Phillies 2025 Top Prospects – Intro and the Back (27-50)

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Ever since the Phillies brought in Dave Dombrowski to run their baseball operations, they have been looking to overhaul the farm system and develop a sustaining long term pipeline. The process involved throwing aside large pieces of the previous framework, many of which have gone on to have success in other organizations, in order to build a cohesive engine of player development.

On the pitching side, it has been a relative success. Multiple breakout players are now in other organizations through trade or the backlog of the Rule 5 draft exposing them to other teams. The front office has mostly not spent premium resources on adding pitching to the system, but out of that has come moderate immediate success (Orion Kerkering) and an actual concentration of high minors depth. 

The hitting side has been less successful. Aidan Miller looks like a real gem, but they have spent premium resources on players that have struggled to show impact at the plate, and they have been poor at taking the rawer clay and molding it into a good player. Two top international signees have gone out the door, one in a trade of good value and one for a middle reliever. Meanwhile, they have struggled outside of Eduardo Tait to identify and develop another hitting prospect from the international ranks.

The Phillies have been pleased with the process, elevating Preston Mattingly from Farm Director to General Manager. Mattingly’s staff has organized a cohesive structure with a high standard, but it is now the time when they actually will need to produce results as the resources available to them in talent acquisition are squeezed ever tighter.

For those new to this exercise, I break the list down into tiers or groupings. They don’t represent a distinct OFP or Overall Future Potential grouping, nor does the Role represent that either. Instead, they are logical groupings where I view the players in a preferred list, but with enough closeness that they are nearly interchangeable. The role and risk is now mostly a construct of my own making separated from its original roots that I have stubbornly stuck to over the years. It is meant to convey a reasonable positive outcome, assuming a positive development of existing skills and projection. The risk is then meant to be a description of what those pitfalls may be. It could be the length of time needed to cross a developmental distance, it could be a linchpin skill, it could be health, or a myriad of other things. My goal is not that you take this list as gospel, but that you know why I evaluated a player the way I did and the relevant facts, so that you can make your own interpretation based on what you value.

For my evaluations I watched video, talked to people in the public sphere (a shout out to Steve Potter who gets excellent information from the complex), pulled numbers from Baseball Savant, Fangraphs, Baseball Reference, and MLB and MiLB dot com, as well as consulted derived metrics such as those from Baseball Prospectus and Rob Orr’s wonderful site. Data is always an unbalanced thing, for leagues (AAA and FSL) with Statcast there is a multitude of data on the above places as well as in my own spreadsheets. For the complexes the Phillies have video with varying data, and I was able to track every pitcher who played in a game as well as get a feel for things such as pitch movement and player exit velocity. For Jersey Shore and Reading I was more reliant on parks with velocity numbers or helpful announcers. I do not have the private trackman data sets, but bits and pieces from those that do have access, and that has been helpful in the work.

As for the list itself, I have about 50 more players I will try and write notes on, as I don’t mean to imply there are only 50 players (or really 100) in the organization that could contribute to the major league team. There is finite time and one must make arbitrary cutoffs. This first group is large, 24 players, and represents a great mass at the bottom of the system, and while I don’t know if there is a large drop off between 26 and 27, this sort of represents some of the struggle with the system, a poor 2024 draft, poor international signings, and trades that have left the whole thing rather thin. If I appear not excited about the system, this is the reason why. I don’t dislike these players, I just am not inspired by the back of the list. Don’t worry it will get better as we climb.

All Ages are as of Opening Day (3/27/25)

27. Carter Mathison, OF

Age: 22 (1/26/03)
Acquired: Drafted in the 5th Round of the 2024 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’2” 215lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (Lvl)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)11440625.0%25.0%.207.477.241

Role: Bench Outfielder Who Can Stand in Center Field
Risk: High – Mathison has a history of a solid approach and power in college, but has shown no power with wood bats. For now he can play center field, and in the long term he should be able to handle it in a pinch in a bench role.
Summary: Mathison had a great freshman year, and then declining production his next two college seasons. After hitting just 3 extra base hits in the Cape Cod League in 2023, he managed just a double in 13 pro games. His pro exit velocity numbers were poor on a very small number of balls in play. He also showed zone contact issues and problems against offspeed pitches. The one positive is that he kept his chase rate down while swinging at pitches in the zone, which backs up the solid approach numbers in college. Defensively, Mathison will probably play a corner for his time in the Phillies system, with some exceptions for mixing and matching, and he should be a good defender out there. The overall hope is that there is some strength or bat speed training the Phillies have in store for him that will help bring out enough power for the approach to work.
2025 Outlook: Mathison will be in the jumble of outfielders competing for spots in Jersey Shore or joining the kids in Clearwater.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: N/A

28. John Spikerman, OF

Age: 21 (4/2/03)
Acquired: Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2024 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: S/R
H/W: 6’0” 190lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)17750712.0%26.7%.226.360.323

