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Franco (center) keeps things loose with teammates, Image- Jay Floyd Since he arrived in North America, third baseman Maikel Franco has put his skills with the bat on display. An outstanding offensive campaign last year made him the buzz name in the Phillies' organization and has landed him in the top spot among the club's promising crop of upcoming prospects. Signed as an amateur free agent by the Phillies in 2010, Franco would make his professional debut with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies that same year. As a 17-year-old, he posted respectable numbers, with a line of .222/.292/.330 in 51 games. A year later, the righty hitting Franco began the season in extended spring training and later competed with the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters. Franco looked great against New York-Penn League competition, posting a .274/.339/.389 line while driving in 28 runs in 42 games before earning a promotion to Class A Lakewood. In the South Atlantic...

In recent years, Jesse Biddle has become the prospect that Phillies fans have heard the most about. This year though, the hometown kid may go from highly touted prospect to major league rookie and the stuff that Philadelphia faithful have heard will be on display at the top level of the sport every five days. Upon signing his first pro contract, Biddle quickly made his minor league debut, beginning his journey toward donning the uniform of the team he cheered on from the seats of Citizens Bank Park all throughout his teenage years. The graduate of Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia combined to post a 4-1 record with a 3.92 ERA and a .241 batting average against in 12 starts with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies and the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters in 2010. The following year, Biddle became an All-Star in the Class A South Atlantic League as a member of the Lakewood BlueClaws. As the team's most dependable starter through much of the seaso...

JP Crawford, Image- Jay Floyd Equipped with big-time athleticism, a strong baseball IQ and all the right on-field tools, J.P. Crawford joined the Phillies system last year and quickly proved to be among the organization's best prospects. Drafted in the opening round of last year's amateur draft, Crawford looked sharp and put himself on the map as a fast rising talent in baseball. Last year, Crawford posted great numbers at Lakewood High School in California, batting .432 in 25 games during his senior season and he stands as the school's all-time leader in hits and runs scored at a school that also produced former Phillies 1st round draft choice Travis d'Arnaud . Upon signing his first pro contract and making his minor league debut as an 18-year-old with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies, Crawford was very impressive. He lead the GCL in batting for a considerable stretch and posted a .345 average with a homer, 19 RBI and 12 stolen bases through 39 game...

Cesar Hernandez, image- Jay Floyd Signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent at the age of 16 in 2006, Cesar Hernandez swiftly proved himself as a capable prospect that had quite a future in baseball. Last year, the young Venezuelan was honored as a Triple-A All-Star and made his big league debut. This year, he'll be doing everything in his power to earn another chance to compete at the top level of the sport. Hernandez, a switch-hitter, made his professional debut with the Phillies' Venezuelan Summer League team in 2007. In two seasons there, he tallied a .296 batting average with three home runs and 45 RBI in 114 games. He followed that effort with a campaign in which he batted .267 with five doubles and a triple in 41 games for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2009. The following season, with the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, Hernandez was voted as the Most Valuable Player of the club by his teammates and was a New York-Penn Leag...

Add caption It took Kelly Dugan about four years to show and prove why he was once the Phillies' top draft choice (2nd round, 2009). An excellent campaign in 2013 has many believing that the young outfielder could be close to helping the team at the big league level. Much hype surrounded Kelly upon being drafted to the Phillies, as an image of him on the set of his director father Dennis Dugan's film Grown Ups , with many of Hollywood's comedy elite, made the rounds. In the years that followed, Dugan dealt with a series of injury concerns that kept the 6-foot-3-inch 195-pounder from fully establishing himself as a potential rising star. Dugan would debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2009, after signing his first professional contract, posting a .233 average with eight doubles, a triple and eight RBI in 45 games. The following year, with the GCL team and short-season Class A Williamsport, Dugan sported a .366 average with a homer and eight RBI in 28 co...

After a season in which Ethan Martin made his big league debut, the Phillies entered spring training with hopes that the young righty hurler would show enough in camp to prove they could rely on him as a contributor this year. After experiencing discomfort in his throwing shoulder recently, not only where he'll pitch this season, but also how much he'll be able to pitch is unclear. Diagnosed with a strained capsule and a strained triceps, the 24-year-old Martin has been shut down. Ordered to rest for three weeks, the Georgia native will be re-evaluated following the down time. Several months back, the Phils' 2012 top draft selection Shane Watson , another right-handed pitcher, was diagnosed with a similar capsule injury and prescribed rest as well. Watson required surgery to repair the issue when rehab did not have great results. Originally selected by Los Angeles in the 1st round (15th overall) in the 2008 amateur draft out of Stephens County High School (GA), whe...

