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Per a press release from Minor League Baseball on Friday, new pace of play initiatives will be in place for the upcoming 2019 season.  Double-A and Triple-A levels will now require starting pitchers or any substitute pitcher to face a minimum of three consecutive batters. Mound visit limitations will also see some refinement as will the second base runner to start extra inning frames. See complete details below. PITCHERS TO FACE MINIMUM OF THREE BATTERS    - At the Triple-A and Double-A levels, the starting pitcher or any substitute pitcher is required to pitch to a minimum of three consecutive batters, including the batter then at bat (or any substitute batter), until s uch batters are put out or reach first base, or until the offensive team is put out, unless the starting pitcher or substitute p itcher sustains injury or illness which, in the umpire-in-chief’s judgment, incapacitates him from further play as a pitcher.    EXTRA INN...

Drew Anderson w/ Reading in 2017, image- Jay Floyd For those waiting to see where their favorite Phillies prospects will land and which teams they'll be headed to see in the early going this season, roster announcements have begun to come out. As always, the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers are the last of the bunch to release their players, but we'll get to some speculating in a bit. To start, here is who you'll see in Class A Lakewood next week, highlighted by last year's first round draft selection Alec Bohm , a big masher that plenty of people speculated could skip this level completely. From BlueClaws.com... Pitchers - Tyler Carr , Colton Eastman, Ethan Evanko , Kevin Gowdy, Ethan Lindow, Oscar Marcelino , Robinson Martinez , James McArthur, Tyler McKay , Jhordany Mezquita , Francisco Morales, Jack Perkins , Dominic Pipkin , Victor Santos, Gilmael Troya Catchers - Abrahan Gutierrez , Rafael Marchan Infielders - Alec Bohm, Luis Garcia, Jonathan G...

Ben Brown, image- MiLB.com Right-handed pitcher Ben Brown , the Phillies' 33rd round draft selection in 2017, made a splash last year in the Rookie level Gulf Coast League, putting together a 4-2 record, a 3.12 ERA and an 11.4 K/9 mark in 10 appearances (eight starts).  Additionally, he earned a promotion to short-season Class A Williamsport and made two starts there before the end of the regular season. This week I spoke with the six-foot-six 210 pounder about his spring efforts, where he could possibly pitch this year, his relationships with other Phils prospects including last year first round pick Alec Bohm and plenty more.  Read ahead for a sampling of my chat with Ben and head on over to Patreon.com/PhoulBallz for the complete interview. -We're talking here while the Phillies' opening day game is going on and a lot of what I am hearing from people I know that are there and people online is saying that the atmosphere is exciting and different.  Once the...

Guess who's back.  Back again.  The Phillies are back.  Tell a friend. Here's your opening day schedule of events aand other information for game one of the 2019 season. The Phillies advise that fans in attendance check in using the free MLB Ballpark mobile application to receive special offers on retail offerings and concessions.   The newly renamed New Era Team Store is open beginning at 8AM for fans to grab tons of new merchandise options. Gates open around Citizens Bank Park at 12:35 PM.  All fans receive a rally towel sponsored by Nemours. Pregame- Fans can enjoy the Budweiser Block Party at the 3rd base gate side of the park on Citizens Bank Way.  The party is slated to feature samplings from Coca-Cola, Turkey Hill Dairy, Hatfield Quality Meats and others.  12:10 PM- Phillies batting practice. 1:10 PM- Braves batting practice. 2 PM- Questlove of The Roots DJ's at the 3rd base plaza party. 2:26 PM- The Phillies "leadoff walk"....

Happy Opening Day to all.  A brand new season is upon us and division rivals face off to get things started in the City of Brotherly Love as the reigning National League East champion Atlanta Braves visit the hopeful and revamped Phillies. The game will be televised locally on NBC 10 on Thursday at 3:00 PM. The pitching match up...RHP  Julio Teheran (9-9 record, 3.94 ERA last season) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (17-6, 2.37 ERA last season).   Teheran, a native of Colombia, went 1-0 with a 5.14 ERA in four starts against the Phillies last year.  In his career at Citizens Bank Park, the 28-year-old has tallied a 6-2 record with a 3.11 ERA and a .227 batting average against in nine starts.  While facing Teheran in his career, Phils OF Bryce Harper is a .450 hitter with three doubles, eight home runs, 19 RBI and 11 walks with 40 at bats.  Nola went 10-2 with a 2.34 ERA and a .211 batting average against in 17 home starts last year.  The Phillies' first ...