Role: Bench Outfielder Who Can Play Centerfield
Risk: High – Spikerman should be a plus defensive outfielder in all three spots with plus plus speed, which should keep his floor decently high. However, he has yet to show any amount of power while striking out too much when presented with good pitching.
Summary: The Phillies took Spikerman in the 3rd round, announced him as a shortstop (a position he has only played once since high school), and then proceeded to play him only in the outfield. Despite having great speed, Spikerman has rarely been a prolific base runner, but he should be a good defender. In the Phillies system, he is likely to play all over the outfield due to the other center fielders present, but from a pure skill set he should be a positive on defense. The bat is the real question. He hit .368 as a junior against college defenses with fairly limited power. In his small sample pro debut he had a 90th percentile exit velocity of 95.3 mph and topped out at 103.1 mph while swinging and whiffing often with very poor numbers vs secondary pitches, a below average zone contact rate, and a decently high chase rate. It would be easier to write off the 17 game sample size if he had not struggled in similar ways in the Cape Cod League after his sophomore year.
2025 Outlook: Given the round he was drafted in and his school pedigree, Spikerman could open the season with the BlueClaws. He may not get to actual power in that park, but he will need to show some impact.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: N/A

29. Jalvin Arias, OF

Age: 18 (10/1/06)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2024
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’2” 230lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
PHR (DSL)14562121.4%35.7%.233.411.372

Role: Everyday Regular
Risk: Extreme – Arias has some contact issues, but he also only played in 14 games before being injured, and 14 games in the DSL is not really a sample size.
Summary: Arias was the Phillies top international signing in the 2024 class. He is a thick right handed hitting outfielder with a long torso and limbs. His at least plus raw power is evident, and he can get to it easily. In his time in the DSL and Instructs he wasn’t a free swinger, but he has some contact holes. Arias played some center field this season, but is going to be a corner outfielder in the long term. Overall, the results weren’t horrendous this year, but the missed time wasn’t great, and he still is of an archetype that the Phillies have struggled to identify and develop well.
2025 Outlook: Given roster constraints, it feels like Arias would repeat the DSL with a trip stateside if things go well. However, given the size of his bonus it would not be shocking if he started in the complex.
ETA: 2029
Previous Rank: N/A

30. Griff McGarry, RHP

Age: 25 (6/8/99)
Acquired: Drafted in the 5th Round of the 2021 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’2” 190lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
JS (A+)100-01.00.000.00.00.0%66.7%
LHV (AAA)2902-130.24.706.80.924.5%27.2%
Glendale (AFL)542-012.03.756.00.020.8%28.3%
Total3544-143.24.336.40.023.2%28.1%

Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – High seems to understate that McGarry walked 47 batters in 43.2 innings this season. However, even with no control, McGarry has limited damage and his slider has a chance to be a primary pitch for a major league reliever.
Summary: The idea of Griff McGarry will always be better than the actual version of Griff McGarry. His control and delivery somehow visually look better while being a 10 on the 20-80 scale. The Phillies continue to tinker with his delivery and role to try and find something that makes him more comfortable, but it has generally not gone great even if he looked surprisingly durable in short starts. The pure stuff has backed up too, he is no longer 94-97 touching 99 with a flat fastball with solid ride, he is now more 93-95 touching 96-97 with the same flatness but a little less ride, and he just has not gotten the same amount of whiffs and chases on it. His high 80s slider/cutter is his best pitch, and if he makes the majors it might be his most used pitch. He still has a sweeper that he will mix in as well. The key as always will be finding consistency and something approaching below average command, but there is a path here where he is an infuriating 6th inning arm as soon as the 2025 season.
2025 Outlook: McGarry should return to AAA where he will try to throw more strikes and battle the rest of the AAA bullpen for what should be some churn at the edge of the major league bullpen.
ETA: 2025
Previous Rank: 15

31. Guillermo Rosario, C

Age: 19 (4/22/05)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2022
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’2” 190lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
PHI (FCL)512014211.9%27.4%.237.338.385
CLW (A-)1239102.6%30.8%.194.231.278
Total632405210.4%27.9%.229.321.361

Role: Second Catcher
Risk: Extreme – Rosario’s glove might be good enough that his bat can be a negative, and his bat in 2024 was good for 1 month of the 4 he played.
Summary: Rosario looked destined for a huge breakout, hitting .299/.388/.567 over the first month of the FCL season. He had some contact issues, but his power looked like a very intriguing tool going forward. However, after that first month he only had 6 extra base hits in 44 games and his contact issues spiraled before his season ended with an injury in August. There are good underlying power numbers for Rosario if he can make enough contact, hitting the ball over 108 mph in the FCL and running 102.9 mph 90th percentile EV in a very tiny sample size in the FSL. If he can just be a catcher who is below average in other aspects and hits one out occasionally he might have a future because of his glove. Rosario presents a solid athletic target behind the plate and already receives praise as a team leader. He controlled the running game and made one of the most heads up plays you will ever see a catcher make. All told, it wasn’t the huge breakout that looked impending, but Rosario is on the prospect map now.
2025 Outlook: There are quite a few catchers in Florida right now, but Rosario probably has an inside path on being Eduardo Tait’s primary partner behind the plate for the Threshers to open the season.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: UR

