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Righty hurler Jonathan Pettibone , a third round selection in the 2008 amateur draft, has stood out as an increasingly promising prospect over the past few years for the Phillies. After putting himself on the map, Pettibone now resides among the team's best options to debut on the big league roster in the very near future. Pettibone signed with the Phils in 2008 after committing to the University of Southern California on a baseball scholarship. The son of former Twins pitcher Jay Pettibone states that his dad was an influence on him, during his youth, but dad backed off and let the younger Pettibone learn from his coaches as well as on his own, once he reached high school playing age. The 6-foot-6 225-pounder made his pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2008, recording an inning of work. The following season, the Esperanza High School (California) product joined the starting rotation for the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters of the New York-Penn...

Phillies third base prospect Cody Asche is back once again to share his thoughts directly from inside big league spring training in Clearwater, FL. The 22-year-old was a 4th round draft selection in 2011 out of the University of Nebraska.  Since then, Asche has ascended quickly up the developmental ranks.  Last year, in his first full professional season, the Missouri native posted a .324 batting average with 12 home runs, 72 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 130 combined games at Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading.  Asche also followed that up with a .281/.343/.438 line with Peoria in the Arizona Fall League. This year, Asche has landed in Major League spring training and is doing his best to make a lasting impression on the Phils coaches and brass while he's there. In the latest edition of The Cody Chronicles, Asche discusses his thoughts on early Grapefruit League action, his impressions of Phillies fans, fitting in with the big leaguers and plenty mor...

Tommy Joseph , who was acquired from San Francisco in the Hunter Pence trade last July, quickly landed among the Phillies' top positional prospects upon joining the organization.  Joseph now rounds out a collection of young talent that has the Phils extremely deep at the catcher position in the minors. The 6-foot-1 215-pounder, was the Giants' second round draft selection (55th overall) in 2009.  Upon making his professional debut the following year, Joseph played with Class A Augusta of the South Atlantic League.  That year, with the GreenJackets, Joseph posted a .236 average with 16 homers and 68 RBI in 117 games. In 2011, Joseph batted .270, smashed 22 home runs and drove in 95 runs in 127 games for Class A Advanced San Jose. Over the off-season that followed, he was ranked as San Francisco's 5th best prospect by MLB.com. An All-Star in the Double-A Eastern League in 2012, the righty hitting Joseph tallied a .257 average with 11 home runs and 48 RBI in ...

Art Charles - photo by Joe Wombough With a surplus of righty relievers and one in particular that has been on the outs in recent months, the Phillies made a trade on Saturday, to acquire a power hitting minor league first baseman Art Charles from the Toronto Blue Jays. In the deal, the Phils sent 27-year-old pitcher Michael Schwimer to Toronto.  Schwimer, a 14th round draft choice by the Phillies in 2008 out of the University of Virginia, has a 3-2 record with a 4.62 ERA in 47 big league contests while striking out 52 and walking 23 in 48 2/3 innings pitched. Charles, a 6-foot-6 225-pounder, was a 20th round draft choice by Toronto out of Bakersfield College in 2010.  Last season, splitting time between the Class A Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League and the Rookie level Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League, the California native batted .236 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI in 64 games. The 22-year-old is likely to begin the 2013 season with Class A ...

Roman Quinn- photo by Joe Wombough Selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft out of Port St. Joe High School, speedster Roman Quinn was immediately a prospect that many thought would be on a fast track upward in the Phillies system. The extremely athletic 5-foot-10 170-pounder is praised for his adaptability and has shown considerable improvement during his time in the professional ranks.   Quinn signed fairly late after being drafted and did not play in an official game in 2011.  He did, however, spend time with the Gulf Coast League team late in their season and played with the Florida Instructional League team following the regular season.  He made his official pro debut in 2012 with the short-season A level Williamsport Crosscutters.  There, Quinn tallied a .281 average with nine doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, one home run and 23 RBI while swiping 30 bases in 36 chances. Phillies executives were very pleased with his progress last year. ...

Truby with Lakewood in 2011- Photo by Jay Floyd Former big league third baseman Chris Truby is entering his fifth season as a manager in the Phillies' developmental ranks.  The 39-year-old began his coaching career in 2008 in the Pittsburgh organization after retiring from playing a year earlier. He joined the Phillies in 2009, spending two seasons as the manager for Class A short-season Williamsport prior to managing Class A Lakewood in 2011, then earning another promotion to be the skipper with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers last year. During his playing days, Truby saw time with Houston, Montreal, Detroit and Tampa Bay.  The Indiana native batted .231 with 23 homers and 107 RBI in 263 career big league games. This week I spoke with Chris about several subjects, among them the Phils' well regarded third base prospects, how he balances his goals to excel as a coach while helping his players improve and other players on the rise.  Read ahead for tha...

