches it well off his other pitches and has gotten better at using it to steal streaks away and to break into lefties. He profiles as a starting pitcher, likely more as a #4, but with a bit more upside if he continues this growth.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Cabrera, as one of the group of pitchers up for 40 man protection, is likely to be involved in trade discussions. He probably helps headline a deal for an everyday player rental or a mid tier platoon bat with control.
Preseason Rank: 18

12. Bryan Rincon, SS
Summary: Rincon had one terrible month where he looked passive and poor at the plate (.151/.309/.226 in April) and one month where he looked back to normal (.275/.370/.550 in May). He suffered an injury in the middle of that second month, and he has been out since then. He is a good defensive shortstop with some questions about whether his bat will make him a regular or a defensive oriented bench bat.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: It will be difficult to trade or trade for Rincon given he hasn’t played since mid May. If a team is valuing him at last offseason value there could be a deal, but it is likely most teams will want a more recent positive look to value him in that way.
Preseason Rank: 9

13. Samuel Aldegheri, LHP
Summary: Aldegheri had his first healthy season last year and has gotten stronger and better with hard work over the offseason. He is sitting more 90-94 up to 95 with a 4-seam fastball (that he works up in the zone) and sinker. His slider is an above average pitch he can use for chases away to lefties or break it in on righty’s feet. His curveball is a below average pitch that is just a change of pace strike stealer. His changeup has improved, but is still not a real weapon yet, and his platoon splits show that righties hit him harder than lefties (he has yet to allow an XBH to a lefty). He will need his command and stuff to take another step forward to make him more than a back end starter, but he has been improving year over year.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: It isn’t that much different than Jean Cabrera. Aldegheri has value (and some teams will prefer his left handedness) and the Phillies cannot carry all of these pitchers through the next offseason. He could headline one of the mid tier moves that it seems like the Phillies are heading towards.
Preseason Rank: 13

Some of this next group is a step down in talent, but mostly it is a step up in risk. Players in this group have an underdeveloped skill or an injury has caused them to miss time. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Phillies trade someone in this range, but also this may be the group they protect as they will fill into the group above by next trade deadline.

14. Gabriel Rincones Jr., OF
Summary: Rincones went on a tear to open the year and then injured his thumb and was out for 2 months. He is better tapping into his power year, sharply dropping his ground ball rate. He is always going to swing and miss, so it will be important to draw walks and for his contact to be loud. The Phillies have largely hid Rincones vs LHPs and he profiles as a strong side of a platoon corner bat in the majors.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Rincones has only been back from the IL for a short period of time. He is unlikely to headline a deal and while there is a possibility he is traded, I wouldn’t put it as the most likely outcome.
Preseason Rank: 12

15. Devin Saltiban, 2B
Summary: The Phillies moved Saltiban from the outfield to the infield, and he has quickly settled in at second base. He is still learning the position and it is a work in progress, but it isn’t time to abandon. Offensively, he is showing flashes offensively with some hard hit home runs, especially to the pull side. He is still struggling with offspeed, and his chase rate and zone contact rates aren’t great, but troubling. He was always going to need time, and nothing has changed that.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: There are likely some teams that will ask about Saltiban hoping to buy low or get him thrown in. If a team values him well and he is key to a deal, he probably won’t hold up a deal, but the Phillies are unlikely to be shopping him.
Preseason Rank: 16

16. Mavis Graves, LHP
Summary: Graves has been one of the best pitchers in the Florida State League all year. His velocity has flashed higher (up to 95), but he is mostly sitting 88 to 92. His offspeed pitches have been a revelation with his cutter, sweeper, and changeup all generating good chase rates and low contact rates. He will need to grow into his frame more to hit a high upside, but he is 20 and the frame is projectable. He might see his workload start to be monitored as we head towards the end of the season.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: A bit of a repeat of many of his Threshers teammates, but selling on Graves is likely selling early. I don’t think the Phillies will be the ones pushing Graves into trade talks, but projectable low minors pitching is a demographic teams like.
Preseason Rank: 37

17. Aroon Escobar, 2B
Summary: Escobar has struggled with health and elevating the ball for power. He looked to be solving both, but before he could tap into the power he was out with an undisclosed injury. Escobar has a great approach and pitch recognition, but has struggled to catch pitches in position to drive. He hits the ball hard for his age and level, and he has interesting untapped potential if he can put things together at the plate. Defensively he plays second and third, and a strong arm probably makes third the better long term position.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Teams are likely going to ask about Escobar and he was trending towards a valuable deadline piece, but his injuries have eliminated recent looks. Given the other players in the organization, the injury and lack of urgency probably keeps him out of talks.
Preseason Rank: 46