32. Trent Farquhar, 2B

Age: 24 (3/12/01)
Acquired: Signed as an Undrafted Free Agent by the Phillies in 2023 
B/T: L/R
H/W: 5’7” 185lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)321441924.3%18.1%.314.493.429
JS (A+)3817201912.8%19.8%.257.386.336
REA (AA)5200010.0%5.0%.389.450.444
Total7834512817.1%18.3%.285.433.374

Role: Bench Infielder
Risk: High – Farquhar can play shortstop, but he really is a second baseman, and he does not have the power to be an everyday player there unless he hits at an unprecedented rate.
Summary: Farquhar is the type of player that is very fun to watch and will draw a bunch of cliches that are also probably not unwarranted due to his size and way he plays the game. Farquhar is listed at 5’7” and really does not look an inch over that and is already solidly built. He has a real simple swing from the left side that has below average power (99.1 mph 90th percentile EV with Clearwater), but might have more strength than he shows. He has a great approach and makes plenty of line drive contact, and in the minors that plays well. He is a plus runner, but he isn’t a burner. He plays really hard and seems to do many of the little things. Primarily a second baseman, he will get time at short and third, and probably will be asked to get more time there if his long term future is on a bench. Unless he suddenly taps into power or just continues to hit an outlier outcome, it is a really tough profile as a starting player. He probably ends up more as the bench guy you like but you worry the manager likes a bit too much.
2025 Outlook: Farquhar ended the year at Reading, and he probably returns there to be Aidan Miller’s double play partner. He could see time with the IronPigs late in the year.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: UR

33. Jordan Viars, OF

Age: 21 (7/18/03)
Acquired: Drafted in the 3rd Round of the 2021 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’4” 215lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)6426512211.3%30.6%.252.355.491
JS (A+)271052010.5%39.0%.180.276.247
Total9137014211.1%33.0%.232.332.422

Role: Strongside Platoon OF/DH
Risk: Extreme – Viars struck out nearly 40% of the time after his promotion to Jersey Shore and is already unplayable vs LHPs. Only Kyle Schwarber on the major league team hit a ball harder than Viars did this year, so his raw power is special.
Summary: Despite being in his 4th season and already being quite large, Jordan Viars only turned 21 last July. His first few years had been marred by injuries and inconsistency, and it looks like much of the same was happening in 2024. He then hit .299/.391/.563 across May and June with a very good (for him) 27.8% K%. Things dropped off precipitously from there, with him going 23 games at Jersey Shore without an extra base hit before hitting 2 home runs in the last series of the year. He swings and misses a ton, posting a 74.6% zone contact rate with the Threshers to go with some large chase and whiff rates vs offspeed. He does, however, hit the ball hard. His 90th percentile exit velocity was not the best on the Threshers, but at 105.5mph it was 93rd percentile in the Florida State League according to Rob Orr’s metrics, and his max exit velocity of 114 mph was 99th percentile. He was also a disaster vs lefties with the Phillies already shielding him, hitting .086/.273/.114 in 44 plate appearances. It is very likely that Viars cannot make enough contact to even really make AA work, but his power potential is one of those tools that, even if he can tap into it in a limited capacity, might give him major league upside.
2025 Outlook: Viars took enormous strides from 2023 to 2024 and he is going to need to do it again in a return to Jersey Shore.
ETA: 2027
Previous Rank: UR

34. Micah Ottenbreit, RHP

Age: 21 (5/7/03)
Acquired: Drafted in the 4th Round of the 2021 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’4” 190lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
CLW (A-)19193-994.04.888.40.810.0%24.1%

Role: #5 Starter
Risk: Extreme – Ottenbreit was healthy all year after missing two years to Tommy John surgery, recovery, and setbacks. He pitched a full season of innings, but his pitches have him looking like a project without a clear path to a major league role.
Summary: After missing essentially two years, Ottenbreit getting on the mound and making 19 starts and pitching 94 innings is a huge success. As for on the mound success it was much more mixed. It starts with his fastball just being a terrible pitch right now. He throws a sinker that doesn’t get a ton of sink, but does get a lot of armside run. He lost some velocity over the course of the year, but it is a pitch that averages about 92 mph and will get near 94-95 at its peak. His zone contact rate on most of his pitches was pretty poor, but hitters made contact on 93% of the 243 swings they took in the zone on his fastball and 87% overall. The movement profile might not get better (though maybe a poor 4-seamer could help mix things up), so the velocity and the command will have to. In theory, a highly horizontal fastball would pair well with what is a very horizontal arsenal overall. Ottenbreit’s slider at about 83.5mph gets more vertical break than maybe you want from a sweeper, but he pairs it with a curveball with the same sweep but a 2.5 mph velocity and 5” of vertical break difference. The result has been a lot of called strikes in the zone and a decent number of whiffs outside of it. His changeup sits about 85 mph, and has some decent drop, but somehow gets less armside run than his fastball. He threw it more as the year went on, but it had pedestrian results. All of this is to say Ottenbreit is a project. The feel for spin lays a foundation where he probably needs to add a cutter or hard slider and 4-seamer and should be able to do so. He is young enough and now removed enough from surgery that he should be able to build some velocity as well. The Phillies have molded and made changes to this type of arm, so it is worth hanging on for another look.
2025 Outlook: Ottenbreit is entering his age 22 season and put in a full set of innings in Clearwater, he should open in the BlueClaws rotation.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: 36