Baseball overload is right around the corner.  Beginning with Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Astros, the Phillies will play 35 games in 36 days and all but three of those exhibition contests will be available to watch or listen to in the Philadelphia region and beyond. The Comcast Network, Comcast Sportsnet, WPHT 1210 AM and MLB Network will team up to serve heavy doses of the Phillies spring baseball to fans over the airwaves and via your cable feed.  In the absence of televised games and terrestrial radio transmissions, the Phillies broadcast team is set to bring live play by play to internet users everywhere on MLB.com (and, of course, Phillies.com). The availability of so many spring contests, including the team's two "On Deck Series" games, played at Citizens Bank Park on March 29th and 30th, speaks volumes to the devoted following that the Phils have developed in recent years.  The success of the organization has grown the interest of the ...

Outfielder Tyson Gillies has struggled to stay on the field since he was acquired by the Phillies in the December, 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle. With a series of ailments and setbacks, the lefty batter has not been able to prove himself worthy of the high praise that led to his inclusion in that deal and earned him a spot among the well regarded players in the 2009 MLB All-Star Futures Game. Growing up in Canada, Gillies played both hockey and baseball. However, in his teenage years, Gillies felt that it was best to choose one sport to focus on and, as determined by his size at the time, he selected baseball. As Gillies progressed as a player, his love and passion for that great game developed along with his talents and he has never looked back. Gillies began his professional playing career in 2007, as a member of the Arizona League Mariners and later with Everett of the Class A Northwest League. Combined at the two levels that season, Gillies posted a .255...

Fans, join us in welcoming Phillies 3rd base prospect Cody Asche aboard, as the 22-year-old will be taking time throughout the preseason to share his thoughts directly from big league spring training. Selected in the 4th round of the 2010 amateur draft, Asche debuted that year, playing with the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters.  After an unimpressive debut campaign in which he batted .192 with two homers and 19 RBI in 68 games, the lefty batting Asche spent time in the Florida Instructional League, picking up some key hitting tips from then minor league hitting instructor Steve Henderson , who is coaching with the big league Phillies this year.  Considerable strides were taken, and the youngster made quite an impact in the Phils system last year, posting a .324 average with 12 home runs and 72 RBI in 130 combined games at Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading. As the new season approaches and the 6-foot-1 180-pound Asche strives to stand out amo...

Carlos Tocci- AP Photo Outfielder Carlos Tocci was signed by the Phillies for a reported signing bonus of $759,000 in the summer of 2011 on his 16th birthday. The native of Maracay, Venezuela participated in the Florida Instructional League that year, but made his official pro debut in 2012 as a member of the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Last season, Tocci posted a .278 average with two doubles and nine RBI in 38 contests in the GCL, with all but one of his games played before his 17th birthday. Having displayed little power in his debut season, Tocci, who hits from the right side, developed a bit of a reputation for being too skinny. The player known as "Toch" added a good amount of muscle this off-season, thanks to a training routine provided by the Phillies. He now has his 6-foot-2-inch frame up to a more desirable 170 pounds. On defense, Tocci has very good range and appears to glide to the ball, easily covering a lot of ground to track down fly balls. Tocc...

Sebastian Valle , a righty hitting catcher, has proven himself worthy of high praise during his time in the Phillies’ minor league system. Displaying considerable power and crucial skills behind the plate, Valle could be an option to help the big league club in the near future. After signing as an international free agent at the age of 16 in 2006, Valle began his pro career playing in the Dominican Summer League, where he batted .284 and sported an .802 OPS in 54 games. The following year, Valle played with the Gulf Coast League Phillies and posted a .281 average with two home runs and 18 RBI in 48 games, helping the team lock down a championship. In 2009, Valle split time between Class A Lakewood and short-season A level Williamsport. In 50 games for the Williamsport Crosscutters, Valle shined, posting a .307 average with six home runs and 40 RBI in 50 contests. In addition, Valle sported an .866 OPS with the ‘Cutters. With Lakewood, where he backed up eventual Roy Halladay ...

Venezuelan born infielder Cesar Hernandez was signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies at the age of 16. Since then, the slick defender that primarily plays second base, has displayed solid progress and improvements in many areas of his game. Hernandez, a switch-hitter, made his professional debut with the Venezuelan Summer League in 2007 at the age of 17. In two seasons there, he tallied a .296 batting average with three home runs and 45 RBI in 114 games.  He followed that effort with a campaign in which he batted .267 with five doubles and a triple in 41 games for the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2009.  The following year, as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, Hernandez was voted as the Most Valuable Player of the club by his teammates and was an All-Star. He proved clutch with the ‘Cutters, posting a .400 average (16-for-40) with runners in scoring position and two outs. Overall that season, Hernandez sported an impressive .325/...