18. Wen Hui Pan, RHP
Summary: Pan missed the first 3 months of the season due to broken bones in his pitching hand. The lateness of his return to the season has left him unable to really ramp up as a starting pitcher, leaving him more in bulk relief. Pan will sit 96-98 and touch 99+ with a flat riding fastball. His splitter should be his second best pitch long term, and his hard cutter-like slider is another weapon. He still has a curveball he will use occasionally and a host of other pitches he has shelved. Pan has struggled in the past to hold velocity deeper into starts or without plenty of rest. He has a starter’s arsenal, but he might be better in the bullpen long term.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Pan is really hard to value. His injury is not something that would be worrying in the long term, but it has hurt his chances to start this year. If a team values him as a starting pitcher, there might be space for trade talks, but there might not be an alignment where he is valued fairly.
Preseason Rank: 14

19. TJayy Walton, OF
Summary: Walton was a player lauded in Spring Training as a potential breakout, but injuries have limited him to just 27 games. Everything is sort of small sample size at the plate, but Walton has shown high end exit velocities, and ability to do damage when he makes contact. His approach shows some positive qualities, but it is hard to make any sweeping judgements. He still needs to work on pulling the ball in the air to tap into his raw power.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Similar to many other players here, Walton has had an injury that makes him hard to value. None of these players are untouchable or untradeable, they just are hard to trade.
Preseason Rank: 17

20 Tyler Phillips, RHP
Summary: Tyler Phillips has been adapting and improving on a week by week basis. He is averaging 1-2 mph more on his fastball this season, a sinker that is more a strike stealer that generates some ground balls. He has started throwing his sweeper more, getting better movement on it in the majors, and has largely set aside his changeup. He has also added a cutter that he has found more feel and success with. He has always had decent control and now over a year removed from his Tommy John surgery return he has been a workhorse. He is 26 years old and looks like a back end starter, but as someone noted he has some Spencer Turnbull tendencies. This ranking is almost certainly incorrect, but I don’t have the evidence to have a strong conviction in any direction.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: It is hard to value Phillips given his improvements, and he is providing real depth for the major league club. The only scenario that really makes sense is if there is a major deal for a starting pitcher. Phillips feels more likely to be an offseason trade piece.
Preseason Rank: UR

21. Carson DeMartini, 3B
Summary: The Phillies took DeMartini in the 4th round of the draft this month. After improving his strikeout rates in 2023, they were astronomically high in 2024, though the Phillies think that dealing with an injury recovery may have opened some correctable holes. He is a pull oriented left handed power hitter.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Just drafted, can’t be traded.
Preseason Rank: N/A

22. Michael Mercado, RHP
Summary: Due to organizational need and intriguing characteristics the Phillies tried Mercado as a starting pitcher up until mid July. He built up to be able to sit 94-97 with his fastball over the course of his starts. But he hasn’t shown great consistent feel for a changeup and his cutter and curveball haven’t been overly dominant pitches either. That has left him with some pretty large platoon splits and walk rates. Given how he looked as a reliever this spring, it feels like that is the more likely outcome.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Mercado has two more minor league options, upside, and major league utility. It is what the Phillies value and it is hard to see them trading him at this point.
Preseason Rank: 31

23. Alex McFarlane, RHP
Summary: McFarlane had a breakout start to the 2023 season, then dealt with injuries all year before having Tommy John surgery last fall. He should be throwing off a mound at some point soon and probably will enter 2025 with rehab completed but workload restrictions. He was pitching as a starter last year, but with the injury, his arsenal, and his control issues, he is probably a reliever.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: You can’t say never, but the way he limped through the end of the season, plus the surgery makes him a mystery box with a ton of risk. The only way he gets traded is if there is a fan of him as an amateur pounding the table somewhere.
Preseason Rank: 21

24. Eiberson Castellano, RHP
Summary: The Phillies moved Eiberson to the rotation this year and he has responded with more velocity and better slider. He has had a couple of high strikeout games on the back of the slider, and has largely held his velocity and stuff into starts. His changeup lacks and he has large platoon splits, which point to his likely home back in the bullpen as probably a 6th/7th inning type arm.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: Castellano is sort of the lower tier version of Cabrera and Aldegheri, he is Rule 5 eligible after the season and going to need to protection. He has much more reliever risk than the other two and is probably a main piece for a lower end rental or a secondary piece in a larger deal.
Preseason Rank: UR

25. Christian McGowan, RHP
Summary: McGowan was supposed to be back healthy this year, but missed nearly 2 months with a shoulder injury and while off the IL, is only ramped up to 3 innings. McGowan was up to 98 with his fastball with Clearwater, but faded over the next two innings. He has a slider and a changeup, and has struggled with control in the past. The Phillies will likely continue to develop him as a starter, but he might be a reliever in the long term.
Trade Deadline Thoughts: McGowan is another one of the Rule 5 eligible players, but his value is harder to pin down then the rest of the group. If he can put together a nice end of year he is probably more of an offseason trade candidate.
Preseason Rank: 10

The rest of the list doesn’t have individualized blurbs. In general, the Phillies will likely prioritize trading players closer to the majors without immediate major league utility over those farther away.