35. Max Lazar, RHP

Age: 25 (6/3/99)
Acquired: Drafted in the 11th Round of the 2017 Draft by the Brewers. Signed as a minor league free agent with the Phillies in December 2023
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’1” 200lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
REA (AA)800-010.10.002.60.00.0%52.9%
LHV (AAA)2904-333.02.456.50.37.5%28.4%
PHI (MLB)1100-013.24.618.61.33.7%16.7%
MiLB Total3704-343.11.875.60.26.0%33.3%

Role: Multi Inning Middle Reliever
Risk: Medium – Lazar is major league ready, the real question is whether he falls below the threshold to pitch lower leverage innings in a bullpen.
Summary: In his second full year in the bullpen, Lazar blazed through AA and AAA before making his major league debut. Lazar has an outlier delivery, posting near top of the scale horizontal release and extension. His fastball has fringe average velocity for a reliever, averaging 93.6 mph, and comes in fairly steep with below average ride, but natural cut. He has a big curveball around 80 mph with -18” of IVB and a mid to high 80s gyro slider with a little less horizontal break. None of his pitches had much success in the zone in the majors or AAA, but he was able to get hitters to expand the zone while also getting called strikes in the zone. He threw his fastball less in the majors last year, but at 58% it was still likely too much. Overall, he lacks the dominant pitch to work in high leverage, but he has enough weirdness he could carve out a multi inning lower leverage role.
2025 Outlook: Lazar will compete for a spot in the MLB bullpen, but since he has remaining options, it is likely he will start in Lehigh Valley, but he should be up and down all year.
ETA: 2024
Previous Rank: UR

36. Angel Liranzo, LHP

Age: 18 (8/5/06)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2023
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’1” 172lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
CLW (A-)101-02.13.863.90.027.3%18.2%

Role: #4 Starter
Risk: Extreme – A back injury limited Liranzo to just one official game in his age 17 season. He has a solid base, but he is a long way away.
Summary: Liranzo probably would have spent 2024 repeating the DSL as a 17 year old, but a back injury cost him almost the whole year and he made his only official appearance with the Threshers late in the year. He returned to the Dominican Republic and pitched a decent amount in the instructional league. He is not a big guy, and there are certainly Ranger Suarez size and delivery comparisons to be made. His arsenal is also similar to the Venezuelan lefty’s at the same age, sitting 88-91 with a poorly shaped fastball and a sinker. He has an advanced changeup for his age that he throws in the low 80s and a low 80s slider that looks decent. He threw a curveball in 2023, but I did not see one in the 5 games that I logged this year. He has a really good feel for pitching for his age and experience. He will need to grow into at least below average velocity and likely have his changeup become close to plus to make it work. If one wants to stick to the comps, it wasn’t until his age 21 season in A ball that Ranger saw enough velocity growth to become a notable prospect, and that is a time period 3 years away from now for Liranzo.
2025 Outlook: Liranzo should spend his age 18 season stateside, likely split between the FCL and unofficial complex leagues.
ETA: 2029
Previous Rank: 49

37. Enrique Segura, RHP

Age: 20 (12/19/04)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2022
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’3” 175lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
PHI (FCL)662-232.13.908.40.68.7%22.5%
CLW (A-)1092-442.27.178.61.513.4%21.6%
Total16154-675.05.768.51.111.4%22.0%

Role: #5 Starting Pitcher
Risk: Extreme – Segura struggled in his cameo in Clearwater after some success in an FCL repeat, and his stuff has not progressed in a meaningful way over the last few seasons.
Summary: Segura had some buzz in 2023, had a poor year in the FCL, and then was sort of forgotten in the FCL again. His command was improved this year, and he was the front end of an early season no-hitter. His stuff however was a bit more lackluster. His fastballs sit in the low-90s, and while he has flashed the ability to touch the mid to high 90s in short bursts, the high end was more in the 94 range this season. He gets a lot of lateral movement on his sinker, but hitters do a good job of getting the bat on it. His curveballs can look good, but they don’t have enough bite to get swings and misses. His changeup was his best pitch, as its lateral movement plays like his sinker. It doesn’t look like Segura is trending towards a bat missing arsenal, so it will be imperative that he suppresses hard contact. To do so he will need to reach more of the higher velocity he has flashed, and he will need to improve his command. He was able to log 75 innings and 16 starts as a 19 year old, while showing he could pitch at least 6 innings deep into a game, so there is at least a starting pitcher stamina base despite his slight frame.
2025 Outlook: Segura should return to the Thresher’s rotation and could spend the full season in Florida again.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: 25

