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Mike Micucci, image- Jay Floyd I am back with another Patreon exclusive! Last weekend, I talked one-on-one with Class A Lakewood BlueClaws manager Mike Micucci about several topics including the defensive progress of middle infielders Luis Garcia and Jonathan Guzman, the promotion of Matt Kroon, the addition of Luke Miller, Cole Stobbe's playing time as well as the free base runner that starts extra innings in the minors. Please head on over to Patreon.com/PhoulBallz to subscribe and support my work.  Contributions there are helpful in simply allowing me to take less of a financial loss in producing this type of content for you, the readers.  Your patronage will get you early access to nearly all of my news and articles but more importantly exclusive interviews and other posts. I also intend to offer some baseball related giveaways once the patron count increases. Direct link to the interview is right here .   

Ben Brown, image- MiLB.com HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz Last week, righty pitching prospect Ben Brown underwent elbow ligament reconstruction and will miss significant time while he recovers. Brown, 19, joins his pal and fellow Long Island native Kyle Young on the shelf as both hurlers face recovery from Tommy John surgery.  Young, a pitcher with Class A Advanced Clearwater, went under the knife earlier this month. In four games this year, Brown, the Phillies' 33rd round draft pick in 2017, did not allow a run while striking out 20 and walking three in 13 2/3 innings pitched. Brown began to garner plenty of attention last summer when, while pitching in the rookie level Gulf Coast League, he notched a 16 strike out effort in July.  He would move up to Class A short-season Williamsport to finish his 2018 campaign. In his brief professional career to date, the six-foot-six 2

Kyle Glogoski, image- Jay Floyd Right-hander Kyle Glogoski has been nothing short of outstanding since joining the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws earlier this month.  Using deception and a solid repertoire, the six-foot-two 183 pounder has tallied a 2-1 record with a 0.55 ERA and a .123 batting average against in five outings in the South Atlantic League. On Saturday, the talented 20-year-old retired the first 12 batters he faced against the White Sox affiliate Kannapolis Intimidators.  In five innings of work, Glogoski cruised, striking out 11 and allowing no walks or runs while surrendering just two hits. "He was outstanding," said Lakewood manager Mike Micucci following Saturday's match up.  "The fastball was really electric and had a lot of jump to it, you know, a lot of ride going there, so he was able to elevate the ball and get a lot of swings elevated in the zone and get some chases up there as well.  And I think he did a good job especially the second

Vierling w/ Lakewood in 2018, image- Jay Floyd HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz Selections for the annual Class A Advanced Florida State League were announced on Friday.  Relief pitcher Jonathan Hennigan, lefty starter Damon Jones, outfielders Simon Muzziotti and Matt Vierling along with infielder Nick Maton will represent the Clearwater Threshers in the event. Hennigan, who was promoted to Double-A Reading this week after shining against FSL competition with a 0-1 with a 2.25 ERA and seven saves while striking out 27 in 20 innings of work for the Threshers.  The 24-year-old was a 21st round pick of the Phils back in 2016. Jones has a 1-3 record with a 1.80 ERA, a .179 batting average against and a 13.3 K/9 mark though eight starts this season.  His 59 strike outs are tops in the league. The 24-year-old was the Phillies' 18th round draft selection in 2017. Muzziotti, a 20-year-old

Earlier this week I published a feature on Class A Lakewood pitcher Dominic Pipkin . In the piece, which can be read by clicking here , the 19-year-old's success and outstanding skill set are discussed with quotes from the player himself along with his pitching coach. Through nine appearances (four starts) for the BlueClaws, Pipkin sports a 2-1 record with a 3.73 ERA, a .261 batting average against and a 6.9 K/9 mark. Below, I have included quotes from the talented right-handed California native talking about his pitch repertoire, his family which Phillies pitcher he draws comparisons to and much much. -What sorts of feedback are you getting from the coaching staff of late? They give all kinds of feedback. They give you pretty much every measurement your ball has, whether it’s vertical, horizontal. They have this ZXY-whatever. They tell you how hard you threw it. They tell you if it was effective. Spin efficiency. Spin rate. They give you every bit of information

Matt Hockenberry, image- Jay Floyd Recently, I sat down with Class A Lakewood pitching coach Matt Hockenberry to talk about his pitching staff. Hockenberry, in his second season as a professional coach, was the Phillies' 9th round pick out of Temple University in 2014.  He pitched for four seasons in the minors before making his coaching debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies West team last year. Among the players discussed were left-handers Manuel Silva and Ethan Lindow along with right-handers Kevin Gowdy , Kyle Glogoski , James McArthur and Ben Brown as well as plenty more. Read ahead for all the exclusive remarks from Hockenberry. -What can you tell me about Manuel Silva (0-1, 4.50 ERA in 4g), who joined the team a few weeks into the season? To be honest I think he's got a bright future ahead of him.  He's the kind of guy that's just now starting to understand like the smart side of baseball.  Like actually thinking about what he'

