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ALLENTOWN, PA-- It already seemed like a regular thing at Coca-Cola Park on Thursday as buzz-worthy prospects Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery each slammed a home run for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.  Both players continue to fuel Phillies fans' desire to see them playing at the top level of the sport with similarly explosive offensive production. Invitations for Hoskins and Kingery to play on a big league field came this week, but it wasn't precisely what the home faithful were hoping for, as the duo was chosen to play in the MLB All-Star Futures Game. The annual exhibition, which began in 1999, features top prospects from all around professional baseball.  It is slated to be played at Marlins Park in Miami on Sunday, July 9th as part of Major League Baseball's All-Star festivities.  The game pits talents from the United States against players from the rest of the World. The pair of Phils prospects has somewhat paralleled one another on their paths up t...

Will Hibbs, image- Jay Floyd This past week, Class A Lakewood All-Star reliever Will Hibbs was promoted to Class A Advanced Clearwater after a stellar first half in the Sally League. In 21 games with the BlueClaws, the 23-year-old right-hander posted a 5-1 record with seven saves, a 0.98 ERA with a .092 batting average against and a 9.3 K/9 mark. Through his first 17 outings for Lakewood this year, Hibbs put together 31 straight scoreless innings to open the season and he was honored by the South Atlantic League as its relief pitcher of the month for May. Selected in the 19th round of the 2016 draft out of Lamar University, the six-foot-seven 245-pounder debuted as a pro with the short-season A level Williamsport Crosscutters last summer.  In 19 relief outings with the Crosscutters, Hibbs posted a 3-4 record with four saves and a 1.44 ERA. Recently I spoke to Will about his All-Star nod, his pitch repertoire, adapting to the minors and more.  Read ahead for that in...

The Class A Lakewood BlueClaws missed clinching the first half division title in the Sally League by mere percentage points in the Northern Division standings.  Team skipper Marty Malloy took time last week to sit down with me and chat about his team's success and commented on several of the Claws' key players, including first baseman Darick Hall, last year's top overall draft pick Mickey Moniak , outstanding reliever Will Hibbs, who was promoted to Clearwater since this interview, well regarded righty pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez and others.  Read ahead for that full interview... Darick Hall, image- Jay Floyd -Darick Hall missed a few weeks early in the season with an ankle injury and leads the league in RBI despite missing so many games.  What sort of difference has he made for the team? I mean he's had a big impact.  Obviously, hitting in the four hole every day, it doesn't matter right-handed pitching, left-handed pitching, he gives us a big pres...

Nick Fanti, image- Jay Floyd Lefty hurler Nick Fanti will represent the Phillies organization as the Northern Division's starting pitcher in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game on Tuesday night.  Through 11 games with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws this year, the 20-year-old has tallied a 5-0 record and a 2.25 ERA with a .182 batting average against while striking out 65 and walking 16 in 64 innings of work.  Fanti, who pitched with Team Italy in this year's World Baseball Classic, grabbed headlines in May when he tossed 8 2/3 hitless innings for Lakewood on the road at Columbia.  His room mate Trevor Bettencourt would log the final out to seal the no-hitter.  The six-foot-two 185-pound Fanti will return to the Spirit Communication Park mound in Columbia for the Sally League All-Star Game.  Last year in the rookie level Gulf Coast League, he garnered plenty of attention, sporting a 7-0 record with a 1.57 ERA and a .191 batting average against in ...

Luke Williams, image- Jay Floyd After a troubling start to his 2017 season, third baseman Luke Williams has turned on the offense for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws of late.  In 13 June games, the 20-year-old righty batter has posted a .333 batting average with four doubles, a home run and six RBI. Through the end of May, Williams sported just a .173 average.  With the first half division title on the line , there's been no better time for the Phillies' 3rd round draft pick from 2015 to turn things around. Following Lakewood's third straight victory on Thursday, I talked with Luke about his offensive improvements, the team's chances at clinching an early playoff berth and plenty more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -It was a difficult start to the season for you, but things have been going in the opposite direction in recent weeks.  What has helped you make the improvements? You know, I'd say my confidence is a lot higher than it was at the beginn...

Will Hibbs, image- Jay Floyd LAKEWOOD, NJ-- The Class A South Atlantic League's Northern Division enters the final weekend of the season's first half with four teams within one game of each other chasing one playoff spot. The Lakewood BlueClaws are among three teams sitting one game behind the Kannapolis Intimidators (White Sox affiliate) for a playoff berth. In full-season A levels, leagues crown first-half and second-half division champions, with both clubs reaching the playoffs, following the conclusion of the regular season on Labor Day weekend. Just a couple days ago, the Hagerstown Suns (Nationals affiliate) led the division, but they were swept in double headers on back-to-back days on Wednesday and Thursday, allowing the Intimidators to leapfrog the group and take charge in the chase for a postseason spot. The BlueClaws put themselves behind the eight-ball, so to speak, with a recent road series in Hagerstown, with the visitors dropping three or four contest...

Following their selections in the first and second rounds on Monday night, the Phillies had a busy day in rounds three through 10 on Tuesday.  Below is a list of the team's Day 2 selections and notes on each player... 3rd round- RHP Connor Seabold was selected with the 83rd overall pick out of Cal State Fullerton. This year, in his junior season, the six-foot-three 190-pounder posted an 11-5 record with a 3.01 ERA and an 8.8 K/9 mark in 17 starts. The California native could be a key factor as the Titans enter their College World Series match up against Oregon State next Saturday. How the team performs in Omaha, could delay Seabold signing with the Phillies by a week or two. According to MLB.com Seabold’s arsenal features a solid changeup and a usable, albeit fringy, breaking ball. His fastball commonly tops out around 90 MPH. 4th round- Third baseman Jake Scheiner was chosen by the Phils with the 113th pick in the draft out of the University of Houston. With the Cougar...

