By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia Phillies have some pretty solid organizational depth if you think about it, especially when it comes to pitching. Due to injuries this year, we'eve already seen Zach Eflin back with the team, while Nick Pivetta and Mark Leiter Jr. each made their big league debuts recently. They have strong depth in Triple-A still with Ben Lively, Ricardo Pinto and Jake Thompson, despite his early season struggles.
The Phillies pitching depth doesn't stop at Triple-A either. As a matter of fact, the majority of their premiere pitching talent lies with Advanced 'A' Clearwater and Class 'A' Lakewood. Through the first month of the season, both of these teams are being led by their starting pitching staffs while also getting some impressive performances from their relievers as well.
Let's start with the Lakewood Blueclaws. Although their 13-12 record may be nothing to write home about, if you dive a little deeper, their starting pitching is a big reason as to why they have 13 wins this season so far. They've had five players start four games thus far, and all of them sport an ERA lower than 2.80. Here's a quick look at their successful starters…
- Ranger Suarez: 4 GS, 1-0, 0.81 ERA, 30 K, 7 BB, 0.85 WHIP
- Adonis Medina: 4 GS, 0-2, 1.71 ERA, 24 K, 8 BB, 1.14 WHIP
- Nick Fanti: 4 GS, 1-0, 2.08 ERA, 22 K, 7 BB, 0.97 WHIP
- Jojo Romero: 4 GS, 0-1, 2.75 ERA, 23 K, 8 BB, 1.22 WHIP
- Sixto Sanchez: 4 GS, 0-2, 2.79 ERA, 21 K, 2 BB, 0.78 WHIP
Ranger Suarez's 0.81 ERA is good for third best in the South Atlantic League while his 30 strikeouts rank fifth. Adonis Medina's 1.71 ERA is 10th best in the SAL while Nick Fanti is a couple of spots after at 13th. Their starting staff has a combined 1.99 ERA, allowing just 23 earned runs in 104 innings of work. Including the bullpen, Lakewood has a 2.70 ERA, second best in the SAL, to go along with a 1.15 WHIP and a league-leading two complete game efforts. Last season, the Blueclaws finished the season with an ERA over 3.50, so they have a much more stable rotation in 2017. How long it stays that way will depend on promotions and wear and tear as the season rolls along.
Moving to Clearwater, five of the six Threshers starters have ERA's south of 2.40 as their entire pitching staff, both bullpen and rotation, lead the Advanced 'A' Florida State League with a 2.43 ERA. The next closest team in ERA would be the Tampa Yankees, nearly 40 points above at 2.82. The Threshers are tied for the FSL lead in shutouts (3), they lead the league in saves (12) and rank third in WHIP (1.20). A big part of their success has been their rotation, led by 2016 fifth round pick Cole Irvin and Dominican Republic native Seranthony Dominquez. They sare sporting ERA's of 1.04 and 0.95, respectively. Let's take a closer look at their starting rotation, which has helped them to a 16-8 record, the best in the FSL.
- Seranthony Dominguez: 4 G, 3 GS, 2-0, 0.95 ERA, 25 K, 6 BB, 0.75 WHIP
- Cole Irvin: 4 GS, 3-1, 1.04 ERA, 20 K, 3 BB, 0.96 WHIP
- Jose Taveras: 4 GS, 3-0, 1.59 ERA, 22 K, 7 BB, 1.32 WHIP
- Franklyn Kilome: 4 GS, 3-1, 2.28 ERA, 22 K, 5 BB, 1.32 WHIP
- Alberto Tirado: 4 GS, 1-1, 2.34 ERA, 19 K, 12 BB, 1.28 WHIP
- Blake Quinn: 4 GS, 0-1, 2.79 ERA, 15 K, 8 BB, 1.50 WHIP
On the Florida State League's Official Pitching Statistics page, Dominguez isn't a qualified starter, but if he did qualify, his ERA would be second best in the league followed by teammate Cole Irvin, who also ranks fourth in the FSL in WHIP (0.96). Dominguez is holding opponents to a lowly .145 average against. If you thought Lakewood's rotation had an impressive ERA (1.99), the Threshers starters have a combined 1.60 ERA, allowing 27 runs in 152 innings.
Clearwater has also gotten some strong performances out of the bullpen, with left-hander Austin Davis striking out 19 and walking just two in 14.1 innings of relief while closer Jeff Singer ranks second in the FSL with five saves. He's kept the opposition scoreless in six of his eight appearances so far in 2017, holding them to a .167 average.
With the amount of impressive pitching depth in the system, the Phillies have a lot of insurance down the road if even a few of these guys pan out. You never really know how prospects will transition to the big leagues, but guys like Franklyn Kilome, Sixto Sanchez and Adonis Medina might be pieces in the Phillies future as they continue to build a roster to compete for a playoff spot on a yearly basis.
