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Righty hitting outfielder Yhoswar Garcia is a Phillies prospect on the rise. Reportedly signed in 2020 for a $2.5 million bonus, the six-foot tall 150-pounder has played state side in Florida. Debuting as a pro in Class A Clearwater last summer, Garcia notched a .229/.299/.271 slash line with 11 steals through 18 contests. Repeating the same level to open this season, Garcia has produced improved offensive numbers in the early going. Equipped with plus speed, Garcia is a threat to swipe a bag anytime he reaches base.  Through 14 games with the Threshers this season, the 20-year-old has pilfered 13 bases. Exceptionally skilled in the field, the Venezuelan is said to tout considerable range and a is as solid in centerfield as you can find at his level. Playing every day on a full-season club is just what a talented, athletic youngster with the skillset Garcia possesses will benefit most from.   Please visit  Patreon.com/PhoulBallz  in order to support my work and ...

An All-Star in 2019 with the short-season Class-A Williamsport Crosscutters,  Kendall Simmons  is one of the Phillies' most promising prospects.   Simmons, an outstanding and multi-positional infielder, was the Phillies' 6th round draft pick in 2018. That year, he made his professional debut in the Rookie level Gulf Coast League, posting a .234 average with three homers and 11 RBI in 32 games. The right-handed batter tallied a .234 batting average with 12 homers, 34 RBI and five stolen bases in 51 games with Williamsport in 2019.  In the 2020-2021 off-season, Simmons played in the Australian Baseball League, making up for some of the time missed due to the cancelled 2020 season.  In 21 games with Adelaide, he notched a .172 batting average with a home run, seven RBI and three steals.  Last year, Simmons played primarily with Class A Clearwater.  With the Threshers, he recorded a .226/.321/.460 slash line in 41 games.  Listed at six-feet-two, ...

A third round draft selection by the Phillies in 2019 out of Benedictine Prep, a military school in Virginia, shortstop Jamari Baylor signed his first pro contract for a reported $675,000 and put his significant tools on display during his brief initial minor league stint. In four games in the rookie level Gulf Coast League, five-foot-11 190-pounder sported a .273 average with a pair of doubles.  He was forced out action swiftly after his pro debut due to a reported hamstring injury. After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the global pandemic, Baylor trained at  Driveline Baseball  and got some game action at Fall Instructs in Florida during that off-season as well. In 2021, Baylor was back in action and absolutely torched Rookie level Florida Complex League competition.  In 25 contests, he boasted an outstanding 1.020 OPS with 16 RBI and 11 stolen bases. Shortly after he turned 21 years old in late August, Baylor was promoted to Class A Clearwater to wrap up the ...

Venezuelan born right-hander Cristian Hernandez has begun to earn recognition as one of the Phillies most promising pitching prospects. Signed as a 16-year-old in 2017 for a reported $120,000, Hernandez got his professional career started the following summer as a starter for the Phillies' Red Dominican Summer League club.  There, in 13 starts, Hernandez tallied a 2-3 record with 2.57 ERA, a 1.14 WHIP as well as a 7.0 K/9 mark. An injury sidelined Hernandez in 2019 and the 2020 season was cancelled due to the global pandemic. In 2021, Hernandez saw his first regular season action in the United States, starting his season in Florida Complex League.  After two appearances there, the six-foot-three 185-pounder was promoted to the Class A Clearwater Threshers.  In 20 combined outings (17 starts), Hernandez notched a 2-7 record with a 3.57 ERA, a .228 batting average against and an 11.2 K/9 mark. Projectability is something that baseball folks like about Hernandez.  His s...

