Weekly Minors Roundup: Hernandez, Franco, Altherr, Cozens Heat Up

Here's another weekly rundown of the Phillies' minor leagues with details on some recent noteworthy performers...

Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs...

In eight games since returning to the IronPigs' lineup, following a wrist injury, second baseman/center fielder Cesar Hernandez has gone 11-for-26 (.423 avg) with a double, a triple, two RBI and two steals. The 23-year-old batted .250 in nine games with the big league Phillies earlier this season.

Third baseman Tyler Henson is batting .375 with seven doubles, four home runs and 17 walks in 22 games since joining the 'Pigs. The 25-year-old was signed as a minor league free agent last off-season.

Double-A Reading Fightins...

Maikel Franco, Image- Jay Floyd

In his last six games, Maikel Franco, who turns 21-years-old today, is 8-for-22 (.367 avg) with a double, three home runs and seven RBI. The Dominican native began playing first base for the Fightins over the weekend after being strictly a third baseman in his pro career till then. Overall in 126 games combined with Reading and Clearwater, Franco is batting .314 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI this year.

Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers...

Outfielder Aaron Altherr is 15-for-37 (.405 avg) with three doubles, two homers and seven RBI in his last nine games. The 22-year-old righty hitter is sporting a .276 average with 12 home runs, 68 RBI and 21 steals in 116 games this season. Altherr was the Phillies' 9th round draft choice in 2009.

Cameron Perkins, another Threshers outfielder, had a hot stretch ended with an 0-for-5 effort on Sunday. The Phils' 6th round pick from 2012 was 11-for-25 (.440 avg) in his previous eight games prior to Sunday's contest. Overall this season, the 22-year-old Purdue product is batting .300 with seven homers and 53 RBI in 99 games.

Lefty starting pitcher Hoby Milner has a 3-1 record and a 1.33 ERA in four outings this month. The 22-year-old was selected in the 7th round of last year's draft out of the University of Texas. This season, Milner has a 12-6 record with a 3.77 ERA and a 6.70 K/9 mark in 25 games.

Class A Lakewood BlueClaws...

This year's 1st round draft pick J.P. Crawford is batting .321 with a double, two RBI and two steals in eight games since joining the 'Claws. The 18-year-old shortstop joined Lakewood after sporting a .345/.443/.465 line in 39 games with the GCL Phillies.

Carlos Tocci, Image- Jay Floyd

Outfielder Carlos Tocci is batting .183 in 54 games since the South Atlantic League All-Star game after tallying a .236 average in 60 games prior to the break. Tocci, who turned 18 this past week, was signed by the Phillies on his 16th birthday two years ago.

Short-season A level Williamsport Crosscutters...

Second baseman Andrew Pullin has gone 12-for-30 (.400 avg) with four doubles, a home run and six RBI in his last seven games. This season, in 48 games, the 19-year-old is batting .270 with three homers and 21 RBI. Pullin was the Phillies' 5th round pick in last year's draft.

Over an eight-game hit streak that concluded over the weekend, outfielder Dylan Cozens went 10-for-28 (.357 avg) with a double, a triple, a home run and five RBI. In 58 games this year, the 19-year-old is batting .261 with seven homers, 29 RBI and 10 steals. The lefty batting Cozens was drafted in the 2nd round last year.

Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies...

Since making the move from the bullpen to the starting rotation, 18-year-old right-hander Tyler Viza has a 1-0 record with a 1.29 ERA in five outings. Viza was drafted in the 32nd round this year. Overall in 11 games, the youngster has a 1.55 ERA.

Jersey Shore clinches playoff berth on final day of regular season

Ottto Kemp, image- Jay Floyd With an extra-inning victory over first-half division champions Hudson Valley on Sunday, the Class A Advanced Jersey Shore BlueClaws clinched the team's first playoff appearance since 2018, winning the second-half division title. Key performers in the BlueClaws' clincher were righty hurler Jason Ruffcorn, who threw three innings of relief to earn the victory and third baseman Otto Kemp, notched three hits, a walk, two stolen bases and plated the game winning run in the 11th inning on a sacrifice fly. On top of that, Kemp, who turned 24-years-old on Saturday, made an absolute game-saving defensive play to help the club hold their lead in the bottom of the 11th frame. One of Jersey Shore's most consistent performers all season long has been right-handed reliever Cam Wynne. The Phillies' 20th round draft pick in 2021 out of Nebraska. In 34 appearances, one start, the 24-year-old tallied a 1-1 record with one save, a 2.44 ERA and a .190 batti

PhoulBallz Interview: BlueClaws OF Justin Crawford

Justin Crawford w/ junior reporter Evan At the age of 19, outfielder Justin Crawford has played his way into the conversation of being considered as one of baseball's top prospects. The son of four-time MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, Justin has looked every bit as impressive as his position as the 17th overall draft selection last year would have most fans thinking he should be. He opened the season with Class A Clearwater where, in 69 games, he notched a .344/.399/.478 slash line. And since mid-August when he was promoted to Class A Advanced Jersey Shore, the younger Crawford has posted a .300/.364/.440 line. He's also stolen 44 bases in 52 attempts overall. And while the BlueClaws enter the final week of the regular season 1/2 game out of first place in their division, I spoke with Justin Crawford about the team's hopes of making the postseason for the first time since 2018. I also asked Justin about the similarities and differences between his skillset and his father'

RHP Pipkin headed to AFL after hot August

After completing what was easily the best month of his career, righty hurler Dominic Pipkin is ready to face the tough competition of the prominent Arizona Fall Leage. Pipkin, who was the Phillies' 9th round draft selection in 2018, has had moderate success in his five years as a pro, posting a 4.93 ERA, a 7.6 K/9 mark and a .260 batting average against mostly at the lower levels on the minors. After missing time this year with an unspecified ailment, the six-foot-four 170-pounder proved to be healthy as he dominated AA competition in nine appearances with the Reading Fightin Phils during August. Pipkin's impressive production resulted in a 1-0 record with a save and a 0.96 ERA while striking out eight and walking three in 9 1/3 innings. The California native says his efforts to improve have helped him touch 100 MPH on the radar gun, while his fastball velocity is mostly around 96 MPH. Pipkin's arsenal includes that improved fastball as well as a slider while his curve

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