By: Josh Liddick, Sports Talk Philly Staff 
Over the course of the entire season, the Philadelphia Phillies' minor league system has been extremely fortunate to have some of the best prospects in baseball, as well as some of the best win-loss records.
Two teams that aren't as normally talked about as much as the Reading Fightin' Phils and the Lehigh Valley IronPigs are the Gulf Coast League (GCL) Phillies, and the Williamsport Crosscutters. The GCL Phillies squad is a rookie league, where many of tomorrow's stars make their minor league debuts at. The Crosscutters are the Phillies Short-Season class-A team, and are pretty much the next step up.
While not as flashy as Reading and Lehigh Valley, both GCL and Williamsport have had strong seasons and are fighting to get into the postseason.
Top hitter
For the GCL Phillies, there is hardly a player that can compare to this season's No. 1 overall draft pick, 18-year-old outfielder Mickey Moniak. Moniak joined the GCL team right after he was drafted in May, and definitely has made his presence felt in his 34 games played during this season.
Although he missed the beginning of the season, Moniak continued his strong high school success on the professional level. Moniak leads the team in batting average with a .304 clip, RBI's with 27, and stolen bases at eight. His .364 on-base percentage, as well as a high OPS at .794, have shown that Moniak is capable of more at the next level.
Moniak could see himself playing in either Clearwater next season depending on his success to end 2016, and his work ethic heading into the 2017 campaign.
On the Crosscutter's side of the diamond, they have been lead by David Martinelli. The 21-year-old outfielder from Waxahachie, Texas, has been a great addition to this offense after being drafted in the sixth round by the Phillies this year.
Martinelli leads all Crosscutters hitters with 37 hits in 37 games for Williamsport. He's hitting with a .245 average, .345 slugging percentage, a .288 on-base percentage, and an OPS at .638. Not only is Martinelli leading the Crosscutters in hits, he's also showcasing his speed this season. He has six stolen bases this season.
It's obvious that unlike Moniak, Martinelli has a lot of work to do at his current level before he gets a chance to go any higher on the system. If he can prove to be consistent, like he is showing currently, there is no reason he can't move up the ladder to Lakewood or Clearwater next season.
Top pitcher
The GCL Phillies have been fortunate to have the services of 19-year-old right hander Nick Fanti. Fanti was drafted by the Phillies in the 31st round of the 2015 MLB Draft and has already spent a few games with the GCL squad last season.
Fanti has been able to get a full season under his belt with the GCL Phillies, and has dazzled hitters with a record of 6-0, a 1.69 ERA, and 53 strikeouts.
In 42.2 innings of work, Fanti has been brilliant, only allowing eight earned runs, giving up one home run, and keeping opposing hitters to a measly .187 average.
As noted in a previous article, Ranger Suarez threw a seven-inning no-hitter for the Crosscutters and showed plenty of dominance during a shortened game. Suarez has been the top pitcher for Williamsport this season.
While his ERA is slightly higher than his teammate's at 3.27, Suarez has a record of 5-2 with 41 strikeouts this season. Suarez has proven that while he has allowed more runs than any other starter (2o ER), he has the ability to eat innings.
That quality is something many scouts are looking at, and along with the no-hitter, Suarez has shown signs of being a top pitcher in the lower levels of the Phillies' organization.
Playoff outlook
For both GCL and Williamsport, the playoffs remain a possibility.
The GCL Phillies are currently tied with the GCL Blue Jays for first-place in the GCL Northwest division. With four divisions in the league, only the division champions have a chance at the postseason. Therefore, the GCL Phillies team needs to make sure they keep winning in order to knock the GCL Blue Jays out of contention.
For Williamsport, the Crosscutters can still make the playoffs, but they would have to do so as a Wild Card. They are currently six games behind the State College Spikes (STL) in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division, who are almost guaranteed a division title, barring an implosion.
Fortunately, a wild card berth is not entirely out of the question. The Crosscutters currently trail the Staten Island Yankees by three games for the Wild Card spot in the playoffs.
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