Spencer Howard, image- Jay Floyd Righty pitcher Spencer Howard is this outlet’s choice as the Phillies’ top overall prospect. Howard was the team’s 2nd round draft selection in 2017 (45th overall) out of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has proven to be an exceptional hurler in his time as a pro. A dominant power pitcher, Howard is the Phillies prospect to watch heading into the 2019 campaign. In college, in his draft year/sophomore season, Howard sported an 8-1 record with a 1.95 ERA and a 10 K/9 mark over 17 appearances (12 starts) for the Mustangs. As a red shirt freshman the previous year, he posted a 2.95 ERA in 21 appearances (two starts). After signing his first professional contract, Howard debuted with Class A short-season Williamsport, where he notched a 1-1 record with a 4.45 ERA and a .214 batting average against while striking out 40 and walking 18 in 28 1/3 innings in nine starts. Following the regular season, he participated in the Florida Instructional League...

Adonis Medina, image- Jay Floyd Widely ranked among the Phillies' top prospects by many outlets, righty hurler Adonis Medina has made a name for himself, as scouts rave about his skills, coaches boast about his potential and Phils' brass adores his ability. Medina, who is equipped with a mid-90's fastball along with a curveball and a change up that are considered to have plus potential, has used that arsenal to impress at the lower levels of the minor leagues to date. Signed in 2014 at age 17, Medina made his pro debut that year as part of the Phillies' Dominican Summer League team. In 11 games (two starts) he would post a 2-3 record with a save, a 1.27 ERA and a 7.5 K/9 mark along with a .220 batting average against. In 2015, the six-foot-one 187-pounder competed with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phils, sporting a 3-2 record with a 2.98 ERA, a .253 BAA and a 6.9 K/9 mark in 10 games (eight starts). The following season, at the age of 19, he would pi...

Bohm, photo- MiLB.com Selected with the 3rd overall selection in last year’s draft, third baseman Alec Bohm is one of the Phillies’ most promising young talents. A collegiate second team All-American, Bohm batted .339 with 14 doubles, a triple, 16 home runs and 55 RBI while swiping nine bags in 57 games last year in his junior season for Wichita State. He notched 24 multi-hit games during his 2018 campaign. Overall in three seasons with the Shockers, Bohm batted .317 with 33 homers, 125 RBI and a .941 OPS in 166 total games. He was one of the top ranked college hitters heading into last year’s draft. After debuting as a pro, the righty hitting Bohm would tally a .343 batting average with a double, a triple and five RBI in 11 games in the Rookie level Gulf Coast League. Additionally, up a level with Class A short-season Williamsport, the six-foot-five 240-pounder would notch a .224 average with five doubles, a triple and 12 RBI in 29 games. Bohm, who grew up as a Yankee...

Adam Haseley, image- Jay Floyd Outfielder Adam Haseley , the Phillies' first round draft selection from 2017, is a promising young talent that the Phillies have very high hopes for. Selected with the 8th overall pick, Haseley signed for a reported $5.1 million. A two-way player in college, Haseley was a very reliable pitcher and was an offensive standout at Virginia. Upon making his pro debut, the lefty batting Haseley went 7-for-12 in three games with the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. He was swiftly promoted to short-season Class A Williamsport. With the Crosscutters, Haseley posted a .270 batting average with nine doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI in 37 games. Another promotion was in order and Haseley wrapped up the regular season with the full season Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. In 18 games, he would tally a .258 average with three doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBI. Following the regular season, the six-foot-one 195-pounder participated in the ...

De Los Santos, image- Jay Floyd Acquired as part of the trade that sent Freddy Galvis to San Diego, Enyel De Los Santos is a talented hurler that instantly landed among the Phillies' top pitching prospects. A native of the Dominican Republic, De Los Santos signed with Seattle at the age of 18. He would make his professional debut in 2015 in the Rookie level Arizona League. There, he posted a 3-0 record with a 2.55 ERA in five starts. The right-hander earned a promotion to Class A short-season Everett where he would notch a 3-0 record with a 4.06 ERA through eight starts. During the following off-season, he was traded to the Padres in a deal for Joaquin Benoit. In 2016, making his debut in the Padres organization, De Los Santos would open the season with Class A Ft. Wayne. In 11 appearances (seven starts) with the Tin Caps, he tallied a 3-2 record with a 2.91 ERA and a .199 batting average against. De Los Santos was promoted to Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore in J...