Woodward, image- BaseballBetsy Please consider supporting my work and joining my Patreon to gain access to loads of exclusive content and early access to features like this one.   A year removed from a college season and a professional draft that were shortened due the global pandemic, hurler J.P. Woodward is at perfect peace with the resulting decisions he made.  Primarily a starter in college, Woodward, a left-hander, now has a relief role with the Class A Clearwater Threshers.  Through 11 appearances this season, Woodward sports a 1-0 record, 2.63 ERA and .204 batting average against while striking out 16 and walking five in 13 2/3 innings. The six-foot-six 215-pounder didn't truly think he'd pitch in college, let alone professionally, as his velocity topped out at 80 MPH as a high schooler in Maryland.  He was a true walk-on at Lafayette College in PA and began to make a name for himself as he excelled and developed. The summer following his sophomore sea...

On Saturday night, outfielder Hunter Markwardt capped off an exciting 4-3 comeback win with a walk-off hit for the Class A Clearwater Threshers.   The team entered the bottom of the 9th trailing 3-0, but a convincing four-run outburst notched an impressive victory for the Phillies affiliate over Lakeland.   Thus far on the young season, the 23-year-old lefty batter has posted a .375 batting average through three games.  Markwardt was the Phils' 13th round draft selection out of Oklahoma Christian University in 2019. Last week I spoke with the promising outfielder about his excitement level for the new season, among other things.  Read ahead for that interview. -What's your level of excitement to get this season started?    Having not played in an official game since 2019, it's crazy to say the least.  With all the work put into the extended off-season, it's been super exciting to see how it's going to pay off in the the near future.  T...

Stepping up to the plate with the bases loaded, trailing by a pair of runs in the 11th inning, Clearwater first baseman D.J. Stewart did so 0-for-5.  His focus at the plate was no different that time than it had been the previous handfull of turns.  Make loud contact was the approach.  The contact was loud, the reaction from his team and the approximately 1,100 fans in attendance was louder.   A convincing round-tripper in that moment plated Edgar Made, Johan Rojas, Luis Garcia and Stewart.  It gave the Class A Threshers their first win on the young season by a score of 13-11 over the Tigers affiliate Lakeland.  The grand slam was the 22-year-old's first ever four-run homer as well as his first ever walk-off hit as a professional. Describing the feeling of walking a game off in such a remarkable fashion as unreal and realizing that his teammates were as hyped for him as he felt personally, Stewart also described the "loud contact" mindset as a new focu...

With the minor league season set to get started on Tuesday, May 4th, the Phillies' four full-season teams unveiled their initial rosters today. Of note is the absense of rising infield prospect Kendall Simmons, who is apparently sidelined with an undisclosed injury.  The middle infielder was active in spring training action in recent weeks, but was contributing as a designated hitter.  He's likely being kept at the Phillies' complex in Florida in order to focus on recovery and limit unnecesary travel. Also, as reported recently on my Patreon page , pitcher Albertus Barber got a late start to his spring season due to an unspecified nerve issue.  He's healthy, but needs to ramp up his efforts in order to get game-ready before he joins a team. One of the Phils' most promision pitching prospects, Erik Miller, is also absent from these lists.  No word yet on what the situation is with this hard throwing 24-year-old, who was ranked as the organization's 5th best prosp...

Leibrandt w/ Reading in 2017, image-Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and other prospect related material as well as early access to all of my other content such as this post.  Thank you. On Monday I learned that roughly two dozen Phillies minor leaguers were released over the weekend as the organization prepares for this year's amateur draft. Via sources, I quickly confirmed a few of the individuals, namely righty hitting outfielder Ben Aklinski along with lefty pitcher Brandon Leibrandt .  I also communicated with lefty reliever Aaron Brown , who confirmed to be that he had been released by the organization. Aklinski, 23, with the Phils' 32nd round draft pick in 2018.  He notched a .560 OPS last year with Class A Advanced Clearwater.   Leibrandt had been out of action since July of 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.  The 27-...

