Phillies Minor League Recap (Week 6 4/30-5/5)

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Last Week’s Schedule

*Part of a Doubleheader

This Week’s Schedule

  • Lehigh Valley (12-18) vs Syracuse (17-14)
  • Reading (11-16) vs Hartford (14-10)
  • Jersey Shore (14-13) vs Wilmington (15-10)
  • Clearwater (18-9) @ Tampa (8-19)
  • FCL Phillies (1-1): vsNYY, @NYY, @TIG, vsTIG, vsTOR

Hitter Spotlight

SS Bryan Rincon

6-18 2 2B 2 BB 7 K 2 SB

It wasn’t a particularly stunning week for Bryan Rincon, but it was a step in the right direction for a player who entered the week hitting .140/.308/.220. He has looked passive at the plate, often getting himself behind in the count. He weirdly has only had 7 PA from the right side vs LHPs this year and last year he saw lefties better than righties, though he got to more power from the left side. There are certainly reasons to worry because he isn’t a big guy, and he has not impacted the ball particularly hard, but also he has yet to face a pitcher younger than him. Part of Jersey Shore being fairly young has been struggles from some of those batters getting the more aggressive assignments (Bergolla and Boyd have also struggled). Hopefully this week serves as a bit of a jumping off point.

Pitcher Spotlight

RHP Max Lazar

2 G – 0 GS – 2 IP – 2 H – 0 R – 0 BB – 4 K

Lazar was solid for the Phillies in his limited mop up Spring Training appearances, not allowing a run in 5.2 innings. He has continued that dominance into the regular season. Lazar now has 8 games spanning 10.1 innings where he has allowed 3 hits, no runs, and no walks, all while striking out 18. I don’t have an up to date scouting report, but this spring he average 93.5 mph on his fastball with a slider and curveball. He comes over the top lending a large amount of deception to his delivery. Originally signed as a minor league free agent this offseason, Lazar is only 24, and it probably getting close to the time we see what he can do against AAA hitters. He should be on the radar as a pop up bullpen candidate, especially as an up and down multi inning arm.

Notes and Thoughts

  • Jean Cabrera gave up 3 runs this week, but he did it over 7 innings, becoming the first BlueClaw in a long time to complete 7 this early in the season. He gave up all three runs in the third inning, but cruised afterwards with a final line that included no walks and eight strikeouts.
  • TJayy Walton went 6 for 16 over the week with two doubles. He his striking out a lot more, but no back healthy we are seeing some of the raw power including a ball off the bat at 113.4 mph.
  • Samuel Aldegheri had a similar story to Cabrera, only he only gave up the one run and it was two walks early, but he still went 6.2 innings this week with 7 strikeouts, his season ERA rising all the way to 0.41.
  • Carson Taylor drove in 5 in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, but had a quiet week overall going just 3 for 16 with 1 XBH.
  • Guillermo Rosario does not have top billing on the FCL team, but he went 4-7 over the first two games of the season with two scalded doubles. He is playing some first base with Tait getting time behind the plate, but he is a good defensive catcher.
  • Before two walks and an injury scare, George Klassen was putting together another nice appearance. He was much more balanced, throwing his fastball just 43% of the time. Had he not left with the trainer it would have looked like the start before a promotion.
  • I don’t know what the Phillies are doing with Michael Mercado. He started again this week and made it out to a season high 63 pitches, but he only made it 2.2 innings because he walked 5. He worked in some splitters this start, and it sort of looks like they are stretching him out as a starter, but that doesn’t feel like a need.
  • Keaton Anthony was a stud in college the last two years, but his power numbers are not has good as the triple slash with more doubles than home runs. This season he is walking more than he is striking out and getting hits which gives a .300 batting average and .455 on base percentage. However, he is a first baseman with just 4 extra base hits (all doubles) in 19 games this year. His 87.4 mph average exit velocity isn’t terrible, but it isn’t elite, however his average launch angle of 5.6 is not going to let any strength play.
  • The wheels came off for Mavis Graves in the 5th inning, but he struck outs 7 in 4.1 innings with 16 whiffs.
  • Braydon Tucker was a NDFA signing out of Lipscomb by the Phillies last year, and pitched poorly in not too many innings. This year he has gradually built up and made two turns in the Threshers rotation. He has allowed 4 runs and 3 runs respectively, but also 0 walks and 12 strikeouts. He is throwing a sinker and a 4-seamer in the low 90s. He has leaned heavily on his sweeper and it has had the most whiffs of any of his pitches. He also has a changeup and gyro slider/cutter.
  • Starlyn Caba hit a home run in game 1 and drove in a run during game 2. He is already showing more thump than Bergolla did last year.
  • The Phillies had a mixed bag in their minor league free agents, but Reading SP Robinson Pina has been sort of interesting. He gave up four runs in 5 innings this week, but walked 1 and struck out 11. He has 3 walks and 32 strikeouts on the season, and has done that in only 4 starts and 19 innings because he didn’t walk or strike out a batter in his first start of the season.
  • Opposing batters have been putting up donuts so far vs Braeden Fausnaught who has a 1.35 ERA on the season and bounced back from a mediocre start last with 6 scoreless with two walks and 8 strikeouts. He is a command and control lefty, but has had two starts this year where he was able to miss bats, including 21 strikes swinging this week.
  • A good week for Nikau Pouaka-Grego who is only play 3 games a series, but this week went 4 for 9 with two doubles and 3 walks to no strikeouts.

Injuries and Transactions

  • George Klassen left his start with the trainer but is reportedly expected to make his next start.
  • Raylin Heredia returned to the Threshers, A.J. Shaver returned to the FCL team
  • Josh Bortka and Kendall Simmons began rehab assignments for the FCL Phillies
  • Caleb Rickets was added to Clearwater’s IL.

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Minor Thoughts

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