26. Carter Mathison, OF
Summary: Mathison came on strong as a high school senior, had a great freshman year at Indiana and then fade to “just a good year” his next two seasons while also struggling to hit for power over the summer with wood bats. He has good raw power and can play center field right now. There is some risk he won’t hit, but there is upside and a plausible 4th outfielder medium-optimistic outcome path.
Preseason Rank: N/A

27. John Spikerman, SS
Summary: The Phillies took Spikerman, a speedy switch hitting center fielder, in the third round of the draft and immediately announced he was moving to shortstop. He hasn’t played the infield since high school and there is a chance he moves to second even if he stays on the infield. He can hit, but the worry is whether he will hit the ball hard enough to actually have offensive value.
Preseason Rank: N/A

28. Guillermo Rosario, C
Summary: Rosario came out of the gate on fire, but has struggled since May. He is a long lanky-ish catcher who can hit the ball hard. He is a good defender at catcher who has moonlighted at first base due to roster needs. He chases too much and he will need to cut down on the swing and miss, but he has good projection and upside.
Preseason Rank: UR

29. Jordan Viars, OF
Summary: It has been a struggle for Viars since he was drafted in the 3rd round in 2021, but in May he started a 2 month run where he began to put things together, hitting for power and working counts better. He still has a large problem with offspeed pitches, has not hit lefties, and could elevate the ball a bit more. However, he has a rare, for the system, ability to hit missile after missile out of the ballpark.
Preseason Rank: UR

30. Otto Kemp, 3B
Summary: Kemp has been one of the best hitter in minor league baseball this year. He is a bit on the older side, and despite struggling last year, he had interesting underlying numbers, including good exit velocities. He is elevating the ball a bit more this year, but his swing and miss has been exposed at Reading. He has some positional versatility, but the defensive reports are mixed. He still has more upside, but approach numbers at Reading give some pause for now.
Preseason Rank: UR

31. Griff McGarry, RHP
Summary: In order to try and fix Griff’s control issues they cleaned up his delivery and moved him to the bullpen. His stuff hasn’t really leaped forward (he is mostly 94-96) and his control is better, but not great. His cutter is still an interesting pitch, as is the fastball movement, but he is now more in the interesting AAA reliever category.
Preseason Rank: 15

32. Carlos De La Cruz, OF
Summary: De La Cruz had a terrible April, mediocre May, and scorching June before getting promoted to AAA. He still swings and misses too much, but the power is very easy.
Preseason Rank: 11

33. Alirio Ferrebus, C
Summary: Ferrebus got left in the DSL with Tait and Rosario taking the catcher reps in the FCL, but 3 weeks of destroying the FCL saw him promoted to the FCL. He is an athletic catcher with good size who can hit the ball well. He didn’t walk in the FCL, but he had a good approach in the DSL. He looks like he can stick behind the plate defensively.
Preseason Rank: UR

34. Enrique Segura, RHP
Summary: It has been a mixed year for the 19 year old right hander. He started a no-hitter and got promoted to the Threshers. However, his fastball velocity is down a bit and his control has been spotty. His changeup has improved, and he has shown that he can shoulder a starting pitcher workload.
Preseason Rank: 25

35. Andrew Baker, RHP
Summary: The start to Baker’s season was so bad that the Phillies demoted him to Jersey Shore. While back with the BlueClaws he got his delivery back together and his stuff is popping again. He is 96-98, touching higher with his fastball with a mid 80 power breaking ball. Since June 5 he has pitcher 15 innings in 13 games with a 1.20 ERA, 2 walks, and 23 strikeouts. So far the improvements have carried over in his return to Reading (his last 6 games.
Preseason Rank: 30

36. Caleb Ricketts, C
Summary: Despite hitting 16 home runs in his last year of college, power has not come to Ricketts as a pro. He has 6 doubles and 6 home runs this year, all coming at his power friendly home ballpark. He is not a good enough defender to be a low power hitter, even if his approach has been good, so he will need either improve more behind the plate or impacting the ball.
Preseason Rank: 39

37. Hendry Mendez, OF
Summary: Getting the ball in the air has long been Mendez’s problem, and it hasn’t really improved since coming over for Oliver Dunn. He does walk more than he strikes out and has done better driving the ball in July.
Preseason Rank: 34

38. Anderson Navas,
Summary: After signing, Navas was considered the steal of the Phillies draft class. He is a big catcher with big levers and that has led to some struggles with contact. He has 4 walks and 40 strikeouts in 29 games. The approach numbers have not improved in July, but he has shown some flashes of raw power.
Preseason Rank: N/A

