By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia Phillies have some nice depth in their farm system and the majority of their minor league affiliates are right in the midst of a playoff race. Double-A Reading has been atop the standings for quite some time now, posting the best record in all of professional baseball at 78-41 thanks in large part to a potent, powerful lineup that includes the likes of Dylan Cozens, Rhys Hoskins and Jorge Alfaro. Last season, the Fightin' Phils fell short in the Eastern League Championship Series, but it seems like 2016 could be the year that the title finally returns to Reading for the first time since they were co-champions with New Britain in 2001. The last time they won the title outright was in 1995.
Top hitters
The Reading offense is led by Dylan Cozens and Rhys Hoskins, who both lead all of minor league baseball with 33 and 35 homers respectively. Cozens, 22, has been a familiar name over the last couple of years in the Phillies system thanks to his outburst of power at the plate. Though he does strike out a lot, Cozens' raw ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark is extremely intriguing. For someone who is 6-foot-6, he plays the outfield well while also displaying a nice power arm from right field. Cozens, the Phillies second round pick in 2012, has been on fire recently, hitting .425 (17-for-40) over his last 10 games with three doubles, two triples, six homers, 16 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Overall, he's hitting .289 with 34 doubles, three triples, 33 homers and 105 RBIs. In addition, he can run, stealing 19 bases this season. It seems like Cozens will be in Double-A as the season winds down unless the Phillies believe his recent hot bat can help Triple-A Lehigh Valley in some way over the final weeks of the year.
Meanwhile, Hoskins isn't someone many have heard of before this year. Selected in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, Hoskins leads all of professional baseball with 35 homers, two ahead of teammate Dylan Cozens. Overall this season, the first base prospect is hitting .279 with 24 doubles, 104 RBIs and 81 runs scored. After hitting 17 homers while batting .319 between Class 'A' Lakewood and Advanced 'A' Clearwater last season, Hoskins' power has gotten even better for a guy who wasn't even listed in the Phillies top 30 prospects last season. Now, he's ranked No. 13 and he may keep climbing. With the Phillies first baseman of the future still in question, a strong follow-up season to 2016 in Triple-A next year could solidify him in the organization's future plans.
One more player to note is Jorge Alfaro. One of the centerpieces of the Cole Hamels deal last July, Alfaro is hitting .282 with 16 doubles, two triples, 12 homers and 56 RBIs in his first season as a member the Phillies organization.
Top pitcher
Reading had Ben Lively earlier in the year, but he's since moved on to Triple-A. He went 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA with the team before earning a promotion. Currently, the bullpen holds the top pitcher on the Fightin' Phils in 23-year-old right-hander Miguel Nunez. In 37 appearances with Reading, he's 4-1 with a 2.37 ERA, striking out 41 and allowing just one homer in 38 innings pitched. Over his last 10 games, spanning 11.1 innings, Nunez is 1-0 with a 0.79 ERA, striking out 10. He leads the team with 15 saves in what is his most successful season in the Phillies organization, which dates back to 2010 in the Dominican Summer League. The outlook for Nunez is unclear. He could very well start 2017 in Double-A, but could also be placed in Triple-A to see if his 2016 results roll over to a higher level. Right now, cutting down on the walks is the key for Nunez, who stands at 6-foot-6, the same as current Phillie Zach Eflin.
Playoff outlook
Barring a large losing streak or sudden loss of offense, the Reading Fightin' Phils are going to the postseason. The division is still up in the air though with the Trenton Thunder just three games behind. Reading is mired in somewhat of a slump, losing three of their last four, but they won four of five to start the month of August. Through 12 games thus far this month, they are 7-5 and have 22 games remaining this season and the final four coming against Trenton.