Roman Quinn, Image- Tug Haines Selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 draft out of Port St. Joe High School, speedster Roman Quinn was immediately a prospect that many thought would be on a fast track upward in the Phillies system. Hampered by injuries last year, it could be a difficult road back for the athletic shortstop. Listed at five feet ten inches tall and weighing 170 pounds, Quinn showed great improvement during his first year as a pro. After signing late, he did not play in his first official minor league game until 2012. With short-season Class A Williamsport, Quinn sported a .281 average with nine doubles, a league-leading 11 triples, one homer and 23 RBI while swiping 30 bases in 36 opportunities. Those excellent offensive efforts came while learning to switch hit and adapting to a defensive switch to the infield after playing mostly outfield in high school. Comfort was a big factor for Quinn in 2013, according to his Class A Lakewood coaches, who saw things g...

With a fastball that is regularly clocked at 100 MPH, right-handed pitcher Ken Giles has garnered increased attention since joining the Phillies' organization and is primed to be a fast moving prospect that could make an impact on the big leagues in the near future. Selected in the 7th round of the 2011 amateur draft out of Yavapai (Junior) College, although he was committed to transferring to Arizona at the time, Giles began his professional career with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies that year. After facing a difficult decision to turn pro and leave college behind, Giles struck out seven batters in 4 2/3 innings over three outings with the GCL team. Prior to making his debut in the minors, Giles, a big-time strike out artist, notched 67 strike outs in 38 innings during the 2011 college season. Giles began the 2012 season with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws where he went 3-3 with five saves, a 3.61 ERA and a .215 batting average against in 29 outings (six starts)....

Carlos Tocci, Image- Tug Haines Outfielder Carlos Tocci was signed by the Phillies for a reported signing bonus of $759,000 in the summer of 2011 on his 16th birthday. Since that time, many have raved about the teen's talent and he's done his best to live up to the hype. A native of Maracay, VZ, Tocci participated in the Florida Instructional League after he signed his first professional contract, but made his official minor league debut in 2012 as a member of the Gulf Coast League Phillies. His ability to compete with older players is definitely something that has Tocci standing out in the eyes of coaches, scouts and fans alike. In 2012, the righty batting "Toch" posted a .278 average with two doubles and nine RBI in 38 contests in the GCL, with all but one of his games played before his 17th birthday. He described the competition there as easy and the pitchers as predictable. The following year, Tocci found his opposition to be improved and tougher to ...

Right-handed pitcher Severino Gonzalez had a breakout season in the Phillies' system last year, putting himself on the map as a rising star in the team's developmental ranks. The Panama native had previously not pitched above the Venezuelan Summer League, but truly excelled pitching in the United States for the first time in 2013. After signing with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 2011, Gonzalez made his pro debut that same year in the VSL, putting together a 1-1 record with a save and a 2.11 ERA in 17 games as a reliever. The following season in the same league, Gonzalez tallied a 7-3 record and a league best 1.65 ERA in 14 starts. He also led the league in strike outs (86), innings pitched (92 2/3) and complete games (two). In 2013, at the age of 20, Gonzalez came to the United States for his very first spring training and showed no great issues when dealing with the cultural change. He was able to bond with countryman Carlos Ruiz , who was serving a drug ...

Drafted in the third round in 2011 out of the University of Alabama, left-hander Adam Morgan quickly made an impact in the Phillies' system upon debuting as a pro.  However, a shoulder injury last year that kept him out of action for a lengthy stretch and resulted in off-season surgery has reduced his value as a prospect in the eyes of many. In 2011, Morgan looked great, tallying a 3-3 record with a 2.01 ERA and a .206 batting average against in 11 starts as a member of the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. Morgan would go on to skip full season Class A Lakewood and began the 2012 season with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers.  In the Florida State League, the Marietta, GA native tallied a 4-10 record with a 3.29 ERA and was named a mid-season All-Star. he earned a promotion to Double-A Reading after July and helped them reach the Eastern League playoffs, posting a 4-1 record along with a 3.53 ERA in six regular season starts. Last season ...

Zach Green, Image- TriCity ValleyCats Third baseman Zach Green became one of the Phillies' emerging impact prospects last year in his first full season of professional ball. A 3rd round draft choice from 2012, the 19-year-old stood out as a rising star last year and looked to have a very bright future in his first full professional season. Upon signing his first pro contract, the righty batting slugger quickly showed his skills with the bat as he sported a .284 average with 13 doubles, a triple and three home runs for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2012. Green had been committed to playing baseball at Oregon State prior to the MLB draft. With a body type that is prototypical of a corner infielder at six-foot-three 210 pounds, coaches and scouts speak highly of Green's raw power. The California resident represented the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game last year, winning the league's annual ho...