38. Andrew Walling, LHP

Age: 25 (10/29/99)
Acquired: Signed as an Undrafted Free Agent by the Phillies in 2022
B/T: L/L
H/W: 6’2” 220lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
JS (A+)3007-036.11.735.00.715.9%28.5%
REA (AA)1401-017.03.1810.60.54.1%32.4%
Total4408-053.12.196.80.712.0%29.8%

Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – It is really hard to make the jump from being a good AA reliever to a good MLB reliever when your stuff isn’t overwhelming. Walling’s stuff is solid, but not overwhelming.
Summary: Walling continued to use the remade arsenal he had in 2023 to 2024. His fastball, which has some natural cut, sits 92 to 96. He backs that up with a high 80s cutter and low 80s sweeper. The combination actually made him more deadly to righties than to lefties. He struggled with control in May, but got back on track in June before walking just 6 in 23 innings from July onward. He had two back to back bad outings with Reading, but overall walked 3 with 24 strikeouts in 17 AA innings. His .432 BABIP does leave his overall line a bit wanting. Walling isn’t an overwhelming force, but he might be one of the organization’s best left handed relief prospects by default. He has pitched multiple innings at a time as well, making him not the same as Tanner Banks, but maybe a similar role.
2025 Outlook: The Phillies style is to stack AAA with AAAA caliber arms to open the year, so Walling likely starts the year in Reading again. If he performs well, there is really not much runway needed for him to make the jump through AAA to the majors.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: 33

39. Alexander De Los Santos, RHP

Age: 18 (8/23/06)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2023
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’1” 160lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
PHR (DSL)1191-338.02.134.30.012.2%24.4%

Role: #4 Starter
Risk: Extreme – De Los Santos is an 18 year old in a body that lacks current physicality. He struggled with control for much of the year before going on a hot streak late in the year.
Summary: De Los Santos was one of the Phillies youngest signings in 2023 (born a mere 4 days before Eduardo Tait). He barely pitched in 2023, but was a starting pitcher for much of his age 17 season in 2024. He is small and a bit lanky, with a drop and drive delivery. I don’t have pitch movement metrics for DSL, but his fastball seems to have natural sinker motion. He generally has sat 89-93, but can touch 94. It looks like he has two distinct breaking balls in a high 70s curveball and low 80s slider. The slider could use more velocity and bite, while the curveball looks to be more vertical and is more short and tight than loopy. If they are actually one pitch, there is a large movement variation that could use smoothing (and he should then also add a slider). His changeup does not have much separation from his fastball, looking sort of like a slow sinker. His command is below average, which is not surprising given his age and level. He probably has another tick or two at least of velocity in his frame, and looks like a sort of Jean Cabrera starter kit that will probably need a year or two before he even starts to look like that type of prospect.
2025 Outlook: De Los Santos could repeat the DSL as a 19 year old, but given his success there this season, a trip stateside makes the most sense.
ETA: 2029
Previous Rank: UR

40. Daniel Harper, RHP

Age: 25 (6/1/99)
Acquired: Drafted in the 17th Round of the 2022 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’4” 225lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
JS (A+)2300-326.02.085.20.49.6%36.5%
REA (AA)2103-125.03.608.60.79.6%22.1%
Total4403-451.02.826.90.59.6%29.3%

Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – Harper has solid stuff, but not overwhelming. He only has a year of consistently throwing strikes as well.
Summary: The 2023 season was a disaster for Daniel Harper, but he bounced back in a big way in 2024. He took a large step forward in commanding his pitches, and his velocity went from averaging around 94 touching 97 to averaging more near 96 and touching up to 99, and he has added a sinker. He has a harder slider in the upper 80s that doesn’t seem to generate a ton of whiffs yet, and he still has a low 90s cutter. He didn’t get as many swings and misses in AA and the quality of his slider just doesn’t look to be enough to offset the fastball largely being about velocity and not movement. If he can keep making minor improvements he could be an up and down arm with a chance to stick as the 6th or 7th best arm in a bullpen.
2025 Outlook: Harper isn’t MLB ready and only spent a partial year in Reading, so a return trip to AA seems in order. He will be Rule 5 eligible after the season, so a big season could get him to the edge of the majors.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: UR