Friend of the site Steve Potter, also known as @JpoppaCool on Twitter, took time this week to provide some lists of top performers throughout the Phillies' minor league ranks. Steve is the author of the book The 2016 Phillies Minor Leagues: A Fan's View .  It's a great paperback offering that is available at Citizens Bank Park and online from multiple outlets . With just Lakewood in action on Monday, out of the four full-season teams, most of the listings are accurate, with stats accurate through Sunday.  Take a look at the organization leader boards in various offensive and pitching categories below... Phillies Minor League Leaders - Pitching - ( thru 6/11/17 games ) - excluding guys now on Major League Roster  Top 10 - Wins  Tom Eshelman - 7 - ( Lehigh - 4, Reading - 3) Jose Taveras - 5 - Clearwater  Drew Anderson - 5 - Reading  Brandon Leibrandt - 5 - Reading 10 tied with 4  Top 10 (ERA - minimum 50 IP) - Starting Pitchers  Range...

Last week I was happy to join John Stolnis on his Felske Files Podcast to talk about many promising young players in the Phillies' developmental ranks. Included in the discussion were oft-injured Roman Quinn, slugging outfielder Nick Williams, talented hurler Franklyn Kilome and plenty more. Also on this episode, John talked with my old pal, from the Shore Sports Report days, Joe Giglio about many key Phillies related topics. Check out the show in the embedded media player below.

In the second round with the 45th overall selection in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, the Phillies chose righty pitcher Spencer Howard out of Cal Poly. This season, the 20-year-old sophomore sported an 8-1 record with a 1.95 ERA and a 10 K/9 mark over 17 appearances (12 starts) with the Mustangs. In his freshman year, 19 of Howard's 21 appearances were as a reliever when he tallied a 2.95 overall ERA. Howard, who stands six-foot-three and weighs 225 pounds, features a solid four-pitch mix, including key offerings of a fastball, slider and a cutter that project to be average or better pitches. The Phillies chose another hurler in the second round out of Cal Poly back in 2014, a left-hander named Matt Imhof.  Imhof retired from playing baseball following a workout accident last year that cost the youngster an eye. The draft will continue for the Phils on Tuesday, when the third round gets going at 1pm Eastern time.

With the 8th overall draft pick the Phillies selected first-team All-American outfielder Adam Haseley out of Virginia on Monday evening. The 21-year-old sported a .390/.491/.659 slash line in 58 games.  His batting average led the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The lefty batter drilled 16 doubles, a triple, 14 homers and 10 steals with the Cavs this year, in his junior season. Proving to be an offensive catalyst, Haseley reached base safely in 57 of his 58 games this year. Haseley is described by MLB.com's Jim Callis as one of the best pure hitters available in the MLB draft. Additionally in his college career, Haseley was a pitcher, helping his squad lock down the 2015 College World Series.  This season, he tallied a 7-1 record with a 3.58 ERA and a 10.1 K/9 mark in 11 starts. He is expected, however, to move forward as a centerfielder. Projected higher on several mock drafts from reputable outlets, Haseley may have been a surprise to the Phillies to still be ...

Kyle Martin, image- Jay Floyd Saturday's home game in Reading is being billed as Super Hero Night, with the home club slated to wear Captain America inspired jerseys, but first baseman Kyle Martin kicked things off early, as he became the hero of Thursday night's contest.  The 24-year-old lefty batter blasted a two-run walk-off home run that helped the Fightin Phils knock off the visiting Bowie Bay Sox by a score of 4-3. For Martin, the round-tripper was his 11th of the season.  Through 49 games in the Double-A Eastern League, the Phillies' 4th round draft pick from 2015 is batting .191 with 31 RBI. I recently spoke with Martin, who grew up as a Philadelphia sports fan, about his ups and downs this season, working to improve and plenty more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -I wanted to get your thoughts on Eastern League competition and how you're performing in the league so far this year. It's good.  Obviously, as you move up the pitchers get bette...

Shane Watson, image- Jay Floyd Righty pitcher Shane Watson , a supplemental 1st round draft pick of the Phillies back in 2012, is having a lackluster season thus far for the Double-A Reading Fightins.  Through 10 starts, the 23-year-old has posted a 2-4 record along with a 5.52 ERA while striking out 24 and walking 26 in 44 innings pitched.  I recently spoke with Watson about his feelings on his output, what needs to change to improve, the possibility of consulting the Phillies mental skills staff and more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -What are your thoughts on your output, thus far this season?  I know the starting rotation likely as a group wouldn't be pleased with each of you having high ERA's. Yeah, all of us don't want to be above five.  Even though the parks are pretty small-- every field I've been at in Double-A so far has been small-- um, working some kinks out.  All of us are competitive and want to do well, like you said, so it'...

I haven't delivered my usual semi-weekly hot lists this year, as I have in previous season.  I hope to bring these back more often, so here's a note book on top prospect performers throughout the Phillies' organization... Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs (37-18 record, 1st place IL North Division)- Hoskins, image- Jay Floyd No player in the Phils' system has been as consistent as first base prospect Rhys Hoskins .  The 24-year-old righty batter's 1.005 OPS leads the International League.  Hoskins, who was the Phillies' 5th round draft selection in 2014 is batting .302 with 13 home runs and 41 RBI in 55 games this season. Outfielder Cam Perkins is batting .385 over his last seven games.  Perkins, a 26-year-old, has posted a .289/393/.480 slash line through 48 games this year.  The righty batter was a 6th round draft selection by the Phils in 2012. Outfielder Nick Williams was 0-for-3 on Saturday night, but prior to that contest, the 23-year-old had g...