April 20, 2019
It's clear the Phillies will need some kind of depth to help them win the NL East and make a playoff run.
With so many veterans on the big league roster, hoping the loaded line up stays healthy is quite the ask. In less than month Odubel Herrera, Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, David Robertson and others have acquired some sort of injury.
The Phillies will need help throughout the season. This much is clear. Will they find it in their top 10 prospects? Will they be forced to flip one of their top farmhands for a star when the trade deadline nears?
Here's a look at the top 10 rated players in the Phillies farm system, and how they've fared in the minors this far this season (though about two weeks):
The 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic is the top player in all of the Phillies system and he made his Double-A debut a few weeks ago. He's had two starts for Reading in April, allowing four earned runs in 10 frames. It's too early to tell if he's progressed to the point of being close to making the big leagues, but Medina has the talent to make the jump this season if everything comes together.
Last year's top draft pick is red-hot to start off his season. In Lakewood, one of the Phils' Single-A affiliates, Bohm is hitting .345 after 16 games with the BlueClaws. He has a homer and five doubles, slugging .471. Bohm was selected out of college which suggests he should have a quick trajectory to the majors if everything goes right. Don't be surprised if the infielder makes his way to Double or Triple-A this summer.
Down in Clearwater, the Phils second best pitching prospect is 1-1 with a 3.14 ERA through three starts. More impressive, he has 19 strikeouts to just four walks. Aaron Nola has 28 k's and 12 walks in twice as many outings. Howard is another talented youngster who could jettison up through the system this summer.
One might expect some growing pains at 18, learning to be a professional athlete. Unfortunately for the Phillies' young shortstop Garcia, Lakewood is proving to be a challenge early. After hitting .369 in the Gulf Coast League as a 17-year-old, Garcia is at .185 through 15 games.
Another of Philly's first round picks, Haseley has college experience and was invited to MLB spring training where he blasted a home run. He has a home run in Double-A this season too, but not much else through 12 games. He is hitting only .167 with just eight hits as a Reading Fightin. If he can turn things around over the course of this season he'll be a reasonable option to make a big league appearance when the roster expands to 40 men.
Romero tore lower level minors hitting apart before settling in Double-A last season where he had a solid 3.80 ERA. This year, in Triple-A Lehigh Valley, he is having trouble finding his footing. The lefty has a 9.00 ERA over 13 innings of work thus far and will hopefully find his groove to make his case for helping to improve a thin starting rotation at the MLB level.
De Los Santos has built off of a surprise MLB call up last season, winning his first two decisions with an ERA of 2.81 over three starts for the Iron Pigs. The big righty is striking out batters at a ridiculous 13.0 per nine innings. A jump to the major league level — permanently — could be in the cards if a spot opens up.
A young outfielder trying to claw his way through the lower minor league system, Muzziotti has been hitting at a solid .286 clip in Single-A Clearwater. The Venezuelan has played both center and right field this season.
Morales is a big hard throwing righty but thus far he's struggled through three appearances. His ERA, 7.59, has been lacking — though it is very early for the teenager up in Lakewood.
The former No. 1 overall pick didn't look great in spring training, where he received a big league invite, and he hasn't looked good thus far in Reading either, hitting at a lowly .208 clip over 12 games. Luckily, the five-tool-potential outfielder is still just 20, and has plenty of time to get up to speed and adjust.
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