39. Jalvin Arias, OF
Summary: Arias was the Phillies top signing this offseason. Injuries have limited him to just 14 games, where he flashed power, swing and miss, and some patience.
Preseason Rank: N/A

40. Casey Steward, RHP
Summary: Steward was the Phillies 19th round pick last year and has been good in the rotation first with the Threshers and then the BlueClaws. He is a big right hander, and saw a bit of a velocity increase, getting his fastball up to 97 and averaging just under 94. His fastballs and changeup have been hit in the zone (but he has gotten some expansion with the 4-seam and change). A lot of his success has come from the combination of sweeper and gyro slider, but getting misses in the zone and limiting damage. He might be a reliever, but there is some back end starter potential.
Preseason Rank: UR

41. Nikau Pouaka-Grego, 2B
Summary: It has been a struggle for the New Zealand infielder in his return from injury. He has not hit the ball hard, has chased, and has struggled in the strike zone. The lack of power worked when Pouaka-Grego just hit, but that has been a struggle the last two months. Thy have limited his playing time, but he may be wearing down after missing the full year.
Preseason Rank: 27

42. Emaarion Boyd, OF
Summary: Boyd has struggled with the BlueClaws, especially vs RHPs. He makes contact, and he doesn’t put an overwhelming amount on the ground, but he is popping the ball up a ton, and outside of some impressive home runs has not hit the ball with authority. He is hitting the ball harder in July, but his approach is falling apart in the process.
Preseason Rank: 23

43. Leandro Pineda, OF/1B
Summary: Pineda, repeated Jersey Shore and picked up first base defensively because of team needs. He will hit some balls that are real gorgeous swings, but he doesn’t hit the ball hard enough consistently given his position. He will almost certainly be a platoon bat if he makes it, but he only turned 22 in June, so he still does have some time left to keep making incremental improvements.
Preseason Rank: UR

44. Jake Eddington, RHP
Summary: Eddington has flashed interesting upside with a fastball up to 97 and some good sliders. However, he has struggled with health and control, and more infuriatingly consistency. His velocity and pitch shapes can very wildly within a start. There might be a starting pitcher in there, but it probably makes more sense for him to simplify his arsenal and air the ball out more.
Preseason Rank: 45

45. Max Lazar, RHP
Summary: The Phillies made a shrewd move signing Lazar as a minor league free agent because he is on the cusp of the majors. He has an unusual delivery has him coming over the top with a fastball, curveball, and slider. He has more limited damage than missed bats, however he does get some chases on his fastball and that should continue going forward. He has great stats in AAA, but he profiles more as a middle reliever than a high leverage arm.
Preseason Rank: UR

46. Keaton Anthony, 1B
Summary: Keaton Anthony has been a line drive machine as a pro, and when combined with solid chase and zone contact rates has made him an average and on base machine. He is a R/R first baseman so he needs to hit for power. He obviously needs to elevate the ball more, but with a 90th percentile EV of 101.7 mph with Clearwater there is a concern that he just does not have enough raw power to be a viable first baseman.
Preseason Rank: UR

47. Raylin Heredia, OF
Summary: After looking like he was breaking out in the FCL in 2023, Heredia has struggled mightily in the Florida State League. The problem is offspeed pitches as Heredia owns a very high whiff rate vs offspeed and a chase rate that is also concerning. These were problems in the DSL, and they have reared their head again, otherwise he can impact the ball enough to be viable as a corner outfielder, he just needs to actually make enough contact.
Preseason Rank: 20

48. Marcus Lee Sang, OF
Summary: Lee Sang has had a season of contradictions. He walked a bunch in April, but was too passive, and then swung too much in May, but with better results. June was his best month, but July has been a struggle. He has not been affected by the Reading home/road, but he has had some small sample struggles with left handed pitching. It has long been a stiffer swing and questionable success vs breaking balls, but he will put together runs that hint that he might be getting some of the pieces together.
Preseason Rank: UR

49. Micah Ottenbreit, RHP
Summary: Ottenbreit has been healthy, and that really is the best news of the season. His sweeper and curveball have interesting shape, but all of his pitches have gotten hit in the zone, and none are generating high levels of swing and miss. His velocity is up a little bit, but 92 mph is still too low given he doesn’t have a good shape for a 4-seamer or a sinker.
Preseason Rank: 36

50. Kehden Hettiger, C
Summary: Hettiger has had a solid approach at the plate. He is a bit too passive, but he doesn’t chase much. Unfortunately, he has some struggles vs secondaries and contact issues in the zone. He also has not hit the ball that hard when he has made contact. After some initial optimism, he has struggled on defense as well. He is still young, and he has had to deal with catching and switch hitting, so all is not loss yet, but it wasn’t a good first impression.
Preseason Rank: 28