Stokes w/ Lakewood in 2018, image- Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and early access to all of my other content.  Thank you. A 10th round draft pick of the Phillies in 2018, Madison Stokes quickly made a positive impression upon debuting in the professional ranks. In 55 games the righty batter notched a combined .299/.372/.433 slash line at three levels. Last year in his first full minor league season, the University of South Carolina product posted a .242 average with 10 home runs and 42 RBI primarily as a third baseman and first baseman in 110 games for Class A Advanced Clearwater. This week I talked with Madison about the current baseball hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, how he's staying in baseball shape, his pro experiences thus far and plenty more. Read ahead for that complete interview. - Can you describe finding out that baseball was being...

Vierling w/ Lakewood in 2018, image- Jay Floyd Phillies outfield prospect Matt Vierling enjoyed some success during the Phillies' abbreviated Grapefruit League campaign this spring.  In seven games, the 23-year-old went 3-for-7 with a pair of RBI and three walks.  The righty batter spent the entirety of last season as a member of the Class A Advanced Clearwater.  Overall in his brief pro career to date, Vierling, who was the Phils' 5th round draft selection in 2018 out of Notre Dame, has tallied a .263 average with 12 home runs, 72 RBI and 29 stolen bases.   Recently, I talked with Vierling about his experience with the big club this spring, the halt to the baseball schedule due to the coronavirus pandemic, being at home with his brother Mark, a collegiate second baseman for the University of Missouri and more.  This interview is available exclusively for Patreon subscribers.  Please consider supporting my work by visiting Patreon.com/Pho...

I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone.  Plus you'll get interviews as well as other exclusive content you won't be able to enjoy anywhere else.  I could use, and I would value, your backing. Simon Muzziotti, image- Jay Floyd Since joining the organization Simon Muzziotti has emerged as one of the Phillies' most promising outfield prospects.  Signing infractions by his former organization, the Red Sox, lead the talented youngster to be declared a free agent by Major League Baseball approximately a year after he signed with Boston at the age of 16.  Muzziotti was subsequently inked by the Phillies and has been an attention grabber as he has moved up the developmental ranks with quickness. In 2016, he played in the Dominican Summer League, tallying a .256 average with six doubles, two triples and eight steals in his combined time with the Sox and Phils teams there....

I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone, plus you'll get interviews as well as other exclusive content you won't be able to consume anywhere else.  I could use and I would appreciate your backing. At long last, Phillies minor league coaching staffs began to trickle out via each team's news feed on Friday with a few notable additions to the organization's developmental field staffs.  Here is a complete rundown of each team's coaching staff. The Class A Short-season Williamsport Crosscutters will be headed by Milver Reyes.  The 37-year-old Venezuelan played as high as the Triple-A level during his playing career before turning to coaching.  Reyes played with the CrossCutters in 2003 and 2004 as a member of the Pirates organization, before Williamsport was affiliated with the Phillies. The Cutters' pitching coach is set to be a returning Hector Berrios while hittin...

Rafael Marchan, image- Jay Floyd I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone else and get access to interviews as well as other exclusive content you can't get anywhere else. At a valued position, backstop Rafael Marchan is one of the Phillies' most valued prospects as he builds a reputation as an intelligent and physically talented player. Signed in the same off-season that the Phils dished out a $4 million signing bonus to outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz, Marchan inked a deal for a reported bargain price of $200,000, as a 16-year-old in 2015. He made his professional debut in the Dominican Summer League in 2016, posting a .333 average with seven doubles, a triples and 34 RBI in 44 games. In 2017, Marchan notched a .238/.290/.298 slash line in 30 games in the short-season Rookie level Gulf Coast League. The following year as a 19-year-old, the Venezuela native played with Class A short...

