Carlos Tocci is hitting .436 over his last 10 games for Lakewood
Another week of minor league baseball is in the books and there is some exciting news to look forward to as we head into the coming week. Topping the headlines is the return of the Phillies top prospect while three young arms continue to dominate for Double-A Reading. Towards the bottom of the top 10 list, two Phillies prospects find themselves on the disabled list. Let's take a look at how the top of the Phillies talent (as ranked by Baseball America) performed this past week.
- J.P. Crawford (Advanced 'A) - After missing the first month and change of the season, the Phillies top prospect is slated to come off of the disabled list on Monday, May 4th, and report to Advanced 'A' Clearwater. Crawford hit .275 with eight home runs, seven doubles and 29 RBI with the Threshers last season.
- Aaron Nola (Double-A) - Nola has begun the season in Reading impressively, going 2-2 with a 2.55 ERA through his first four starts. After giving up four runs in his first start of the season, Nola has settled in nicely since, holding opposing teams to two runs or less in his last three outings. On Thursday, Nola tossed seven inning of one-run ball in Reading's win over Richmond. He struck out five hitters. Nola's next turn in the rotation comes tomorrow at home against the Fishercats.
- Maikel Franco (Triple-A) - With rumors of Cody Asche's increased work in the outfield, Franco's play must be a reason for it. Franco's hit .262 over his last 10 games, lowering his average to .310 on the year, which is still acceptable for the 22-year-old corner infielder. Back on April 23rd, Franco was hitting .355, but has since cooled down. The Ironpigs head to Lousiville to take on the Reds Triple-A affiliate on Monday night. Joely Rodriguez gets the start in game one.
- Zach Eflin (Double-A) - After tossing 15 2/3 innings before over his first three starts, Eflin's streak broke when the Portland Sea Dogs scored two runs on the 21-year-old right-hander in the second inning. Eflin suffered his first loss of the season after giving up three runs in eight innings of work. Reading lost 3-0, so Eflin didn't get any support from his offense. Overall this season, Eflin is 2-1 with a 1.14 ERA and a 0.76 WHIP. He's struck out 12 and walked four. He will take the mound on Wednesday morning at 11:35am against New Hampshire.
- Tom Windle (Double-A) - He lasted just two innings in his last start after surrendering seven walks. Out of his 53 pitches thrown, only 20 of them were strikes. Through his first four starts of the season, Windle has an 0-1 record to go along with an ERA of 4.50. Opposing hitters are hitting .267 against him this season. Windle will look to get his command back this weekend as Reading travels to Eric.
- Ben Lively (Double-A) – If you remember, Lively is the pitcher the Phillies received in the Marlon Byrd trade with the Reds. So far it has paid off, with Byrd struggling to get his average above .200 in Cincy. In four starts so far this season, Lively is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA, adding to the already formidable ERA's of both Aaron Nola (2.55) and Zach Eflin (1.14). Lively will likely take the hill against Erie on the road this coming weekend. In his most recent outing, he pitched six innings in a winning effort and gave up three runs on seven hits. He also struck out nine.
- Roman Quinn (Double-A) - Quinn ranks 11th in the Eastern League in hitting with a .314 average. Like Maikel Franco, Quinn's hot start has cooled off a bit. Over his last ten games, the 21-year-old speedy outfielder is hitting just .205 with 11 strikeouts in 39 at-bats. Back on April 25th, Quinn was hitting .367 but has leveled out since. He's a switch-hitter and has a .278 average against lefties and a .302 average against righties. Quinn leads the EL with 10 stolen bases and is locked in a three-way tie with 19 runs scored.
- Carlos Tocci (Class 'A') - In our last prospect check-in, Tocci was hitting .357 and has been on fire since, raising his average to .400 on the season. He's hit .436 over the past ten games and leads the South Atlantic League in batting average (.400), on-base percentage (.476) and is fourth overall in total bases (48). Tocci has five multi-hit games in his last six. The Blueclaws conclude a four-game set with the Sand Gnats tomorrow evening in Savannah.
- Aaron Brown (Advanced 'A) - Brown is currently on the seven-day disabled list and has struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .209 (14-for-67) with four doubles, three triples, a home run, seven RBI's and nine runs scored.
- Matt Imhof (Advanced 'A') - Currently, Imhof finds himself on the seven-day disabled list with a strained left shoulder. The Phillies 2014 second round pick last pitched on the 14th for Clearwater, tossing five shutout innings, striking out two and walking three. He's 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA through two starts this season.
Phillies Minor League Standings:
Lehigh Valley (AAA): 6-19, 6th place in International League North Division
Reading (AA): 13-9, 3rd place in Eastern League Eastern Division
Clearwater (Advanced 'A'): 12-12, 3rd place in Florida State League North Division
Lakewood (Low 'A'): 13-11, 4th place in South Atlantic League Northern Division
Williamsport (Short Season 'A'): Season begins June 19th
Brandon Apter, Publishing Editor for Philliedelphia.com