41. Andrew Baker, RHP

Age: 25 (3/24/00)
Acquired: Drafted in the 11th Round of the 2021 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’3” 190lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
JS (A+)1601-017.01.593.70.012.3%46.2%
REA (AA)2704-233.16.2110.30.514.9%26.7%
Total4305-250.14.658.00.414.2%32.3%

Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – Baker has velocity, but still has well below average control and has struggled at the AA level.
Summary: It is never good when you get demoted to A ball in your season repeating AA. However, it is good when you take that demotion and strike out 30 of the 65 batters you face with only 8 walks. Baker wasn’t elite upon his return to Reading after his trip to Jersey Shore, but after a terrible 2023 season it looks like there might be some progress. Baker was more 95-97 early in the year, but down the stretch he was back to sitting 96 to 99 and touching 100. His primary secondary pitch is still a low 80s curveball that he still spikes a bit much, but it has the power and break to make hitters look silly. Baker still struggles with command, but the control looks to be getting slightly better. He may just end up being a guy who gets a bunch of chances because of his velocity, but there is something to work with where he could be a positive contributor in non-high leverage innings for a big league team.
2025 Outlook: Baker should be right on the line of guys who compete for a AAA spot, but if he doesn’t make it, he probably is near the front of the line once the vets move out. He is a hot month of throwing strikes away from being a major league option.
ETA: 2026
Previous Rank: 30

42. Joel Dragoo, OF

Age: 22 (1/8/03)
Acquired: Drafted in the 7th Round of the 2024 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’2” 200lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)15650323.1%21.5%.319.508.447

Role: Bench Outfielder
Risk: High – Dragoo hit for power in his junior year and does have a good approach, but he isn’t a center fielder and hasn’t hit for power outside his college season.
Summary: After a poor freshman season and ok sophomore season, Dragoo had a monster junior season, hitting .401/.508/.797 for Presbyterian. The problem has been that his 18 home runs were 4 more than he had hit the previous two years combined (including summer league), and in 31 games between the draft league and pro ball he managed 7 doubles as his full extra base output. The small sample size underlying numbers don’t tell a rosy tale with his 25 balls in play having a 90th percentile exit velocity of 97.6 mph with a max of 100.3 mph. The underlying approach numbers are much better. He had some in zone contact and whiff rate issues, but he swung at the pitches in the zone and rarely chased. The offensive profile is going to come down to whether his pro debut was an aberration, and he can hit the ball hard with a wood bat, or if he just was a college numbers mirage. Defensively, he played center field in college, but is already headed for a corner where he shouldn’t be bad, but it won’t give the offensive profile any slack.
2025 Outlook: Some, but maybe not all of the 2024 draft class of college outfielders will go to Jersey Shore to open the season. Dragoo might have to outperform John Spikerman, Carter Mathison, and the 2024 Threshers to break camp a BlueClaw and not a Thresher.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: N/A

43. Casey Steward, RHP

Age: 23 (8/2/01)
Acquired: Drafted in the 19th Round of the 2023 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’5” 200lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
CLW (A-)12104-250.23.387.50.79.0%24.5%
JS (A+)10104-352.03.466.80.213.7%21.7%
Total22208-5102.23.427.10.411.4%23.1%

Role: Back End Starter/Bulk Reliever
Risk: High – Steward does not miss that many bats and will show bouts of control issues. He has average fastball velocity, but poor shape, so his whole profile is held together with solid, but not great secondary pitches.
Summary: Steward is the sort of model of back end starting pitcher the Phillies have accumulated through the draft. He is tall, but doesn’t have great extension, so his four seam fastball shape is sort of pedestrian, and his sinker is quite hittable because it doesn’t really sink enough. Both sit mostly 92 to 95 and he can touch up to 97, and long term he should throw them less and use them to set up his offspeed pitches more. He comes with a high 80s cutter/slider and low 80s sweeper, which gives him some weapons vs righties and lefties. His changeup shows some promise, but he doesn’t have a great feel for it yet. His command can also be spotty, and when hitters aren’t chasing the breaking balls it can get a bit ugly. He is going to need to make improvements across the board, but he has the frame and the track record of logging innings, so if he can make some of these improvements there may be something here.
2025 Outlook: There are probably 1-2 Reading rotation spots up for grabs and Steward should be in competition for one of them. Assuming he doesn’t he likely goes to the Jersey Shore rotation until a spot opens up.
ETA: 2027
Previous Rank: UR

44. Nikau Pouaka-Grego, 2B

Age: 20 (9/13/04)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2022
B/T: L/R
H/W: 5’10” 175lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)542052111.7%21.0%.198.314.302