Warren w/ Lakewood in '18, image- Jay Floyd I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to material like this before anyone else and get access to interviews as well as other exclusive content you can't get anywhere else. Back to back outstanding full-season campaigns have propelled left-hander Zach Warren right into the discussion of young pitching prospects that could be able to help the big league club sooner than later. A 14th round draft selection out of the University of Tennessee in 2017, Warren, a Vineland, NJ native, grew up as a Phillies fan. He opened his professional career as a reliever with Class-A Williamsport, posting a 0-3 record with a 3.00 ERA, a .236 batting average against and a 10.9 K/9 mark in 13 appearances. The following year, he spent his 2018 campaign with the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, where he was a force out of their bullpen, posting a 3-2 record with 15 saves, a 1.91 ERA along with a ...

Ethan Lindow, image- Jay Floyd I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work, get access to material like this before anyone else and get access to interviews as well as other exclusive content you can't get anywhere else.   Lefty pitcher Ethan Lindow stood out so much among Phillies pitching prospects last year that he was honored with the Paul Owens Award, an honor bestowed annually upon the top position player and the top hurler from the organization's minor league affiliates. Selected in the 5th round of the 2017 draft as a high schooler, Lindow would sign for a reported $500,000 and swiftly began his professional career. In the Rookie level Gulf Coast League, the Georgie native would start eight contests, posting a 2-2 record witha 4.55 ERA and a .241 batting average against while striking out 34 and walking 12 batters in 27 2/3 innings pitched.  He would participate that year in the Florida Instructional League as well....

Jhailyn Ortiz with Lakewood in 2018, 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.  With four years in professional baseball down, Ortiz still has a very long way to go. 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 en route to an All-Star nod.  His .961 OPS would have been good enough to lead the league if he has notched...

Keylan Killgore, image- @BaseballBetsy Lefty pitcher Keylan Killgore had an outstanding season in 2019.  In his first full professional season, the 23-year-old notched a 1-3 record with 11 saves, a 3.57 ERA, a .234 batting average against as well as a 10.4 K/9 mark in 36 relief outings with Class A Advanced Clearwater. As one of the Threshers' primary relievers, the six-foot-three 185-pounder contributed in recording a combined no-hitter in June , along with teammates Kyle Glogoski and Tyler Carr. Killgore, a Wichita State product, was selected by the Phillies in the 17th round of the 2018 draft. Last month, Keylan took time to answer some questions from me about his off-season, workout routine, being a newlywed and more.  Read ahead for that interview. -What have you been up to since the season wrapped up? Did you participate in any of the Phillies' activities or seminars in Clearwater? I've really tried to spend as much time with family as possible. I got...

Vierling w/ Lakewood in 2018, image- Jay Floyd Outfield prospect Matt Vierling took some time recently to offer some thoughts on his off-season. The 23-year-old was a 5th round draft selection by the Phillies in 2018.  This year, in his first full season in professional baseball, the Notre Dame product posted a .232 average with five home runs, 41 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 118 games with Class A Advanced Clearwater. Last week I asked Matt, a Missouri native, to offer some details on his workout routine in the fall and winter months, his thoughts on Major League Baseball's proposed elimination of certain affiliated minor league teams and plenty more.  Read ahead for that interview. - How much down time do you allow yourself before you get back to picking up a bat and/or taking swings? I try to give myself at least one to two months off from swinging. This year I was on the longer end because I was coming off of my first full year and felt like I needed the b...

Micucci (right) with Luis Garcia in August, image- Jay Floyd Early on Monday, I tweeted a bit of a teaser about Phillies minor league staffing moves I had learned about from a pair of sources.  Unclear when the personnel had learned of their fates, I did not want to report the news until all parties had time to address the news in their own ways. As has been reported by at least another outlet to this point, I am able to confirm that 2019 Class A Lakewood manager Mike Micucci will not be returning to the organization.  Additionally, base running and bunting coordinator Rob Ducey , Gulf Coast League coach Charlie Hayes and Triple-A pitching coach Steve Schrenk are also done in the Phils system. Micucci was a north Jersey native in his youth and had been hired by the organization less than a year ago.  He worked with Phillies general manager Matt Klentak in Anaheim, which makes his termination even more surprising. Players that saw action for the BlueClaws thi...