Aaron Altherr has long been praised for his on-field skills and this upcoming season may provide the evidence that many are looking for to see if he truly has what it takes to be a top prospect. A righty hitting outfielder that stands six-foot-five and weighs around 195 pounds, Altherr was selected by the Phillies in the 9th round of the 2009 draft and debuted as a pro that year with the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies.  In 28 games there, he batted .214 with a homer and 11 RBI while swiping six bags. The following year, he spent time with the GCL team and earned a promotion to the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters.  In 55 total games in 2010, Altherr batted .297 with a home run, 25 RBI and 12 stolen bases.  In 2011, Altherr began the season with Class A full season Lakewood, where he struggled as a 20-year-old, posting a .211/.272/.272 line in 41 games.  The concerning output got Altherr demoted, but he bounced back in a return to Will...

Shane Watson, Image- Jay Floyd Despite having a difficult stretch of health concerns since he signed his first pro contract Shane Watson , has proven himself to have the potential that made him the Phillies' top draft choice in 2012. Although he was committed to pitch for the University of Southern California, Watson signed his first pro contract, reportedly worth $1.3 Million, and later debuted with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2012. Pitching no more than two innings per outing, Watson tallied a 0-1 record with a 1.29 ERA over seven appearances. Additionally, he recorded eight strike outs while walking only one in seven innings of work. Action in the GCL was limited for Watson, as the youngster learned that he was diabetic after turning. Faced with a mystery illness and drastic weight loss, Watson saw physicians in Florida and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, which, when addressed and treated, is certainly manageable for a professional athlete. Bouncing back the ...

Yoel Mecias, Image- Tug Haines Despite having his 2013 campaign shortened due to a severe elbow injury, Venezuelan born hurler Yoel Mecias made a name for himself as a notable prospect in the Phillies system last year. The lefty, who turned 20 years old this off-season, underwent Tommy John surgery in June after an impressive stint with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws. Signed as an amateur free agent in December 2010, Mecias made his pro debut with the Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2012, tallying a 0-2 record with two saves and a 2.16 ERA in 14 games (four starts). In his 10 relief outings, Mecias sported a 1.90 ERA. Overall, he struck out 34 batters and walked 11 in 41 2/3 innings that year after some time in extended spring training. Mecias also made an appearance for Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League in 2012 as well. In 13 games (11 starts) with Lakewood last season, Mecias posted a 4-3 record and a 3.79 ERA along with an 11.05 K/9 mark. His efforts were enough to gai...

Cameron Rupp, Image- Jay Floyd Drafted in the 3rd round of the 2010 draft, catcher Cameron Rupp has steadily been an improving prospect for the Phillies. After debuting in the big leagues last year, the 25-year-old has certainly proven himself as a talented backstop that could have quite a career ahead. Rupp, a University of Texas product, made his professional debut with the short-season A level Williamsport Crosscutters in 2010. In 55 games that year, Rupp posted a .218 batting average with five home runs and 28 RBI against NY-Penn League competition. The following season, as a member of the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, Rupp proved himself to be capable of serious adjustments, as the 6-foot-2-inch 230-pounder had a tough time through the first half of the South Atlantic League season, posting a .219 batting average with two home runs and 13 RBI in 48 games. Working hard behind the scenes with the BlueClaws' coaching staff, Rupp altered his approach at the plate and showed ...

Tommy Joseph, Image- Jay Floyd Acquired from San Francisco in a swap for Hunter Pence in July 2012, catcher Tommy Joseph quickly became one of the Phillies' top positional prospects. In the time since that trade, however, Joseph has struggled to produce as he has dealt with injury concerns that have prevented him from getting and staying hot. Possessing a high ceiling bat and strong backstop skills, Joseph is still a prospect that could make a big splash in the Phils system if his health allows him to stay on the field. In 2009 Joseph was was drafted in the second round out of Horizon High School in Arizona. That season, he was recognized as an All-State player as he dominated opposing pitchers with his .494 average, 15 home runs and 36 RBI in 37 games played. Upon making his professional debut the following year, the six-foot-one 215-pounder played with Class A Augusta of the South Atlantic League. In 2010, with the GreenJackets, Joseph posted a .236 average with 16...