Role: Bench Infielder
Risk: Extreme – Pouaka-Grego does not play shortstop and currently is not hitting for enough power to really profile at second or third. He is young enough that maybe he can get back on track after the injury.
Summary: Pouaka-Grego had a stellar debut season in 2022 at age 17, but tore up his knee in winter ball that offseason, missed all of 2023, and was clearly not at full strength for 2024. He struggled to hit the ball hard, while seeing a drop in his in zone contact rate as he chased more. He doesn’t have the size to hit for a ton of power, but he is capable of squaring up the ball more than he did in 2024. He needs to be a high contact, line drive type hitter to make his offensive profile work at second or third. He is fine at both of those positions, but his lack of shortstop chops makes a utility ceiling have to be an offense first one. He will play all of 2025 at age 20 and has been able to get some solid work augmenting his season with time in the ABL this winter.
2025 Outlook: Given Saltiban, Rincon, and DeMartini likely at Jersey Shore and Caba’s trade, there is probably an infield spot in Clearwater with Pouaka-Grego’s name on it to start the year. If he gets back on track, he could see Jersey Shore by the summer.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: 27

45. Raylin Heredia, OF

Age: 21 (11/10/03)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2021
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’0” 174
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)70289897.3%33.6%.225.309.428

Role: 4th Outfielder
Risk: Extreme – There just are not many hitters who swing and miss at offspeed pitches in low-A that succeed, and Heredia swung and missed at a lot of them.
Summary: Heredia looked like he was breaking out in early 2023 with the FCL Phillies before having a mixed debut with the Threshers. Unfortunately all of the bad trend lines of 2023 carried over to 2024. He had poor in zone contact rates, chased at a high rate, and swung and missed at a large share of secondary pitches. He has above average raw power and his swing gets to it on the pull side decently. He has a chance to be a solid right field defender with a plus plus arm and enough athleticism to overcome some adventures. There is an everyday right fielder outcome still in there, but it is stretching the probability curve. He will need to show progress in his approach in 2025 to stay on prospect lists.
2025 Outlook: Heredia is due for a return trip to the Threshers having logged under 300 plate appearances there last season.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: 20

46. Aaron Combs, RHP

Age: 23 (12/28/01)
Acquired: Drafted in the 8th Round of the 2024 Draft by the White Sox. Traded to the Phillies for Tyler Gilbert in January 2025.
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’3” 190lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
KAN (A-)602-07.20.005.90.012.1%39.4%

Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: Extreme – Combs has a very weird breaking ball and below average velocity, and the weird breaking ball probably needs to end up special, or he will need to find more velocity in pro ball to have long term success.
Summary: Combs may have had one of the best debuts of any drafted pitcher. His stats do not include his 3 postseason appearances where he walked 1 and struck out 12 giving him a full season line of 12.1 IP 6 H 2 R 0 ER 5 BB 25 K, with opposing hitters managing a .140/.260/.140 line. He has a low slot and throws a pair of fastballs in the low 90s. His 4 seam fastball has good ride and run, and his sinker has good run. He works them up in the zone and shows a proclivity for throwing the sinker glove side and running it back over the plate to lefties and righties. Throwing the fastball up sets up his curveball. It has big break and sweep thanks to a very high spin rate and his lower slot (think Aaron Nola’s curveball). He will throw it in the zone to righties and lefties, and will also bury it gloveside. It sits in the mid to high 70s, which does raise a little bit of concern. He looks to also work in a mid 80s cutter, which will be important against lefties. Combs is the ideal guy to get into professional ball and add velocity, and if he does, he could really pop like Kerkering did a few years ago. If this is just how hard he throws, it will really come down to command, which can be a bit shaky right now, as his pitches have the shape to get chases and whiffs in the right location, but the lack of velocity is likely to make them hittable if he leaves them in the wrong part of the plate.
2025 Outlook: Combs ended the year in low-A and had success, assuming he has a good camp he should break camp with the BlueClaws.
ETA: 2027
Previous Rank: N/A

47. Titan Hayes, RHP

Age: 23 (11/12/01)
Acquired: Drafted in the 11th Round of the 2024 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’2” 218lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GGSW-LIPERAH/9HR/9BB%K%
CLW (A-)600-17.03.865.11.318.5%18.5%

Role: Middle Reliever
Risk: High – Hayes is a reliever in A-ball without a large track record against high level competition.
Summary: The Phillies prioritized Hayes in the 11th round of the 2024 draftee as he was in the middle of a dominant run in the Cape Cod League. His debut in pro ball was a mixed bag, made worse by 5 earned runs and 5 walks in his last two games spanning 1.1 innings. Hayes threw two pitches with the Phillies. His fastball comes in somewhat flat, but it comes with more sinker movement than 4-seam ride (Statcast separated it into two different pitches). It also lacks elite velocity, averaging a bit over 96 and touching up to 99, which is more just plus for a modern RH  reliever. His breaking ball is his better pitch, and it is likely that in the long term he throws it more than his fastball. It was labeled as a cutter and slider, but it has two plane movement at about 86 mph and generated solid whiff and chase rates, as well as having success in the zone. Hayes needs to work on his command, but he also wasn’t a walk disaster. It would not be surprising if the Phillies split him into more of a distinct sinker and four seamer to keep hitters more off balance.
2025 Outlook: Hayes is one of the most likely of the 2024 draftee relievers to start in Jersey Shore. If he does return to Clearwater he could move quickly through the system if he has success.
ETA: 2027
Previous Rank: N/A

