Bryan Rincon

Role: Average Regular
Risk: High – Rincon has the glove and athleticism to be an above average to plus defender at shortstop, and while that gives him a high floor he is going to need to hit the ball harder to be an everyday player.
Summary: Rincon made the list last year on the back of 12 games in the FCL, and those flashes solidified into a good prospect in 2023. Rincon got off to a poor start in April, hitting just .175/.266/.246 with 7 walks (10.9%) and 17 strikeouts (26.6%). Even with a cold end in Jersey Shore, he hit .236/.376/.370 with 62 walks (16.6%) and 61 strikeouts (16.4%) over the rest of the season. He is a switch hitter who saw the ball slightly better vs LHPs with less swing and miss, but hit the ball harder from the left side vs RHPs. Regardless of the side of the plate, he showed an advanced approach, though possibly a bit passive. With Clearwater, his swing rate was just 38.0%, while showing a much higher swing rate against fastballs than breaking balls. The one concern is that when he did swing there was some amount of swing and miss (20.2%), particularly against sliders (34.0%), and it isn’t a glaring issue yet, but something to monitor. Not chasing pitches is a good start, but becoming too passive risks putting himself in situations where he is down in the count and having to swing at the breaking balls. The other concern is that he got decent power output statistically, but his exit velocity numbers were near the bottom of Phillies batters at an average of 85.9 mph and 90th percentile of 99.2mph. He does get the ball in the air, and he maximizes the power he can get to, but the lower overall impact numbers are concerning. Rincon does have the frame to mature and add strength, but he also isn’t particularly lanky or projectable. Rincon played exclusively shortstop with the Phillies and he will stick there and be an above average to plus defender. There is some risk he is a below average hitter, but a good defender, and ends up more in a bench role. He does do enough of the positive things right at the plate and on defense that there is a definite path to being a starter for a playoff caliber team who hits in the bottom third of a lineup.
2024 Outlook: Rincon ended the season in Jersey Shore, and he will likely start and spend most or all of the season there. The park there is likely to treat his power poorly, and it would not be surprising to see what looks like a down year statistically.

Role: Second Division Shortstop
Risk: Extreme – There is not a lot of track record for Rincon and there is a long way to go between him and any major league role.
Summary: Rincon moved to the Pittsburgh area from Venezuela while in high school. The Phillies drafted the switch hitting shortstop in the 14th round and signed him for the full $125,000 bonus. He is a good defender at shortstop and a good runner. He has surprisingly decent power, and did not embarrass himself at the plate in his 12 games in the FCL. He is still more of a project than a prospect, but the glove gives a decent floor and base to build on.
2023 Outlook: There is an opportunity given the Phillies depth chart for Rincon to seize the Clearwater shortstop job, or at least a good amount of middle infield playing time. It is probably going to be more of a slow burn for Rincon, and so it would not be surprising to see him struggle at times.