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A couple of weeks into action, here's a rundown of how Phillies players are performing in the Arizona Fall League. Each Phillies prospect plays for the Scottsdale Scorpions. The team has a 6-6 record through 12 games this year.   Alec Bohm, image- Jay Floyd Third baseman Alec Bohm in eight games sports a .387 batting average with two doubles and five RBI.  The righty hitting Bohm was the Phillies' first round draft selection in 2018. In four games, Josh Stephen has tallied a .455 average with a triple and one RBI.  The 22-year-old lefty batter was an 11th round draft selection in 2016 by the Phils. Center fielder Mickey Moniak has notched a .161 batting average with a double, a triple, four RBI and a stolen base in seven contests with Scottsdale.  The 21-year-old lefty hitter was the first overall selection in the 2016 draft. In three games, infielder Nick Maton is batting .333 with a double a home run and a pair of RBI.  The lefty batting ...

Josh Stephen, image- Jay Floyd Last week I sat down with Double-A Reading outfielder Josh Stephen to have some fun.  Right in the visiting dugout at Trenton's ARM & HAMMER Park, the 21-year-old lefty batter took on the topics of music, his favorite thing about New Jersey, career mementos, his coolest teammate and plenty more. To hear the complete interview with Stephen, head on over to Patreon.com/PhoulBallz to support my work, become a patron and gain access to a whole lot of exclusive content plus gain early access to other articles as well.  The post there will feature a bit of news about Josh that hasn't been announced elsewhere.  You can be among the first to know. Also, recently, I wrote a feature on Josh's contributions to Reading's success this season.  You can read that separate piece by clicking this link .

Josh Stephen, image- Jay Floyd Josh Stephen has capitalized on unexpected opportunities all season long. A surprise to open the 2019 campaign at the Double-A level with Reading, the 21-year-old outfielder completely skipped the Class A Advanced Florida State League after spending last season with Class A Lakewood. An 11th round draft selection by the Phillies in 2016, Stephen contributed steadily last year as a predominantly part-time player for the BlueClaws team that won their division in both halves of the season. Stephen would notch a .242 batting average with 17 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 25 RBI in 99 games for Lakewood in 2018. Projected to be a fourth outfielder this year on a team that opened the season with three first round picks set to man the outfield spots, Stephen impressed enough in the spring exhibition season to earn an assignment to Reading behind Adam Haseley, Mickey Moniak and Cornelius Randolph. "I jumped two levels and I wasn'...

Josh Stephen, image- Jay Floyd Last week I wrote a feature on Lakewood outfielder Josh Stephen getting off to a hot start this season and using his bonds in the game to his advantage.   An 11th round draft pick in 2016, the 20-year-old has posted solid numbers (.263/.378/.474 slash line) through 13 games with the BlueClaws. I talked with Stephen, a six feet tall 185-pound left-handed batter, at length.  Below are some interview excerpts from the California native that didn't make the original piece. -Speaking on his initial impressions of Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park during the team’s initial homestand… I think it's a beautiful stadium. I was blown away when I got here with how nice it is. It looks like a big league stadium. The fans come in real nice, a lot of fans, so that's new to me. Last year in Williamsport, we came in with a couple thousand and here to see 5,000 on the board was pretty crazy. It's exciting to play out here. -Stephen shared s...

Tyler Henson, image- Jay Floyd The Class A Lakewood BlueClaws are off to a fair start, posting a 7-7 record through the first couple weeks of the season.  The guy in charge of the offense (2nd lowest OPS in the South Atlantic League entering action on Friday, with a .636 mark) is former Phillies farm hand Tyler Henson. A 5th round pick of Baltimore in 2006, Henson, 30, took the field in the Phillies organization from 2013-2015 on the end of a 10-year playing career. Henson began his coaching tenure in 2016 fresh out of retirement.  Last year, he coached with short-season Class A Williamsport.  During his time in affiliated minor league baseball, Henson posted a .263/.323/.393 slash line. Last week I talked with Coach Henson about his team's lineup, including outfielders Josh Stephen, Jhailyn Ortiz and Simon Muzziotti, along with infielders Daniel Brito, Cole Stobbe, Jake Scheiner and first baseman Quincy Nieporte, plus more about his transition into coaching. ...

Josh Stephen, image- Jay Floyd LAKEWOOD, NJ-- Off to a hot start in the early going for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws, outfielder Josh Stephen has used relationships, new and old, to build a level of comfort in the Phillies’ organization that he hopes will help him achieve his dream of playing in the big leagues. Hailing from southern California, a hotbed for young baseball talent, Stephen was selected by the Phillies in the 11th round of the 2016 draft and joined an organization that included some familiar faces. Even before signing his first professional contract with the Phillies, the six feet tall 185-pound lefty batter had guys that he already considered teammates in the system. Third base prospect Luke Williams, pitchers Kevin Gowdy and Bailey Falter along with first overall draft pick, outfielder Mickey Moniak are all individuals that Stephen competed with and against in his days playing youth baseball. “It makes the transition of being drafted as an 18-year-old nice...