Phillies Minor League Recap (Week 19 7/30-8/5)

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Last Week’s Schedule

This Week’s Schedule

  • Lehigh Valley (54-51) vs Scranton Wilkes-Barre (60-47)
  • Reading (44-57) @ Akron (59-43)
  • Jersey Shore (54-48) @ Wilmington (48-53)
  • Clearwater (52-48) @ Lakeland (62-37)
  • DSL Phillies Red (15-29)
  • DSL Phillies White (20-25)

Hitter Spotlight

OF Jaeden Calderon

9-20 3 2B 1 3B 1 BB 4 K

Last year, Jaeden Calderon has a good year as a 17 year old, hitting .276/.414/.463 for DSL Red. He is back on Red this year for a repeat performance, hitting .302/.440/.466 through 38 games. Since it is the DSL his stats should be taken with a large grain of salt (he is 35th in OBP and 27th in OPS), and his 22% K% the last two seasons is not a especially encouraging, though coming with a 15.8% BB% last year and 14.4% this year (prior to Monday). He is also already playing LF/1B and is sort of a shorter stockier hitter, but he has good bat speed, and I have tracked multiple 105mph+ balls off of his bat this year. It is going to be a sort of prove it profile, but you have to assume he will be with the FCL next year.

Pitcher Spotlight

RHP Eligio Arias

2 G 6 IP 4 H 1 ER 2 BB 6 K

A rare two appearance week for a DSL pitcher as Arias came out of the bullpen for two 3 inning appearances to start and end this recap period. Arias got some early mention as a potential sleeper in the class because he is 6’7″ and can get his fastball up to 97. He is however already 21 years old, though he only just signed this winter. He is projectable, so there might be even more in his body despite his age. He also has the control problems that come from being so tall and lanky, but he has been much better of late. His first 4 games he gave up 15 earned runs in 12.2 innings. Over his last 5 appearances (both milb.com and B-Ref attribute the 7/8 appearance to him and not to Yael Arias the other tall lanky Arias on the Phillies Red staff), he has gone 13 innings with 8 H 4 ER 5 BB 19 K. His fastball has sat mostly 92-96 and he has a mid 80s slider and a harder changeup in the upper 80s. He is probably a reliever given his age and command issues, and I don’t think he is making a top prospect list, but he has been a fun arm to watch.

Notes and Thoughts

  • After just missing out on the postseason in the first half, the BlueClaws loaded up for a run in the second half, but an 0-6 week brings them to 8 losses in a row. They are 16-20 and luckily only 4 backs of a postseason spot, unfortunately the team leading the division just swept them.
  • Gabriel Rincones Jr is still not getting to his power since the thumb injury, which is notable, but not surprising. He went 6 for 18 this week with two doubles this week and since returning has 6 extra base hits (5 doubles, 1 home run) since in 21 games since his return at the end of June.
  • It was a rain shortened series in Florida, but it didn’t stop Eduardo Tait from adding two home runs to his total. He has been in swing mode with the Threshers, and his chase rates and aggression did not bite him too much in the FCL, but he will need to be more discerning. That said his second home run came ambushing a first pitch changeup in a really bad location.
  • Paxton Thompson’s stuff doesn’t jump for velocity, his fastball only averaged 91 in Clearwater. However, he throws a sweeper, a gyro slider, and a splitter, and can get chases with them. He struck out 4 of the 7 batters he faced this week and since June 8 he has been a good org RP going 16.1 innings over 12 games with a 0.55 ERA, 8 hits, 7 walks, and 20 strikeouts.
  • Mick Abel escaped a high pitch first inning, but it was another struggle of a start, and has ended up on the Development List. He has his velocity back (multiple fastballs up to 98), but he just cannot keep any sort of consistency going.
  • It continues to be a struggle for Aidan Miller with Jersey Shore as he went 3 for 20 this week with 2 walks to 10 strikeouts. He is now hitting only .228 off righties on the season, and just .193 overall with the BlueClaws.
  • Devin Saltiban only played in 3 of the 4 games the Threshers played this week, with an inside the park and a conventional home run. He has shown a better approach, and he is showing power to the pull side.
  • Not much has gone right for Ethan Wilson since the Phillies selected him, but he had 2 home runs, 2 doubles, 2 walks, and only 2 strikeouts in a 5-12 week. Home has treated him better with a OPS 313 points higher in Reading, unfortunately that is a .724 OPS vs .407 on the road.
  • A mixed bag “start” for Mavis Graves who came in 3rd in a game where the starter got one inning before the game was suspend and then a reliever had a 1 inning rehab stint. He struck out 8 in 4.1 innings, but he walked 3 and it took him 95 pitches to record those 13 outs.
  • We got a brief look at some draftees as John Spikerman, Carson DeMartini, Carter Mathison, and Brady Day all got into a game before the rain ended everything early.
  • Moises Chace and Seth Johnson both went 3.2 innings and under 70 pitches in their org debuts. Both were starting, but the Phillies are going to need to stretch them out to be conventional starters.

Injuries and Transactions

Links and Things

Minor Thoughts

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