Photo courtesy of Larry Greene's Twitter account
Although top prospect Maikel Franco will be seeing more time at first base in 2014, Ruben Amaro has since stated that his primary position will remain third base. So, we will focus on him in our third base prospect feature.
That being said, if Franco stays at third, you have to dig pretty deep to find the next first base prospects for the Phillies. With Ryan Howard at the helm for the forseeable future, let's take a look at what first base prospects you should keep on your radar as 2014 progresses.
Chris Serritella (2013 – Clearwater) - Drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 draft by the Phillies out of Souther Illinois University Carbondale, the 23 year-old Serritella spent his entire season with the Advanced-A Threshers. In 2012, he was in Williamsport and he put up an impressive .297 average in 75 games for the Crosscutters. 2013 was a different story for Serritella. His average dropped to .244 and he also saw significant dips in both slugging and on-base percentage. He increased his home run numbers from six to 12, but struck out 125 times, compared to 53 the year prior. Write it up to Advanced-A struggles, but the young first basemen did increase his fielding percentage from 97.7% to 99.3% and committed six fewer errors. He played 68 games at first base for Clearwater while serving as the DH for 57. His bat speed may have slowed from short season ball to high-A, Serritella will likely get a chance to do some more fine tuning this season. Look for him to start in Clearwater or Lakewood.
Art Charles (2013 – Lakewood) - Acquired from the Blue Jays in 2013 in a deal that sent reliever Michael Schwimmer to Toronto, Charles was the primary first baseman for the Class 'A' Blueclaws. Art spent 2012 with the Blue Jays rookie and low-A affiliates, hitting a combined .236 with 13 home runs and 34 RBI. In 2013 with Lakewood, Charles raised his average 15 points to .251 and also managed to hit 11 homers and knock in 72 runs. After hitting just 15 doubles in 2012, Charles more than doubled it in 2013 with 34. His strikeouts did add up though as he was set down on strikes 125 times in 2013. If Charles continues to see his hitting improve, he could see some time in Clearwater in 2014, but I would assume Charles would start his season in Lakewood.
Larry Greene (2013 – Lakewood) - A player who has seen time only at outfield thus far, Greene, 20, looks more and more like he will become a first baseman. Ranked as the #6 overall Phillies prospect heading into 2013, Greene found himself outside of the Top 10 according to Baseball America rankings due to what can be viewed as a down season. A 2012 season that saw Greene hit .272 with the Crosscutters was a distant memory after 2013 was over as he hit just .213 with the Blueclaws. A player known more for his hitting, Greene has not quite found his professional swing just yet, but at the young age of 20, there is still plenty of time for seasoning. Greene, selected in the first round of the 2011 draft, has played primarily left field thus far. His build and power are the upside above his speed, which is a necessary asset in the outfield, so we could see Greene at first base as early as this season. Look for him to start the year in Lakewood.
Logan Pierce (2013 – Williamsport) - Selected in the 15th round of the 2013 draft out of Troy University, the 24 year-old first baseman finds himself with not much time to develop at his age. While most of the prospects at this level range from 18-22, Pierce faces an uphill battle heading into 2014. In 68 games with the Crosscutters, he hit .266 with five home runs, 15 doubles and 29 RBI. Going back to his age, his .266 average will likely be enough to start him at a higher level but with prospects listed above, it is tough to say whether or not he will begin in Lakewood or Clearwater.
Not quite a prospect but…this season in Reading, 28 year-old Jim Murphy played as the primary first baseman. In 139 games for the Fightin' Phils, Murphy hit .273 and belted 23 homers while knocking in 83 runs. He was drafted by the Phillies in 2006 and holds a .268 average over six minor league seasons with 87 homers and 385 RBI. He could see some serious playing time for the Ironpigs in 2014 and who knows what opportunities may present themselves if he keeps up his power numbers.
Brandon Apter is a contributor to Philliedelphia. Follow him on Twitter @ApterShock