48. Marcus Morgan, RHP

Age: 22 (12/27/02)
Acquired: Drafted in the 9th Round of the 2024 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’3” 210lbs
2024 Stats: Did not appear in a game
Role: Probably a Reliever
Risk: Extreme – Morgan did not pitch after the draft, and before the draft managed just 54.1 innings in 16 games (13) starts with a 7.45 ERA and 53 walks for Iowa. He has size, athleticism, and stuff all qualities the Phillies have had success with in recent drafts.
Summary: This is a complete shot in the dark based on the Phillies developmental successes. Morgan did not pitch in a game after the draft either for the Threshers or in the Bridge League (as far as I could tell). For Iowa he was wild, but effective in 2023 and just plain wild in 2024. Over his college career he posted 5.67 ERA with 125 walks in 135 innings. According to pre-draft reports from Baseball America and MLB Pipeline his fastball will sit in the low 90s, but he can get into the upper 90s. There are varying reports of his breaking ball that likely stem from some inconsistency, but at minimum he seems to have both a sweeper and cutter. He also has a changeup and curveball. It is a starter’s arsenal and there is enough upside to have a legitimate starting upside. He is also probably the biggest project they have put into their system among top 10 round picks, so the expectations need to be low. He could flame out with poor control in low-A, or the Phillies could continue their streak of breakout draft arms.
2025 Outlook: Given he went into the black box of the complex it is hard to know what the Phillies feel like his role is going forward, but they started George Klassen and Alex McFarlane in the rotation. Either way he probably begins with the Threshers.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: N/A

49. Anderson Navas, C

Age: 18 (2/16/07)
Acquired: Signed as an International Free Agent by the Phillies in 2024
B/T: R/R
H/W: 6’2” 175lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
PHW (DSL)47184385.4%35.3%.181.246.295

Role: Everyday Regular
Risk: Is there something beyond extreme? – Navas is young and has a good frame, and you can see the outlines of a good player. He is coming off a really brutal year offensively.
Summary: Navas looks impressive in a uniform. He is tall, lanky, and athletic and he moves in a way that looks right. However, his approach and pitch recognition were brutal and he looked overmatched at the DSL level. If he can somehow get over those issues, he has easy power and could be a plus offensive player based on his physicality. Defensively he is also a work in progress, but more in ways that make sense for a 17 year old catcher.
2025 Outlook: Navas will almost certainly return to the DSL to see if he can make more contact while polishing other parts of his game.
ETA: 2030
Previous Rank: N/A

50. Kodey Shojinaga, C

Age: 22 (2/22/03)
Acquired: Drafted in the 6th Round of the 2024 Draft by the Phillies
B/T: R/R
H/W: 5’10” 190lbs
2024 Stats:

Team (LVL)GPAHRSBBB%K%AVGOBPSLG
CLW (A-)15580025.9%6.9%.143.379.143

Role: Backup catcher?
Risk: Extreme – Shojinaga might not be a catcher and he might not have much usable power, and unless he has an 80 grade hit tool, the rest of the profile might not work if he doesn’t catch.
Summary: Kodey Shojinaga primarily played second and third in college, but the Phillies moved him back behind the plate in his pro debut. Defensively, it is still a real work in progress, and while pro teams are generally better than colleges at developing catchers, it might be a stretch. A prolific collector of hits in college, Shojinaga only hit .143 in pro-ball, but in his 58 plate appearances posted some very impressive approach numbers, posting low chase rates, high in zone swing rates, high in zone contact rates, and overall low whiff rates, which helps explain the 15 walks to only 4 strikeouts. That is from August in low-A, so heavy skepticism must be used, but it is a skillset that would be very positive if not for how little damage he did. Shojinaga was not known for his raw power in college and posted bottom of the scale 90th percentile EV numbers in the pros, though with an intriguing max exit velocity. At the plate he resembles Phillies catcher Rafael Marchan, but Marchan is a plus defender who magically finds home run power when he plays in the majors. There are very few little power hitters who aren’t premium defenders, and looking across years you are looking at comps like Luis Arraez and Willians Astudillo. Astudillo had no position, never walked or hit for power, and ended up out of the league. Arraez is a 90 grade hitter who only posted a 106 OPS+ during his third batting title because he drew less walks and hit for less power. If Shojinaga cannot stick behind the plate, the path requires him to either unlock at least 2 grades of power or become a generationally great contact hitter. That is a lot to ask.
2025 Outlook: There is a slight logjam of catchers in the A-ball levels. There is a chance that Shojinaga gets bumped to Jersey Shore, but he may be more likely to join the C/DH/1B dance with Eduardo Tait and Guillermo Rosario in Clearwater.
ETA: 2028
Previous Rank: N/A

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