Kenny Giles- photo by Dave Schofield Right-handed pitcher Kenny Giles rose up these rankings more than any other Phillies prospect last year.  Armed with tremendous velocity, the 6-foot-2-inch 190-pounder has a bright future and could prove extremely valuable to the organization in the near future. Drafted in the 7th round in 2011 out of Yavapai (Junior) College, although he was committed to transferring to Arizona, Giles began his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Phillies that year.  After facing a difficult decision to turn pro and leave college behind, Giles struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings over three outings with the GCL team.  Prior to making his debut in the minors, Giles, a big-time strike out artist, notched 67 punch outs in 38 innings during the 2011 college season. The Albuquerque, NM native began the 2012 season with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws where he went 3-3 with five saves, a 3.61 ERA and a .215 batting average against in 29 out...

In the news recently, and covered by Atlanta's FOX affiliate, was a story of former Phillies second baseman Marlon Anderson 's lost iPad being returned by an honest youngster. Just over a week ago, 8th grader Mauricio Ayala was out shoppping with his mother and found Anderson's tablet left behind in a shopping cart at his local Sam's Club. Ayala, not the type to take advantage of someone else's misfortune, set out to return the item and sought the assistance of his school computer technician, Michael Ladd, who was able to identify the owner as Anderson, despite the device being locked. During an impromptu ceremony at Ayala's school last week, Anderson rewarded the youngster with an autographed bat in exchange for his kind efforts. Anderson, who also played with the Mets, Dodgers, Nationals and Cardinals, spent the 2011 season as a hitting coach in the Nationals organization, on the Class A Hagerstown Suns staff, where he coached Bryce Harper . To h...

In recent years, righty hurler Julio Rodriguez has quietly become one of the Phillies ’ most promising prospects. Without the hype and buzz that has surrounded other well-regarded youngsters within the Phils’ organization, the Puerto Rican born hurler has proven himself worthy of being ranked among the team's prospects with the greatest potential. Selected in the 8th round of the 2008 amateur draft as a 17-year-old, Rodriguez made his professional debut that same year, throwing in seven games with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. However, the 6-foot-4-inch 200-pounder struggled, as he posted a 12.19 ERA and a .383 batting average against. He followed that up with a return to the GCL the following year.  Rodriguez added some strength and made some serious improvements, posting a 1-2 record with a 3.08 ERA and a .197 batting average against in 11 games (eight starts). In 2010, as a 19-year-old, Rodriguez began the season in extended spring training, but joined the...

Selected in the 8th round of the 2011 amateur draft, lefty hurler Austin Wright quickly proved to be a fast rising prospect in the Phillies' organization.  Out of the University of Mississippi, where he posted a 4.73 ERA and an 8.57 K/9 mark through 14 starts that year, Wright never tired, continuing on for another 15 appearances primarily as a starter in the Phils' system. After making his pro debut with the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters and posting a 3-1 record along with a 3.38 ERA in eight games (seven starts), Wright was promoted to full season Class A Lakewood, where he continued to look strong, tallying a 1-2 record and a 2.67 ERA in seven starts.  Combined at the two levels, Wright, who grew up idolizing big league stars like Kerry Wood and Mark Prior , notched an impressive 11.2 K/9 mark. In 2012, as a member of the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, the 6-foot-4-inch 235-pounder became an All-Star and was honored as the Florida State Le...

Last year, outfielder Zach Collier finally made the kind of impression the Phillies had long hoped for since they made him their supplemental 1st round draft choice (34th overall) in 2008. As a member of the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers, Collier put forth exceptional output and followed up the regular season with a tremendous campaign in the highly competitive Arizona Fall League, to display the type of skills that earned him high praise and a hefty professional signing bonus as a high school talent. Following his 2011 season, it was announced that the 6-foot-2 185-pound Collier had tested positive for amphetamines and would have to serve a 50-game suspension to kick off the following season. That down time didn’t hold the Carson, CA native down, however. In the Florida State League last year, Collier, who once got a signing bonus of over $1 million from the Phillies, posted career highs in OBP (.333) and slugging percentage (.399). Despite missing time due to the sus...

From the "Lost Tapes" files, I bring you a never-before-released interview with 2012 Phillies draft pick Zach Cooper .  The righty hurler was in the midst of an excellent campaign during his first season in the pro ranks, after the Phils selected him in the 15th round out of Central Michigan University, when I spoke with him in August. Cooper, who turned 23-years-old this off-season, is aggressive on the mound, as he attacks the strike zone and goes after opposing batters. As a senior last year with the Chippewas, the 5-foot-10-inch 185-pound Cooper went 7-5 with a 2.82 ERA and was honored with an all-conference nod. After debuting as a pro, combined at two levels, with the short-season Williamsport Crosscutters and the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, Cooper posted a 2-3 record with six saves and a 1.30 ERA while holding batters to a .183 batting average in 23 appearances.  Read ahead to check out my full interview with Zach, as he talks about transitioning from college ...