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C. Tocci, image- Jay Floyd Since he was signed by the Phillies for a reported signing bonus of $759,000 in the summer of 2011 on his 16th birthday, Carlos Tocci has been followed by a tremendous reputation. It took a while, however, before his output in the professional ranks appeared to live up to those expectations. Right from the start of his career, the Venezuelan born outfielder was tasked with very challenging assignments. Tocci says that one of the things that resulted in him choosing to sign with the Phillies was that they pledged to allow him to begin his pro career in the United States instead of playing at home in the Venezuelan Summer League. After participating in the Phillies’ fall instructional league in 2011, Tocci debuted in the minors with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2012, batting .278 with two doubles, nine RBI and nine stolen bases in 38 games. The following year, as a 17-year-old, he played the entire season with the Class A Lakewood Bl

M. Appel, image- Cheryl Pursell Last off-season the Phillies landed former number one overall draft pick Mark Appel from the Astros in a trade for reliever Kenny Giles. Hopes were high that the new team and the player himself could capitalize on Houston’s exhausted patience with the once promising right-hander. However injuries, not necessarily performance, were of concern last year and Appel still remains surrounded by questions regarding his future. At Stanford University, Appel enjoyed a tremendous college career in which he was honored as a multi-time All-American.  During his senior season in 2013, he notched a 4-0 record with three saves, a 0.90 ERA, a .203 batting average against and a 13.06 K/9 mark in nine games. Following the 2013 draft, Appel made his minor league debut with Class A short-season Tri-City in the New York-Penn League. In two starts there, he struck out six and walked none, allowing two earned runs in five innings pitched. He was soon promoted to Cl

K. Gowdy, image- Joe Wombough Taken with the 42nd overall pick in last years draft right-hander Kevin Gowdy is a pitcher that the Phillies have very high hopes for in becoming a special part of the team's future. Heading into the 2016 draft, Gowdy, who had a UCLA commitment, had tallied a 4-1 record with a 1.59 ERA while striking out 93 and walking just five in 56 2/3 innings as a senior. He also won a gold medal with the United States U-18 team in the 2015 WBSC Baseball World Cup, pitching in two of his team's big victories in the tournament. In four regular season appearances with the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies after signing his first professional contract, Gowdy posted a 0-1 record while allowing four runs, striking out nine and walking two over nine innings. In the GCL title series, he threw two innings, allowing two unearned runs on two hits without recording a strike out or a walk. His three-pitch menu is something the Phillies liked a lot about t

D. Anderson, image- MiLB.com Righty hurler Drew Anderson hasn't gotten a lot of attention compared to other fast rising talents in the Phillies' system.  The 22-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2015 and returned to the mound last season in time to solidify his place as a formidable young prospect and proved himself as a name that fans should start becoming familiar with. The Reno, NV native was selected in the 21st round of the 2012 draft out of high school.  Upon turning pro, Anderson posted a 1-1 record with a 4.76 ERA in eight appearances with the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. The following year, his first full season as a pro, Anderson tallied a 6-3 record with a 2.00 ERA, a .214 batting average against and a 6.4 K/9 mark in 15 starts as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. In 2014, the six-feet-three 185-pounder posted a 4-4 record with a 4.68 ERA, a .266 batting average against and a 9.4 K/9 mark in eight start

J. Valentin, image- Jay Floyd Second baseman Jesmuel Valentin has become a solid contributor at each level he has played and could possess the ability to continue that success as he approaches the big leagues. Selected as the 51st overall draft pick in 2012, Valentin was quickly a well-hyped prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers system. Upon signing his initial professional contract fresh out of high school, the switch-hitter debuted in the rookie level Arizona League, posting a .211 average while launching two homers and driving in 18 runs in 43 games. In 2013 the Puerto Rico native began the season in the rookie level Pioneer League, where he batted .284 with four homers and 24 RBI in 62 games. A promotion to the Class A Great Lakes team followed and, as a 19-year-old, he struggled a bit, batting .212 with six doubles, a triple and five RBI in 33 games. The following year, Valentin repeated Class A and proved ready for the challenge. In 108 games for the Loons, he batted .

Prior to the Reading Fightins annual winter banquet on Tuesday, team broadcaster Mike Ventola spoke with new manager Greg Legg.  Topics of discussion include Legger's coaching style, the group he expects to manage this year, being a Pennsylvania resident and more.  Check out the video player below for the full interview. Legg's history with the Phillies dates back to 1982 when the team drafted him as an infielder in the 22nd round. He would play for 13 pro seasons, including time spent in the majors with the Phils. Since 1994 he has served as a coach at various developmental levels of the Phillies organization. Legg previously managed Reading from 2002 through 2004.

T. Eshelman, image- Jay Floyd Righty hurler Tom Eshelman was acquired last off-season from Houston in the Kenny Giles trade along with former number one overall draft pick Mark Appel as well as pitcher Vince Velasquez and two other players.  If Eshelman progresses as the Phillies hope he will, the talented Californian could become the steal of that deal. Scouts had Eshelman classified as one of the most polished pitchers in the 2015 draft.  After becoming Houston’s 2nd round draft choice (46th overall) and signing for a reported $1.1 million, Eshelman started four total games at two levels of the Astros’ system that year. In 2015 as a member of the rookie level Gulf Coast League Astros, Eshelman allowed two earned runs while striking out three and walking two in four innings of work.  He was then promoted to Class A Quad Cities where he allowed three earned runs while striking out five and walking three in 6 1/3 innings. After opening the 2016 season with the Class A Adv

As a new year begins, so does my annual prospect ranking, which counts down the Phillies organization’s top 25 rising minor league talents. Over the next several weeks, with the organization in the midst of a rebuild, primed to give many young talents the opportunity to break into the major leagues and show what they can do, I’ll be serving up reviews for each of the top developmental talents that appear to have the brightest futures for the Phillies. Taken into consideration when compiling the list is age, minor league performance relative to levels played, value to the organization as the player’s future potential and proximity to the big leagues. These rankings will not include players over the age of 25 or individuals that have spent lengthy stretches in the big leagues. For example, left-handed reliever Joely Rodriguez, who spent the final month of the regular season on the big league Phillies roster, will not appear on this countdown. Tyler Goeddel (12th on this list a ye