My All-Star Break Top 20 Prospects List

Photo by Richard Wilkins Jr.

It's the All-Star Break. We're going to hear a lot about trades. The Phillies won't be buying this year, but they may be looking inward to see what they have. In my view, these are their top prospects. If a player is on the MLB roster, I will not rank them (for instance, Ken Giles).

1. Maikel Franco- 3B- AAA- While Franco has limped through a .230 run so far, he has come alive in July. He's the youngest AAA player in Phillies history, he appears to be turning a corner, and he's doing so while playing two positions for the first time in his career. Franco's arrival will probably come later this Summer, and he'll certainly be up at some point in 2015, if not Opening Day.
2. J.P. Crawford- SS- High-A- Like Franco, Crawford was in the Future's Game. Crawford is a full two years younger than Franco though, at 19. Crawford hasn't torn the cover off the ball in Clearwater yet, but the fact that he's there a little over a year after being a first round pick tells me that he's doing fine. The only real question right now is whether he opens 2015 in Reading or Clearwater. Either way, I'm looking at September of 2015, at the earliest, and more likely 2016 as his arrival time.
3. Aaron Nola- P- High-A- This year's top pick has been pretty impressive so far in Clearwater. There is talk of him reaching Reading this year, but my bet is that he'll start there next year either way. At the absolute earliest I see him up in September of 2015, but again, I'd say 2016 is the arrival for the LSU prospect. His pin-point command is helping him move through quickly.
4. Roman Quinn- CF- High-A- Yes, he's had his struggles, but Quinn's tools are there. I'd be concerned with his .625 OPS if he wasn't coming off of an achilles tear. The first key for Quinn is getting to 100% health and capability. Next is showing the offensive game to project into a center-fielder. Like Ben Revere, his value is largely in his speed. With that said, he has a stronger arm and more of a power stroke to play with.
5. Aaron Altherr- CR- AA- Reading's Altherr has lots of tools, and might just be turning the corner. A good last ten days has helped him push himself to the .250 level now, over a .308 run. Altherr is looking like a good candidate to reach AAA next year, and possibly becoming a candidate to come up in 2015. He's plus defensively, and if his bat can become consistent enough, he's got a shot.
6. Jesse Biddle- P- AA- He's a real mess right now, but you still have to hope his tools can come together. The lefty starter just needs to stop walking people. There's not much more to it. If his command catches up to his raw stuff, he can be a major league starter. He'll make the majors in 2015, by September, or I'm betting he might not ever.
7. Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez- P- AA- It's amazing that he's this high up, and Biddle is this far down. That tells you how the last month has changed things. Gonzalez is striking out over a batter an inning and pitching very effectively out of the bullpen in Reading. He could see Lehigh Valley this year yet, and has an honest shot to make the bullpen in 2015. 
8. Tommy Joseph- C- AA- Joseph is back playing in the GCL right now on rehab, and is hitting well at .308. There is definitely question about his durability, and he hasn't answered it this year. Right now I see him arriving after the 2015 trade deadline or in September, if he makes it. He's probably a bad injury or two away from being a non-catcher, and a non-prospect.
9. Kelly Dugan- OF- AA- Dugan, like so many on this list, has battled an injury this year. He's battled oblique issues, but he's hit well while healthy, and frankly, being an outfielder in this system isn't the worst thing to be right now. I could see a 2015 call up, but 2016 seems the most likely.
10. Severino Gonzalez- P- AA- Gonzalez burst onto the scene last Summer with a great season. This year in AA, he's been inconsistent in performance, but durable and showing flashes. In a system that suddenly doesn't have as many arms as you might have hoped, that gives Gonzalez an honest shot to be a starter in 2015 or 2016.
11. Cameron Perkins- OF- AAA- Sure, he's struggled a bit since his promotion from Reading, but Perkins has played himself certainly into the 2015 conversation, and that's a win onto itself. I see him seeing the majors in 2015.
12. Ethan Martin- P- AAA- Martin probably belongs higher than this, but his command problems worry me a bit. 
13. Matt Imhof- P- Short-A- This year's second round pick is dominating Williamsport this year, already. Look for him to maybe get a look in Lakewood this year, and if not, to start next year. At the best, he could reach Reading in 2015, and maybe the majors in 2016, though I'd say 2017 or later right now.
14. Cord Sandberg- OF- Short-A- Sandberg has showed solid offensive ability in the short season ball, and that gives him a decent shot to move up fast. His timeline is probably pretty similar to Imhof in that he's a 2017 big leaguer most likely, but if he hits his way through each level, maybe he could show up in 2016.
15. Carlos Tocci- OF- Low-A- The very young Lakewood outfielder needs to grow into his frame, and at that point he'll take off. He's got raw tools, and bad numbers. My guess right now is that he will grow into himself in a year or two, and arrives to the bigs in 2017.
16. Adam Morgan- P- AAA- No one is really sure how Morgan is going to look when he comes off the shelf. If he looks good, he could be on the 2015 squad. If he doesn't, his career could totally derail. 
17. Aaron Brown- OF- Short-A- Drafted this year out of Pepperdine, Brown might move fast. So far he's showing offensive ability in Williamsport, but it's too early to tell how he'll do. I'd say 2016 is his early end.
18. Mitch Guellar- P- Short-A- This recent draft choice is showing some ability off in Williamsport, much like Imhof. It's hard to say what his ceiling is at this point, and he won't be up for a while. Watch for around 2017 right now, unless he continues to dominate.
19. Zach Green- 3B- Low-A- Zach Green plays all over the infield, and last year showed off some power in Williamsport. While his offense has fallen off a bit in 2014, he's still showing a live bat and versatile glove.
20. Dylan Cozens- OF- Low-A- The athletic Lakewood outfielder is showing off impressive power with 13 homers so far. His ceiling is really high, so look for more progress to come.