1)
Player: Alec Bohm | |||||
Position(s): 3B | Opening Day Age: 22 | 2018 Highest Level: Short A | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’5” | Weight: 225 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: Bohm has some work ahead of him if he is going to stay at third, but he does provide hope he can improve to become an average fielder at the position. If he has to move to first, he will hit for plenty of power that it won’t reduce his value much. He has a wide base to go with a big leg kick, but he eliminates the leg kick with two strikes to improve his contact ability. The bat is a bit long due to the fact he has longer arms, but he gets it to the zone well and should be able to make more than enough contact to really tap into his plus power. | |||||
2)
Player: Adonis Medina | |||||
Position(s): RHP | Opening Day Age: 22 | 2018 Highest Level: High A | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 185 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: With Sixto Sanchez now in the Marlins organization, Medina takes over as the top arm in the Phillies system. He has an athletic delivery that allows him to throw plenty of strikes, but his command with those strikes still needs quite a bit of improvement. He slings in the ball from a quick arm in a 3/4 slot that allows there to be plenty of movement on all his pitches. The fastball is 92-95 but gets up to 97 at times. The slider is sharp and plays plus while the change is rather advanced and has shown signs of being a potential plus offering. He could fit in as a quality number two in the rotation in the future. | |||||
3)
Player: Spencer Howard | |||||
Position(s): RHP | Opening Day Age: 22 | 2018 Highest Level: Low A | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 205 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: A late riser in the 2017 draft, Howard eventually went in the second round and has shown elite stuff, including enough to throw a no-hitter in the South Atlantic League playoffs last year. His fastball can touch triple digits while sitting in the high 90s while he has a dipping change that is his best secondary offering. He also has two breaking balls that grade out to average or better. He has the body and mechanics to eat innings thanks to a lower effort 3/4 slot delivery. His command can be a real struggle at times and the stuff in inconsistent leaving him open to a wide array of potential roles in the future. | |||||
4)
Player: Adam Haseley | |||||
Position(s): OF | Opening Day Age: 22 | 2018 Highest Level: AA | |||
Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 195 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: The former Virginia Cavalier star received about $100k more in his signing bonus than his teammate college Pavin Smith received from the Diamondbacks despite Smith being selected one spot higher. A big part of the reason is the Phillies believe he can stick in center, a point of debate amongst scouts. I lean on the side of him not only being able to stick in center but be solid there. Add that to a line drive swing that allows him to make a lot of solid contact with power to put the ball into gaps and potential to develop into average power. I don’t see him ever becoming an All-Star caliber player, but a guy who can hit second in the lineup and play up the middle is valuable asset. | |||||
5)
Player: Luis Garcia | |||||
Position(s): SS | Opening Day Age: 18 | 2018 Highest Level: Rookie | |||
Bats: Switch | Throws: Right | Height: 5’11” | Weight: 170 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: Which Luis Garcia is THE Luis Garcia will long be a debate (with the other also being a shortstop born the same year in the NL East that you can read about tomorrow on the Nationals list). This Garcia is very polished in the field with plenty of arm and range to play an above average short. The speed also allows him to get a few infield singles and stretch out a few extra doubles too. The bat is quick to the zone from both sides of the plate, with it appearing he could flirt with average power from the right side of the plate while more of a contact hitter from the left. Overall the power isn’t really a tool expected to reach average, but the hit tool could become a plus tool. | |||||
6)
Player: JoJo Romero | |||||
Position(s): LHP | Opening Day Age: 22 | 2018 Highest Level: AA | |||
Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6’ | Weight: 190 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: Romero has had a wide variance in his fastball velocity, sometimes sitting in the high-80s while others running up to 95. He does use both a two- and four-seam fastball that allows it to play at least average even when at the lower velocities. Like his fastballs, he has two pitches with the same spin and arm slot but different velocities in a cutter and slider, which play up as he has a two-plane curve he can spin as well. Add to all that an above average change and you have a pitcher that truly has six unique offerings, which will allow him to slide in as a mid-rotation starter sooner than later. | |||||
7)
Player: Enyel De Los Santos | |||||
Position(s): RHP | Opening Day Age: 24 | 2018 Highest Level: MLB | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’3” | Weight: 170 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: While he has primarily been a starter in the minors, the future for De Los Santos is most likely in the bullpen. He can easily sit 94-95 but can run it up to 98 in shorter outings where it can pair well with his above average change. His breaking stuff is inconsistent and I don’t see it really developing to where he would need it to stick in the rotation. Add to that the fact he has a high effort delivery that includes a violent follow through, and you have the makings of a guy who struggles with command at times. There is plenty of polish to his offerings so I do expect he could find himself in high leverage spots out of the bullpen this year for a Phillies team looking to compete after their off-season moves. | |||||
8)
Player: Ranger Suarez | |||||
Position(s): LHP | Opening Day Age: 23 | 2018 Highest Level: MLB | |||
Bats: Left | Throws: Left | Height: 6’1” | Weight: 180 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: Unlike De Los Santos, Suarez has little question as to whether or not he has the stuff to start, as he has three pitches grading out as average and a fourth, his changeup, that is between above-average and plus. He has a long track record of throwing for solid command, although he walked more than he typically does a season ago. The upside for Suarez is limited as he should never be more than a fourth starter, but he has the frame and delivery to allow him to eat plenty of innings and be a quality arm at the back of a rotation. | |||||
9)
Player: Francisco Morales | |||||
Position(s): RHP | Opening Day Age: 19 | 2018 Highest Level: Short A | |||
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6’4” | Weight: 185 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: While he is still just a teenager who has yet to pitch in full season ball, I expect Morales to transition to the bullpen before too long, where he could be a quick mover. His fastball is heavy for a mid-90s pitch thanks to the arm-side run out of his low 3/4 slot. His slider has shown the making of a genuine plus offering, while his change will probably never be more than below-average, hence my take he should move to the pen soon. The delivery is rather controlled for a lager bodied young pitcher, but he does fall to the first base side and has command concerns from time-to-time, but could be a reliever that can develop better than average command. | |||||
10)
Player: Mickey Moniak | |||||
Position(s): OF | Opening Day Age: 20 | 2018 Highest Level: High A | |||
Bats: Left | Throws: Right | Height: 6’2” | Weight: 185 lbs. | ||
Quick Report: The number one overall pick from just a few years ago should never sit this low on a team’s prospect list, it also wasn’t the strongest of drafts. Despite this, don’t go comparing Moniak to Mark Appel or Brien Taylor just yet. He is still a very athletic outfielder who can play a solid center and enough arm to fit in at all three outfield spots. He has a good second half of the 2018 season and the swing is still smooth, so the contact will be enough to find his way to the big leagues in time, even if it is as a fourth outfielder. The big knock on Moniak before and since the draft is his strength, which he hasn’t really added much of leaving his power below average despite the bat plane that should result in more HR numbers. | |||||
Others of Note:
Jhailyn Ortiz – OF – 20 – Low A
Arquimedes Gamboa – SS – 21 – High A
Mauricio Llovera – RHP – 22 – High A
Simon Muzziottis – OF – 19 – Low A
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