Prospect Nation #19: Outfielder Cameron Perkins

Cameron Perkins, Image- @BaseballBetsy

Outfielder Cameron Perkins has been one of the Phillies' most promising prospects since he was selected in the sixth round of the 2012 draft. The righty batting outfielder has been a solid performer in many aspects of the game and is closest to the big leagues of any player from that year's Phils draft class.

Perkins signed quickly and upon his pro debut he batted .158 with three RBI in five games for the Gulf Coast League (rookie level) Phillies. Following a promotion to the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, Perkins shined. In 67 games, he posted a .304 average with 23 doubles, one triple, one home run and 38 RBI.

An aggressive swinger, Perkins was a top performer in the Class A Advanced Florida State League when he was sidelined with a fractured wrist after being hit by a pitch on May 31st. At the time of his injury, Perkins was among the league leaders in several offensive categories.

Five weeks later, Perkins was back in action and completed a solid season with Clearwater following two rehab outings with the Gulf Coast League Phillies. Overall last year, he batted .299 while notching 30 doubles, five triples, six homers and 53 RBI.

His .808 OPS in 105 total minor league games last season certainly proves there's already some pop in his bat. The youngster's six-foot-five 200-pound frame offers some upside for development with power at the plate. It's possible that Perkins' frame may never fill out to strapping Pat Burrell type proportions, but with a similar build to Von Hayes, who exceeded 15 homers in a big league season five times and led the National League in doubles once, there's damage that can be done with his stick.

This off-season, after the Phillies learned that Kelly Dugan's turf toe would prevent him from participating in the Arizona Fall League, the club sent Perkins to fill the void, as they are required to have seven active players there. In 18 games with Peoria, Perkins batted .216 with four doubles, two triples and three RBI.

The 23-year-old puts the ball in play with frequency and makes a lot of contact, keeping strike outs to a minimum.

Perkins hits very well against left-handers (.320/.353/.453 in 2013) and doesn't have much of a drop off against righties (.289/.350/.459 in 2013).

Defensively, Perkins has adapted to his new position as a corner outfielder swiftly, after playing third base in college and after manning the corner infield spots upon debuting as a pro with Williamsport in 2012. The move provides an easier path to the upper levels of the Phils' system that is clogged with young talent at third base.

On the bases, Perkins hasn't offered much in terms of speed. In 2012, he swiped five bags in seven chances, while he was successful four times in nine attempts in 2013.

The Purdue product was honored by the Phillies last year for working the most hours of community service among Threshers players.

To view the running list of this year's countdown, click HERE.

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

Lidge Shaky, T-Mac Honored in Trenton

TRENTON, NJ- Brad Lidge made his second rehab appearance for the Double A Reading Phillies on Thursday night and it didn't go as well as the veteran reliever or the team had hoped. Lidge struggled with his command and turned in a rather poor outing for the club that entered the night in a playoff race, 1 game behind division rival Trenton for the Wild Card spot in the Eastern Division. On the disabled list since spring training with a strained right rotator cuff, Lidge experienced an elbow strain when he was working back from that issue in late May. In his outing against the Yankees affiliate in Trenton, Lidge displayed difficulty with his control as he threw three wild pitches, hit two batters, walked another and gave up a single, all while letting up two earned runs on 28 pitches in 2/3 of an inning. After the disappointing performance, Lidge was composed and focused on some positive aspects, having reached 89 and 90 MPH on scouts' radar guns, according to some reports. ...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog