May 06, 2022
The Phillies have lost their last four games, and five of their last six (including getting no hit by the Mets — who later rallied from six runs behind in the ninth to win a stunner Thursday night as well).
Things have been better on South Broad Street, and with three more games against the frustrating Mets on the docket before they head to the west coast for seven games, some good news would be welcomed by Phillies fans.
For that, we're going to head down to the farm and check in on the Phillies top 15 prospects. Which of them are playing well and should be noted for superior early play? Which of the top youngsters are struggling? Here's a look at who's hot and who's not right now in Clearwater, Jersey Shore, Reading and Lehigh Valley:
Bryson Stott, SS, Lehigh Valley (No. 1 prospect)
Stott doesn't seem like he wants to remain in the minors for long. After a slow start to his MLB career following making the 28-man roster out of spring training, Stott was sent down to get some consistent at bats with Alec Bohm and Johan Carmago taking his playing time. He is hitting .333 in nine games in Lehigh Valley with two homers, 7 RBI and 11 runs scored in that span. Those are lights out numbers for a small sample size. We'll see if the Phils can find a way to get him back into the lineup soon.
Mick Abel, SP, Jersey Shore (No. 2)
Abel, a first round pick in 2020, has allowed just one run in his last two starts for the Blue Claws with 14 strikeouts over eight innings, including nine K's in five frames on April 23. The 20 year old could be on the fast track to a call up to Reading if he continues to pitch with the same effectiveness.
Andrew Painter, SP, Clearwater (No. 3)
That's a perfect three-for-three for the Phillies top prospects, as Painter won top prospect of the month honors for his ridiculous domination in April. The 2021 first round pick has mowed down hitter after hitter, boasting a perfect ERA and 36 (yes, 36) strikeouts over 16 innings pitched so far this season. That's 75% of his outs coming via the strikeout. He has allowed 11 total baserunners and has a 0.690 WHIP. He's another arm on the rise and he could find his way up north sometime before summer arrives.
Johan Rojas, OF, Jersey Shore (No. 4)
In the spirit of optimism, we're going to include Rojas on our "hot" list. Sure, he is hitting just .200 this year but the 21-year-old international signee has a modest four-game hitting streak going and he appears to be heading in the right direction.
Logan O'Hoppe, C, Reading (No. 5)
Many thought O'Hoppe had a chance of making the Phillies in spring training, but the team elected to keep one of its top five prospects getting regular at bats. He may be blocked at catcher by J.T. Realmuto, but that isn't for a lack of trying. He is hitting .289 in Double-A so far this year and had three hits and four RBI back on April 30. In all, he has seven hits over his last four starts.
Francisco Morales, RP, Reading (No. 10)
If you were wondering which Phillies prospect was closest to a potential call-up, it could be Morales, who is dominating as a reliever in Double-A. He's got a tiny ERA of 0.63 so far this season and has 23 strikeouts in 14.1 innings of work. If the Phils need a new arm in the bullpen he will certainly get full consideration — he is currently on the teams 40-man roster.
Erik Miller, SP, Reading (No. 11)
Miller has been light's out in Double-A as a starter and could be on the move to Lehigh Valley sometime soon. In five games this year he has allowed just one total run and four total hits. His first three appearances were in relief, but he has started his last two and been just as effective.
Jhailyn Ortiz, OF, Reading (No. 12)
Ortiz had an awful start to his 2022 but in recent games he has been finding his footing in Double-A. On May 1 he had three hits, including a double and homer. He has six hits in his last four games and has lifted his batting average from .188 on April 30th to .229 after a double header on May 5.
Yhoswar Garcia, OF, Clearwater
Garcia is an extremely athletic 20-year-old, and he is starting to rake in Single-A. In his last 10 games he is hitting .270, and more specifically he has nine hits in his last six games, including a four-hit day on April 26.
Hans Crouse, SP, Lehigh Valley (No. 6)
Crouse was seen as the closest to big league ready of the Phils top pitching prospects, but he's had a rough go of it in 2022. After starting the year with an ugly 11.02 ERA through three starts, the 23-year-old landed on the injured list where he resides currently.
Ethan Wilson, OF, Jersey Shore (No. 7)
Two weeks ago, Wilson was hitting .256. A mild slump has dropped him to .213 with just one homer in Single-A. Wilson is 22 and has the potential to be a contributing corner outfielder one day, but he'll need to show he can make a key jump to Double-A this season if he intends to keep that possibility alive.
Luis Garcia, SS, Jersey Shore (No. 8)
The trend of most of the Phillies top 10 prospects playing in Single-A continues, as 21-year-old Garcia struggles with the bat over in New Jersey, hitting just .147 through nine games. He's been shut down since April 19 with an injury.
Griff McGarry, SP, Jersey Shore (No. 9)
Never heard of Griff McGarry? You have now. A former fifth round pick with an awesome name, the 22-year-old has struggled in A-ball so far. He's allowed five runs in his last 4.1 frames and has a 6.14 ERA right now in his second season of pro baseball.
Casey Martin, SS, Jersey Shore (No. 14)
The Phillies third round choice in 2020 is seeing his time potentially run out on a big league opportunity. Still in Single-A at 23, Martin is hitting .203 a year after hitting .198. He'll need to get his bat into gear if he wants to make an impression and get a promotion in 2022.
Follow Evan on Twitter: @evan_macy
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
