2017 Phillies Prospect Countdown: #19 OF Jose Pujols

Jose Pujols, image- Jay Floyd

Thanks to a powerful offensive display last season, outfielder Jose Pujols has become a prospect worth knowing in the Phillies’ organization.

The Dominican native was signed by the Phillies in 2012 at the age of 16.

Opening his professional playing career as a member of the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2013, Pujols sported a .188 batting average with six home runs and 18 RBI in 45 contests.

The following year, Pujols split time between the GCL and short-season Class A Williamsport. In 57 combined games, the righty batter posted a .226/.273/.377 slash line.

In 2015, Pujols continued to show improvement with a .241 average, four homers and 30 RBI in 66 games with Williamsport.

He followed up that campaign by breaking out and setting the single-season home run record for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws with 24. Additionally, Pujols would post a .241 average with 21 doubles, three triples and 82 RBI in 128 games.

As Pujols gained more experience in the talented South Atlantic League last year, he took strides to display improvements. His on-base percentage in the second half saw a 53 point jump following the SAL All-Star break in 2016 and his contact at the plate seemed to take steps in the right direction additionally, as his strike out rate decreased and he proved to his coaches that he could lay off pitches out of the strike zone.

His manager with Lakewood last year, Shawn Williams, who will likely be followed by Pujols up a level to Class A Advanced Clearwater following a promotion for the skipper this off-season, cited Pujols as the most improved prospects he has seen during his four years working in the Phillies organization.

Strictly a right fielder, Pujols gets solid reads and can track down fly balls at a better than average rate, displaying the range of a typical center fielder. He has a strong arm and is an asset to his team on defense.

Pujols will be 21 years old for the entirety of the 2017 season. With a thin six-foot-three 175-pound frame, the youngster has plenty of room to add muscle and further develop on the physical side. So, it's certainly possible that there is plenty more to come on the power front with this blossoming talent.

You can follow along with this year’s Phillies prospects countdown by clicking this link.

Comments

World Series Preview: Phillies vs. Astros

The Fall Classic is set to get underway on Friday with the Phillies opening on the road to take on the Astros in a best-of-seven series. This year marks 75 years since the first time a World Series was televised and this year each game will be broadcast on the FOX television network. ESPN will have the radio broadcast and that feed can be streamed by using this link . Game 1 Friday, 8:03pm Eastern....in Houston. RHP Aaron Nola (11-13, 3.25 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (18-4, 1.75 ERA). In 16 road starts during the regular season this year, Nola notched a 5-9 record with a 3.00 ERA. Nola has struck out 18 and walked three in 17 1/3 innings pitched this postseason. Earlier this month, Nola tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings at Houston. In 15 home starts during the regular season, Verlander sported a 10-1 record with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP. Verlander has a 5.68 ERA and has not recorded a win in seven career World Series starts. Verlander has...

2019 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #7 LHP JoJo Romero

JoJo Romero, image- Jay Floyd With a growing crop of very talented pitching prospects in the Phillies organization, left-hander JoJo Romero is certainly among the standouts. The five-foot-11 200-pounder was the Phils’ 4th round draft selection in 2016. That year he helped Yavapai College, the same school that the Phillies drafted Kenny Giles from in 2011, clinch the JuCo World Series, leading the way with an 11-5 record, a 3.64 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. He also tossed a complete game gem to earn the win in their title game. After signing with the Phillies, Romero made his professional debut as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. There, he notched a 2-2 record with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 31 and walking 11 in 45 2/3 innings. In 2017, he got off to a terrific start with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 13 starts, Romero tallied a 5-1 record with a 2.11 ERA and a 9.3 K/9 mark and was honored as a South Atlantic League mid-season All-Star. R...

PhoulBallz Interview: RHP Ben Brown talks TJ recovery, O'Hoppe, cancelled season

Image- MiLB.com Out of action since last May when it was determined he required Tommy John surgery, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown is using the downtime of the pandemic hiatus to continue his physical recovery. A 33rd round draft selection of the Phillies back in 2017, Brown made his professional debut that same year, posting a 2.57 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP in 10 appearances in the rookie level Gulf Coast League. The following season, Brown began to make a name for himself in the GCL, striking out 16 batters in one July appearance. He would post a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP in 10 games (eight starts) before earning a promotion and finishing the season with a pair of outings with Class A short-season Williamsport. Brown, a Long Island, NY native, opened last year with Class A Lakewood. In four appearances with the BlueClaws, he struck out 20, walked four and allowed no runs in 13 2/3 innings and looked well on his way to making an impact on betting odds and avai...

PhoulBallz.com

Search This Blog