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Waguespack with Lakewood in 2016, image- Jay Floyd Jacob Waguespack had a noteworthy 2017 season, proving to be a hurler on the rise in the Phillies' developmental ranks.  Opening the year as a member of the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers' bullpen, he was converted to a starter and earned two promotions before his campaign was through. With Clearwater, the righty, who spent the entirety of last season as a 23-year-old, tallied a 6-5 record with a save, a 3.29 ERA and a 9.6 K/9 mark in 24 appearances (10 starts). After joining the Double-A Reading roster, Waguespack sported a 3-2 record with a 3.65 ERA and an 8.5 K/9 mark. The Mississippi product would join the Triple-A Lehigh Valley roster for their playoff run, looking strong in a start in which he came in on the losing end of a 1-0 defeat that ousted the IronPigs from the postseason. Recently, I talked with the man whose teammates call him "Wagz" about his change of roles this year, the impact of his ...

Righty pitcher Will Hibbs enjoyed an outstanding 2017 campaign at the Class A level.  En route to an All-Star bid with Lakewood in the South Atlantic League, the six-foot-seven 245-pounder posted a 6-4 record with 20 saves, a 1.77 ERA and a .137 batting average against in 40 appearances. Hibbs, the Phillies' 19th round draft selection in 2016, also earned a promotion to Class A Advanced Clearwater in June, but he returned to Lakewood after sporting a 7.88 ERA in five relief outings. Recently, I talked with the Texas native about his off-season, getting married, encounters with the late Roy Halladay and more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -To start, just wanted to ask about the how the off-season began for you. How long did you discontinue throwing and what fitness or exercise do you work on during that stretch?  I took about three full weeks off from everything: lifting, throwing, etcetera. I did some body weight and functional fitness exercises abo

Santa Haseley Season's greetings!  Everybody loves the holidays and, of course, baseball players are no exception. Every year at Christmas time, I survey a group of Phillies prospects about what they get excited for during the holiday season. Players taking part in this year's eighth annual Christmas questionnaire include this year's top Phillies draft pick Adam Haseley, starting pitcher Jacob Waguespack who wrapped up the 2017 season in the playoffs with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Double-A second baseman Drew Stankiewicz, Class A third baseman Luke Williams as well as Class A All-Star pitchers Will Hibbs, Trevor Bettencourt and Nick Fanti. Questions and answers listing each player’s holly jolly holiday favorites are listed below… -What is your favorite Christmas song and which artist or version do you like best? Haseley- The Christmas Song by Michael Buble. Hibbs- Oh man, "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey is a jam. It's just a u...

On Thursday, the Phillies announced their minor league coaching staff for the 2018 season, including a few big additions.   At the top of the developmental levels, Gary Jones has been hired as the manager of the Phils’ Triple-A affiliate the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  Jones, 57, spent the previous four seasons as the third base coach for the Cubs.  He has also coaches in the A’s, Padres and Red Sox organizations. Jones makes the third individual that the Phillies have hired away from the 2016 World Series champions this off-season.  John Mallee, the team's new hitting coach at the big league level, held that position with the Cubs for the previous three seasons and new first base coach Jose Flores served as Chicago's minor league field coordinator (virtually a second-in-command of the minors) for a handful of seasons.     Former Phillies infielder Wes Helms will also be added to the IronPigs’ staff as a coach.  Hitting coach Sal

Adam Haseley, image- Jay Floyd Selected by the Phillies with the 8th overall pick in this year's MLB draft, outfielder Adam Haseley proved to be a promising talent during his half-season as a pro. The 21-year-old lefty batter tallied a .284 average with three home runs, 28 RBI and six stolen bases in 58 games at three levels, including the final 18 contests with Class A Lakewood. This off-season Haseley, a native of Florida has spent much of his off-season in and around Clearwater, training at the Phils' facilities there.  Recently, I spoke to the Virginia product about his initial experiences in the minors, his efforts since the season ended, meeting Roy Halladay prior to his passing and more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -Was there a standout lesson you took from your first season as a professional player that you know will stick with you for years to come? I would say two things; one, getting used to playing every day, in the sense of getti

Luke Williams, image- Jay Floyd Third baseman  Luke Williams is enjoying success this off-season in Colombia following a difficult-at-times regular season with Class A Lakewood.  The 21-year-old has posted a .297 batting average with two doubles, a home runs, 10 RBI and five stolen bases through 30 contests as a member of the Toros.   In the midst of an eight game hitting streak, Williams is 12-for-29 (.414 avg) during that stretch. A 3rd round draft selection of the Phillies in 2015, the righty hitting Williams tallied a .216 batting average with a home run, 27 RBI and 29 stolen bases in 115 games this year for the BlueClaws.  Recently, I spoke with Luke who commented on the competition in Colombia, the difference in cultures, playing alongside Phils backstop Jorge Alfaro and plenty more.   If all goes well, the experience playing abroad will really help Williams reach the top levels of the sport and he'll