Skip to main content

Prospect Nation 2014: The Prelude

With the new year upon us, it’s time to kick off our annual countdown of the top 25 prospects in the Phillies organization. In the coming weeks, as a fresh season approaches, I will be unveiling player reviews for each of the top developmental talents that you, as Phillies fans, should be familiar with.

Taken into consideration when reviewing these developing talents will be age, minor league performance relative to levels played, value to the organization as well as future potential and possible proximity to the big leagues.

These rankings will not include players over 25 years of age or individuals that have spent lengthy and multiple stretches in the big leagues.

Some very talented youngsters did not make the cut simply because other individuals ranked higher. Players that drew consideration included righty pitcher Mitch Gueller, lefty hurler Hoby Milner, and catcher Andrew Knapp.

Gueller, the Phils' supplementary first round pick in 2012, has failed to crack the rankings based on a lack of urgency and velocity. The 20-year-old posted a 3-8 record with a 5.86 ERA while striking out 35 and walking 26 in 58 1/3 innings in 14 starts at Class A short season Williamsport last year. Gueller, a six-foot-three 210-pounder is still viewed as promising, but must learn to better deal with the lows that come with being a pro pitcher in order to dig himself out of holes.

Milner, who turns 23 this month, put together some terrific stretches with Class A Advanced Clearwater in 2013 including a 10 games stretch from late April to mid-June when he tallied a 1.72 ERA. Milner's ability to command his pitches and his tendency to look sharper as a game goes on makes him a prospect to watch in the coming season. The six-foot-three 165-pounder was a 7th round pick by the Phillies in 2012.

Knapp is a backstop with a high ceiling and was selected by the Phils in the 2nd round of last year's draft. The 22-year-old batted .253 with four homers and 23 RBI in 62 games at Williamsport last season. The University of California product underwent Tommy John surgery this off-season and hopes to bounce back better than ever following his recovery.

Players from last year's countdown who are still in the Phillies' developmental ranks and fell off this year's list include outfielder Zach Collier, lefty pitcher Austin Wright as well as right-handed pitchers Kyle Simon, Brody Colvin and Tyler Knigge.

Collier, who busted out in 2012 with a tremendous offensive effort in the highly competitive Arizona Fall League did not seem to display a fair amount of progress in 2013, as the former 34th overall draft pick sported a .222 average and a .658 OPS in 123 games at Double-A Reading last year. The 23-year-old stands to repeat the same level in the coming season. Collier may best be known for missing 50 games in 2012 due to a banned substances suspension following a positive amphetamines test at the end of his 2011 season.

Wright, 24, was the Phillies' 8th round draft pick in 2011. A year removed from earning a nod as the Class A Advanced Florida State League pitcher of the year, Wright, at times, looked unqualified to pitch in the Double-A Eastern League in 2013. The six-foot-three 220-pounder put together a 6-5 record and a 5.92 ERA while striking out 77 and walking 59 in 94 1/3 innings in 27 games for Reading last year. Formerly a starter, Wright's future is now seen as a reliever by the Phillies.

Compared to his previous season's stats, Simon saw a considerable dip in his K/9 numbers and a hefty jump in his BB/9 mark during a season in which he dealt with a triceps injury. He also struggled to enhance his pitch repertoire in 2013. Issues with his newly added slider and maintaining consistency down in the zone resulted in Simon's removal from the Double-A Reading closer role as well as this prospect list. The 23-year-old, who was acquired in 2012 from Baltimore for Jim Thome, posted a 2-6 record with a 4.61 ERA in 45 games with Reading in 2013.

Colvin, a 7th round pick in 2009, had a rough time with his command in 2013.  Once a top organizational prospect, the 23-year-old spent time switching between the rotation and the bullpen for the second straight year, as the Phillies have tried to mix things up for the youngster when he struggles.  Minor league coordinators still feel Colvin's has a future in the big leagues, but his 6.40 ERA in 21 Double-A games last season might instill doubt in many related to that topic.

The 25-year-old Knigge looked more human last year after dominating at Class A Advanced Clearwater and Double-A Reading in 2012.  A 12th round pick in 2010, Knigge sported a 4-3 record with three saves and a 4.25 ERA through 48 games with Reading in 2013.  Equipped with a fastball that can steadily be clocked at 94 MPH, Knigge closed out last season strong (2.81 ERA, .175 BAA in his last 11 outings) and, provided he can be consistent down in the strike zone, could be a big contributor with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year.

Catcher Sebastian Valle will also not be found on this year's prospect list after the Phillies designated the 23-year-old for assignment in recent weeks. Formerly a member of the Phils' 40-man roster, Valle's progress was stagnant in 2013 as the Mexico native did not develop at a rate once thought to be in the bright youngster's future. He's still in the system, but when the organization virtually gives up on a player as a prospect (on Valle, GM Ruben Amaro stated to the media in December: "Prospects are prospects - sometimes they develop, sometimes they don't"), so will this prospect list.

As Grapefruit League competition approaches, check back here regularly for the unveiling of the newest list of the top 25 ranked prospects within the Phillies organization and witness the countdown and the future, one by one.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mike McGuire Living a Dream With Favorite Team

LAKEWOOD, NJ- Every young ballplayer grows up wishing he could play for his favorite team. Mike McGuire has an opportunity to do just that after signing with the Phillies organization in July. McGuire was a 43rd round draft pick taken by the Cleveland Indians in the 2008 amateur draft out of the University of Delaware. Early scouting reports liked McGuire's abilities, despite some arm trouble. He advanced as far as High A Level Kinston last season. While there, he posted an 0-3 record with a 5.46 ERA in 9 games, 8 of which were starts. The Indians weren't happy with McGuire's efforts this spring and released him. McGuire caught on with the Sussex Skyhawks of the independent Can-Am League, where he stayed in shape and pitched against other formerly affiliated minor leaguers. As a starter with the Skyhawks, McGuire went 3-4 with a 5.29 ERA in 8 outings. From there, just as all players in those independent leagues hope for, the 24-year-old McGuire got noticed. The Phillies wer...

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. ...

Harry's Plaque Has Misprint

At the ballpark today for the first time since Harry Kalas was inducted into the Phillies Wall of Fame on Friday, I noticed an error in the text on his plaque. Verbage on the plaque reads like this... Voice of Phillies baseball on radio and TV for 39 seasons. Teamed with Richie Ashburn from 1971 until 1997. Harry was on the air for all of Mike Schmidt's 548 home runs, five Phillies no-hitters, seven National League Championship Series, three World Series, the first and final games at Veterans Stadium and the Citizens Bank Park 2004 opener. Received the prestigious Ford C. Frick Award in 2002 for "Major Contributions to Baseball" and was inducted into the broadcasters' wing at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. His calls were legendary, especially his signature home run call, "Outta heeere." On October 29, 2008, he brought utmost joy to Phillies fans: "The 0-2 pitch, swing and miss , struck him out. The Philadelphia Phillies are 2008 Worl...