Skip to main content

2018 Phillies Prospects Countdown: #5 RHP Franklyn Kilome

Franklyn Kilome, image- Jay Floyd
One of the most promising young pitching prospects in the Phillies organization is right-hander Franklyn Kilome. Armed with outstanding velocity and a remarkable repertoire, the talented hurler looks to be pushing his way toward making an impact in the big leagues.

Signed by the Phillies as an international free agent in 2013, Kilome would make his professional debut the following year.

With the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, as an 18-year-old, Kilome would post a 3-1 record with a 3.12 ERA and a .235 batting average against in 11 appearances. He struck out 25 and walked 11 in 40 1/3 innings.

The Dominican Republic native opened 2015 in extended spring training, then joined the short-season Class A Williamsport team when their season began in June. He helped the Crosscutters storm into the postseason with a 3-2 record with a 3.28 ERA and a .230 BAA. He struck out 36 and walked 21 in 49 1/3 innings.

In 2016 Kilome would pitch in a full-season league for the first time and opened the season with Class A Lakewood, struggling out of the gate.  In his first three starts, as a 20-year-old, he posted a 0-3 record along with a 15.83 ERA and a .435 batting average against.  The cold early-spring weather was said to be a factor, but Kilome worked hard to iron things out.  For the remainder of the regular season, he sported a 5-5 record, a 2.74 ERA and a 10.5 K/9 mark over 20 starts and helped the BlueClaws reach the South Atlantic League championship series.

Last season, Kilome would notch a 6-4 record with a 2.59 ERA and a .264 BAA in 19 starts for Class A Advanced Clearwater.  In August, he was promoted to Double-A Reading to wrap up the season.  In five games, Kilome had a 1-3 record with a 3.64 ERA.  Overall last season, his K/9 mark was at 7.3.

His arsenal features a dominant upper-90's fastball that can get up to 100 MPH. Kilome also tosses an excellent curve ball and a solid change up that tends to fool opponents. 

Having walked 3.6 batters per nine innings in his professional career, the 22-year-old has plenty of room for improvement on that front.  Refining his command could be the main difference maker for how much Kilome can succeed at the upper levels of the sport.

Kilome has a slim six-foot-six 175-pound frame.  He's durable and could certainly still add some muscle.

For now, it looks like Kilome's path will continue as a starter, but with his exceptional velocity, he could possibly flourish as a reliever if the club ever wishes to change his role. 

A member of the Phillies' 40-man roster, Kilome has gotten some time with the big club in spring training.  It is likely that he will open the 2018 back with Reading with Triple-A on the horizon.


You can keep track of this year's Phillies prospect countdown at this link.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rappers in Phillies Caps

Weekend greetings to you phine pholks out there. Today's post features pictures of rappers wearing Phillies caps. Why rappers in Phillies caps, you ask? Because... Any other questions? We will start things off properly by going with a highly recognizable hip hop star. 50 Cent stays constantly relavant by consistantly creating radio friendly material to help sell (G) units, while he "keeps it real" by still rapping about the thug life he lived before becoming the 2nd highest earning black entertainer in America. 50 is seen here in a recent interview rocking a throw-back Phillies cap. Next up we'll use a throw-back screen cap from what may be the very first major appearance by a rapper wearing Phillies gear. Chuck D, of legendary rap group Public Enemy, wore a Phillies cap in the music video for rap anthem Fight The Power in 1989. The song was the lead single from the soundtrack for Spike Lee's film Do The Right Thing . Next up we'll go with some home grown tal...

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. ...

Drabek Preparing For Next Step

The transition has been easy for Kyle Drabek. In December, he was part of a package of young prospects that was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for ace pitcher Roy Halladay. Now, as though nothing has changed, he's right back where he was last season...the star prospect on the pitching staff of a team in the Double A Eastern League. Drabek has often stated that he wanted to stay in the Philadelphia organization, who drafted him in the first round of the 2006 amateur draft. The 22-year-old thought after the midseason trade rumors, that surrounded him possibly going to Toronto last year, passed with no action that all the turmoil was over and that he could simply relax and focus on getting to the big leagues with the Phillies. That wasn't the case, as the deal eventually came to fruition over the off-season. In the Blue Jays system this season, Drabek doesn't have to worry about being dealt. He only has to concern himself with opposing batters and working on his secondary pit...