By Theo DeRosa, Sports Talk Philly staff 
As the Phillies season is coming to a close, we have taken a look at each of the team's minor league affiliates. The last of these is the Lakewood BlueClaws, the team's Single-A affiliate based in Lakewood Township, New Jersey.
Lakewood has an overall record of 65-63 in 2016, but has come on strong in the South Atlantic League's second half, leading the Northern division with a second-half record of 36-23. The BlueClaws, as of Aug. 25, have won six straight. They should be in good position to clinch a playoff spot.
Top hitter
Second baseman Josh Tobias has had an excellent season for Lakewood this year, with a triple-slash line of .304/.375/.444 and seven home runs (despite making 11 errors). Tobias, a tenth-round pick by the Phillies out of the University of Florida in 2015, has progressed well through the minors and figures to start in Advanced-A Clearwater next year; he could see time in Reading by the end of 2017. Tobias isn't currently on MLB.com's list of the top 30 Phillies prospects, but as he continues to progress through the minors, that could change.
Top pitcher
Luke Leftwich, who also finds himself on the outside looking in on the Phillies top 30 list, has pitched great for Lakewood in 2016. He sports a 2.00 ERA in 12 starts with a stellar K/BB ratio of 88/18. Leftwich, who, disappointingly, throws right-handed, has also thrown 45.1 innings for Clearwater this year.
Alberto Tirado, one of the flamethrowers acquired from Toronto from Ben Revere, has been strong of late for the BlueClaws. The 21-year-old has posted a 3.75 ERA for Lakewood. He does show some control issues, highlighted by his 75/31 K/BB. Tirado, the Phillies No. 29 prospect, certainly has good bat-missing stuff and, if he can continue his recent string of good outings, should figure to at least begin 2017 in Clearwater (where he has made a few appearances) and hopefully sniff Reading at some point.
Playoff outlook
While Lakewood plays a full season of games, its playoff seeds are determined by performance in each half. The BlueClaws began the season with a subpar first half, going 29-40. Lakewood leads the South Atlantic League's second-half standings, though, by three games over the Washington Nationals affiliate the Hagerstown Suns.