Jhailyn Ortiz, image- Jay Floyd The Phillies signed outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz , who was the top ranked international free agent, at the age of 16 in 2015 for a reported $4 million. Teams don't make that sort of investment or shell out the largest signing bonus for an international player in organization history without a boat load of high hopes. It seems the talented youngster is well on his way to living up to those expectations. The powerful Dominican Republic native made his regular season pro debut as a member of the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2016. In 47 games there, Ortiz batted .231 with eight home runs, 27 RBI and eight stolen bases. In 2017 Ortiz was with the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. He sported a .302 batting average with 15 doubles, a triple, eight homers and 30 RBI in 47 contests.  His .961 OPS would have been good enough to lead the league if he has notched enough plate appearances to qualify. Last season with the C...

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...

Ranger Suarez, image- Jay Floyd Lefty hurler Ranger Suarez has stood out in recent seasons as a dependable prospect that could have a solid future with the Phillies. Suarez, who is listed by the Phillies six-foot-one and 210 pounds, was signed at the age of 16 in 2012. The exciting youngster would make his professional debut as a closer with the Venezuelan Summer League team in 2012. He tossed five scoreless innings and earned two saves in three outings there. In the following two seasons in the VSL, Suarez posted very solid numbers (5-4 record, 1.66 ERA) in 22 appearances. In 2014 he would transition into a starting role. Suarez pitched stateside in 2015, competing in extended spring training that year and then sporting a 3-0 record with a tremendous 0.65 ERA in six appearances for the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. He was named the Phils' minor league pitcher of the month in July that year, when he posted a 2-0 record and a 0.79 ERA.  In 2016 wi...

Dylan Cozens, image- Jay Floyd Powerful outfield prospect Dylan Cozens hopes to shake the reputation of a free swinger and become a more complete hitter in order to fulfill his dream of reaching the major leagues. At six feet six inches tall and weighing 245 pounds, Cozens has an imposing frame that was well-suited for the grid iron, as he was a two-sport star in his high school days.  After he was chosen in the 2nd round of the 2012 draft, Cozens debuted in the minors with the rookie level Gulf Coast Phillies. In 50 games there, he notched 15 doubles, two triples, five homers and 24 RBI. Cozens also participated in the Florida Instructional League in 2012. Following a productive spring in 2013, Cozens was retained in extended spring training and made his official season debut with the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters when they began playing in June. Cozens was among the league leaders in many categories that year, ...

Luis Garcia, image- @BaseballBetsy Youth and talent are two key things that stand out with Phillies shortstop prospect Luis Garcia . After the team signed the Dominican Republic native for a reported $2.5 million (second highest international signing in Phils history) in July of 2017, Garcia participated in the Florida Instructional League as a 16-year-old. He made his official professional debut last season. In the short-season Rookie level Gulf Coast League, the youngster was tops in batting average with a .369 mark and posted a .433 OBP with an impressive .921 OPS. He was also named to the GCL’s post-season All-Star roster. The five-foot-11 170-pounder was rated by Baseball America as the best prospect in that league last year. Defensively, Garcia is said to have an accurate, plus arm with quick feet. He fields his position smoothly. At the plate, the switch-hitter displays a mature approach with quick hands that could translate into more power as he ages. Garcia’...

Moniak with Lakewood in 2017, image- Jay Floyd Taken with the first overall selection in the 2016 MLB amateur draft, outfielder Mickey Moniak has garnered loads of attention with many eyes watching closely, in hopes he can live up to the high expectations that come along with being such a high pick. After signing out of La Costa Canyon High School, where he was ranked as the top high school player in the nation by Baseball America, the left-handed hitting Moniak had a very good professional debut.  In 46 games with the Phillies' Rookie level Gulf Coast League team, Moniak sported a .284 batting average with 11 doubles, four triples, a home run and 28 RBI. He also showed some speed, swiping 10 bases in 14 opportunities. Following the regular season, Moniak participated in the Florida Instructional League and spent time at the Phillies' training facility in Clearwater, where he worked to add strength and muscle to his six-foot-two 188-pound frame. In 2017, as a mem...

Francisco Morales, image- MiLB.com Right-handed pitcher Francisco Morales has, at a very young age, become one of the most promising hurlers in the Phillies organization. Signed by the Phils in 2016 at age 16, for a reported $900,000, the Venezuela native participated that year in the Florida Instructional League. He would make his regular season debut the following year with the Rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, posting a 3-2 record with a 3.05 ERA, a .225 batting average against and a 9.6 K/9 mark in 10 games (nine starts). Last year, the six-foot-four 185-pounder stepped up to the Class A short-season New York-Penn League.  There, in 13 starts for Williamsport, Morales notched a 4-5 record with a 5.27 ERA, a .244 batting average against as well as a 10.9 K/9 mark. Morales wrapped up his regular season in 2018 with five solid outings, sporting a 2.91 ERA over that stretch.  He also recorded a career-high 11 strike outs in a six-inning effort that earned ...