Phillies top prospect, J.P. Crawford (Photo: Kevin Durso, Philliedelphia)
With the Phillies on pace to have one of, if not their worst season to date, the only thing fans can really look towards is the future. Believe it or not, it looks pretty bright. Through trades and development, the Phillies have compiled a nice slew of prospects that are holding their own in the minor leagues. Back in February, Baseball America unveiled the Phillies Top 10 prospect list. Crawford, Nola and Franco were the top three followed by Zach Eflin, Tom Windle, Ben Lively, Roman Quinn, Carlos Tocci, Aaron Brown and Matt Imhof.
On Thursday afternoon, Baseball America released their midseason prospect ranking for the Phillies and there was some shifting as some guys dropped out to make way for prospects that are performing better for their respective teams.
Let's take a look at where the list stands now.
- J.P. Crawford (SS, Double-A) - Crawford has flourished since joining Reading this season, hitting .311 with 10 doubles, three triples, three home runs and 23 RBI's. He's shown good plate discipline as well, walking 42 times and striking out just 28 times. Crawford's defensive play at shortstop is impressive with a very smooth release and plenty of range. In a two and a half minor league seasons, the Philies top prospect holds a .297 average.
- Aaron Nola (RHP, Triple-A) - With a 10-3 record and a 2.03 ERA this season between Reading and Lehigh Valley, it is only a matter of time before Nola gets the call to Philadelphia. Of course, it depends on what moves the Phillies make or if they decide to wait until September when rosters expand. Nola has a 2.23 ERA in 29 2/3 innings with the Ironpigs, still figuring out hitters at the Triple-A level, but showing the dominance he has shown since being drafted. In his last start before the All-Star break, Nola tossed six innings of two-run ball against Boston's Triple-A club.
- Franklyn Kilome (Short Season 'A') - The Phillies short season affiliate in Williamsport, PA started their season on June 19th and leads the Pinckney Division of the New York-Penn League with an 18-7 record. Kilome, 20, comes out of the Dominican republic and has been nearly unhittable in his first three starts. In 16 2/3 innings, he's allowed just eight hits and one run, good for an ERA of 0.54. Kilome has struck out 14 and walked six. Last season for the Gulf Coast League Phillies, he went 3-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 11 games, eight of which were starts. Before the Phillies made the Rollins and Byrd trades, Kilome was ranked in the 10th spot on the list.
- Zach Eflin (RHP, Double-A) - By far the biggest addition in the Jimmy Rollins trade, Eflin has not shown amazing stuff on the mound, but he has the potential to be a very effective middle of the rotation starter. Currently taking a break from Reading to participate in the Pan-Am games, Eflin has a 5-4 record to go along with a 2.88 ERA in 14 starts. He's made two appearances in the Pan-Am games thus far, most recently starting for the US against the Dominican Republic. Eflin pitched five strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits in the USA's 4-3 loss. He'll likely be in Lehigh Valley by the end of the season.
- Ben Lively (RHP, Double-A) - Acquired by the Phillies in the Marlon Byrd deal, Lively has been steady all year with Reading, posting a 3.65 ERA in 17 starts. Prior to the Double-A Eastern League All-Star Game, Lively held opposing teams to two runs or less in seven of his last 10 starts. Most recently, he took the loss in Akron after allowing just one earned run on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. In 56 minor league starts, Lively is 20-18 with a 2.95 ERA.
- Roman Quinn (OF, Double-A) - Still on the disabled list with a hip flexor injury, Roman Quinn is by far the quickest prospect in the Phillies organization. Before going down with his injury, Quinn was hitting .306 with six doubles, six triples, four home runs, 44 runs scored and 15 RBI's. Quinn's average ranks eighth best in the Eastern League and his 29 stolen bases lead it. There is no timetable for Quinn's return, but hopefully this injury won't take away too much from his speed, which is his biggest asset. He still needs to learn plate discipline, but Quinn, along with Crawford, are the Phillies likely 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup in the coming years.
- Carlos Tocci (OF, Advanced 'A') - After hitting .321 with the Blueclaws in 59 games this season, the Phillies promoted 19-year-old Tocci to Advanced 'A' Clearwater. Since his promotion, he's hit just .265, but is on the way up, hitting .289 over his last 10 games with eight runs scored. He's struck out 22 times and walked just six times compared to his 31 strikeouts and 20 walks with Lakewood. Tocci is very young, so he'll stay with the Threshers for the remainder of the season and will likely start the 2016 season there as well.
- Tom Windle (LHP, Double-A) - The Phillies decided to move Windle into a relief role after the 23-year-old southpaw went 2-5 with a 5.35 ERA in 14 starts for Reading. Since being sent to the pen, Windle has pitched seven shutout innings and allowed just one run on four hits, good for an ERA of 1.29. His most recent outing came on July 11th in Akron. He pitched two perfect frames, striking out three in the process.
- Ricardo Pinto (RHP, Advanced 'A') - The 21-year-old right-hander out of Venezuela has been a solid addition to the Clearwater rotation after he went 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA in Lakewood. Since being moved up, Pinto has posted a 3.03 ERA in five starts, spanning 32 2/3 innings. His last start, in Fort Myers on July 13th, lasted 6 2/3 innings. He surrendered just one run on six hits while striking out four and walking two. This is Pinto's first appearance on Baseball America's Phillies prospect rankings this season.
- Malquin Canelo (SS, Advanced 'A') – A shortstop, just 20 years old out of the Dominican Republic, Canelo was promoted to Clearwater after hitting .311 with 48 runs scored, 22 doubles and 23 RBI's in Lakewood. He hasn't quite duplicated his successes yet in 18 games for the Threshers, hitting just .235 with 17 strikeouts in 81 at-bats. Canelo has extra base power as shown by his 22 doubles with Lakewood, but is still getting adjusted to the upgraded pitching at a higher level.
Drop Outs
- Maikel Franco (3B, MLB) - Franco has been removed from the list due to his extended time with the Phillies. He's hitting .284 with 14 doubles, 10 homers and 34 RBI's with the Phillies this season.
- Aaron Brown (OF, Advanced 'A') - Ranked as the Phillies ninth best prospect before the season, Brown is hitting just .250 with Clearwater this season, striking out 56 times and walking just 15 times. He has shown improvement at the plate recently, hitting .333 (11-for-33) with two home runs, seven RBI's and four runs scored over the last 10 games.
- Matt Imhof (LHP, Advanced 'A') - The Phillies second round pick from a year ago spent the better part of two months on the disabled list this season with elbow issues. He's allowed just three runs over his last 17 1/3 innings and holds a 3.66 ERA in nine starts this season.
Brandon Apter, Publishing Editor for Philliedelphia.com