Dominic Pipkin, image- Jay Floyd HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz LAKEWOOD, NJ-- In his initial outing this season, his first appearance in full-season professional baseball, right-hander Dominic Pipkin surrendered a home run on the very first pitch he threw. Two errors and two additional runs later, the 19-year-old was an inning into his first full minor league season and wasn't about to let that sort of debut impact his outlook. Pipkin moved forward, later surrendering another extra-base hit to Rangers top catching prospect Sam Huff, that one a double to go along with his round-tripper, but otherwise turned out a nearly flawless pair of frames to wrap up his outing. According to Pipkin, he was initially in disbelief, but the impact of Huff's long ball may have helped him. "I remember thinking to myself, 'Did that really just happen? The first pitch I threw jus

Damon Jones w/ Lakewood in 2018, image- Jay Floyd Lefty pitcher Damon Jones has been a standout performer for the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers this season.  Through seven starts, the 24-year-old sports a 1-2 record with a 0.76 ERA, a .152 batting average against and a 13.2 K/9 mark. An 18th round pick of the Phillies out of Washington State in 2017, Jones has been a solid contributor since turning pro.  Initially, when he debuted with short-season A level Williamsport in 2017, he was used as a reliever, but was switched to a starting role last year with Class A Lakewood, where he went 10-7 with a 3.41 ERA over 23 outings. This week I talked with Damon over the phone to discuss his tremendous success with the Threshers, changes to his mechanics, getting more fit over the off-season and plenty more.  The complete, unabridged version of this interview featuring Jones talking about the differences between MLB and minor league baseball along with his own confidence as wel

Matt Kroon, image- Jay Floyd LAKEWOOD-- Matt Kroon 's first home run of the season plated three in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Class A BlueClaws a 4-3 victory over Hagerstown on Tuesday night at FirstEnergy Park. Kroon's big fly came against Suns relief pitcher Ryan Tapani. Following the game, the 22-year-old righty batter, Kroon, stated that his game plan heading into the at bat, with his team trailing by a pair of runs, was finding a pitch to drive.  The result, however, surprised even the young Phillies prospect. "Having zero home runs on the season, I had no thought in my head whatsoever that I'm gonna go up there and hit a three-run home run," said Kroon.  "Funny things happen in this game.  Thankfully, it was able to happen to me tonight." Lakewood reliever Kyle Glogoski notched the win, his second of the year, for the 'Claws while allowing an earned run over 3 2/3 innings of work.  Gilmael Troya recorded the save fo

Last month I sat down with Reading skipper Shawn Williams to talk about several of his players.  Some of the quotes from that interview remained unpublished since that time.  Among the topics of discussion for the Double-A Fightin Phils were slugging first baseman Darick Hall, infielder Arquimedes Gamboa, starting pitcher Adonis Medina and more. Read ahead for those exclusive interview excerpts... -You've got a power hitting prospect on this team in Darick Hall .  I know he had a battle in spring training with Dylan Cozens going head to head.  What was that like?  Was it fun for everyone? It was fun watching both of them  They squared off in a home run derby.  That's two guys that have big time power.  They do it in the game and they can really do it in (batting practice).  But, to see both of them squaring off, it was fun to watch.  And even (Deivi) Grullon was part of that too and Grullon put on a show.  So, it was just a lot of fun to see the guys in our organizat

Matt Kroon, image- Jay Floyd Infielder Matt Kroon has been one of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws' most consistent hitters this season and he's been enjoying the success in his first full season as a pro player. Through 26 games this season in the South Atlantic League, the Phillies' 18th round pick from 2018 sports a .289 average with five doubles, a triple and seven RBI.   Primarily a first baseman, Kroon, the son of former big league pitcher Marc Kroon, has also played second base and third base for the 'Claws. Kroon was the Phillies' 18th round draft selection last year. I spoke with Matt about his success at the plate, exposure to professional baseball as a child, his teammates including last year's top pick Alec Bohm and plenty more.  Some excerpts from our talk are shared below, but you can check out the complete interview at Patreon.com/PhoulBallz . -Were there any moments from childhood that stick in your memory that made you fall i

After nearly a month of minor league action, here is a rundown of some top names throughout the Phillies developmental ranks.  Some would be considered hot, while others are yet to warm up in the early stages of the long season. Class A Lakewood BlueClaws (8-18 record, last place in SAL Northern Division)... The team’s catchers have been contributors at the plate, each batting .300 or better.  Right-handed hitter Abrahan Gutierrez is batting .340 with three doubles and four RBI in 13 games while switch-hitter Rafael Marchan has a .310 average with six doubles and seven RBI in 17 games. Both backstops are natives of Venezuela. Kevin Gowdy, image- Jay Floyd Righty starter Kevin Gowdy has performed well for the BlueClaws, posting a 1.84 ERA with no decisions and a .140 batting average against through four starts.  He has, however, walked 13 while striking out 13 in 14 2/3 innings pitched.  Gowdy was the Phillies’ 2 nd round draft choice in 2016 and is competin