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After completing what was easily the best month of his career, righty hurler Dominic Pipkin is ready to face the tough competition of the prominent Arizona Fall Leage.   Pipkin, who was the Phillies' 9th round draft selection in 2018, has had moderate success in his five years as a pro, posting a 4.93 ERA, a 7.6 K/9 mark and a .260 batting average against mostly at the lower levels on the minors. After missing time this year with an unspecified ailment, the six-foot-four 170-pounder proved to be healthy as he dominated AA competition in nine appearances with the Reading Fightin Phils during August.  Pipkin's impressive production resulted in a 1-0 record with a save and a 0.96 ERA while striking out eight and walking three in 9 1/3 innings. The California native says his efforts to improve have helped him touch 100 MPH on the radar gun, while his fastball velocity is mostly around 96 MPH.   Pipkin's arsenal includes that improved fastball as well as a slider whi...

READING, PA- A new role could have Francisco Morales on the fast track to the Phillies' bullpen.   After experiencing limited success last year primarily as a starter, the organization has decided to utilize the 22-year-old strictly as a reliever moving forward.   Signed by the Phils in 2016 at the age of 16 for a reported $900,000, the Venezuela native has spent roughly six years showing flashes of the hurler that he could be.  The new assignment could finally be the factor that makes it happen.   According to Double-A Reading manager Shawn Williams, the talented Venezuelan is excited for the refined duties. "I think he's always wanted to be a reliever," Williams shared.  "He loves it.  He's looking forward to it.  He had a great spring training as a reliever, closing (and as) a late inning guy." In 22 appearances (20 starts) last year with Reading, the six-foot-four 185-pounder notched a 4-13 record with a 6.94 ERA, a .240 batting aver...

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...

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...

Tyler Burch, image- MiLB.com I invite you to visit Patreon.com/PhoulBallz in order to support my work and get access to exclusive interviews plus early access to features and news such as this. A missed baseball season wasn't the only challenge facing righty pitcher Tyler Burch this summer.   With persistent symptoms that began prior to spring training it was ultimately discovered, after the 2020 season was shut down due to the Coronavirus pandemic, that the 22-year-old had developed an autoimmune disease.   As symptoms that included dry mouth and frequent trips to the bathroom worsened, Burch's situation left his doctor puzzled.  And even the physician that conducted his team physical examination at the outset of spring training jokingly referenced diabetes, but did not take the possibility seriously.    The physical impacts subsided somewhat during spring training, as being more active and adhering to the team diet helped alleviate what he ...

Logan O'Hoppe, image- Jay Floyd Please consider supporting my work and via my Patreon page .  For a small monthly fee, 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 feature.  Thank you.   On Friday, the Phillies added a pair of catchers to their 2020 player pool.  Minor leaguers Logan O'Hoppe (pronounced Oh-HOP-ee) and Henri Lartigue arrived in Philadelphia to help catch bullpen sessions for the team's collection of approximately 30 pitchers. The call to O'Hoppe was extremely welcome as the 20-year-old had been staying as active as he possibly could, working out with other players that have been been waiting out quarantine due to the current pandemic at his home on Long Island.  However, he had been very eager to step back onto an actual baseball field. "I just hope I can play soon.  Where ever that is or whatever form that is, that'd be aw...

Dylan Cozens, 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. Last week, as he rang in his 26th birthday, Dylan Cozens wasn't celebrating.  Instead, he took to the streets in the midst of rioting to protect local businesses in his native Scottsdale, AZ. After 1:00 AM, Cozens, a former Phillies outfield prospect and current Rays minor leaguer, caught a glimpse of some rowdy happening on Facebook Live.  Posts showed violence and thievery and the former second round draft selection wasn't going to let it continue.  "When I saw what they were doing and the reason behind it, I decided to try and stop it because it wasn't right. It had nothing to do with Black Lives Matter.  It was a hate crime to go and try to destroy businesses and lo...

Aaron Brown, 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. Aaron Brown was released last Friday after nearly six years in the Phillies organization. Brown, the Phils' 3rd round draft selection in 2014 out of Pepperdine, was primarily an outfielder after turning pro.  A two-way player in college, Brown switched to pitching in 2017 after struggling on offense (.224/.313/.360) at the Double-A level. A dominant hurler in college, Brown posted a 13-1 record along with a 1.95 ERA in 17 starts in 2014.  A solid performer on the minor league mound as well, the California native notched a 5-4 record with a pair of saves, a 3.82 ERA along with an 11.0 K/9 mark in 45 relief appearances for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils last season. With free ...

Albertus Barber, 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 content. If you simply mind the masses on social networking platforms, you'd think minor league players are really getting the shaft as baseball, among other sports, has shut down completely while the world deals with the coronavirus pandemic.  That's not the case in every prospect's mind. While there were recently loads of people advocating for teams to pay their minor league talent as it became clear that members of each big league club's 40-man roster won't miss a payday and that stadium staffers can expect to be taken care of as well, some individuals in the minors already feel like they are being compensated quite well. Pitcher Albertus Barber is perfectly happy with every single bit of treatment by his parent club to date, as the Phillies are still hosting many out...

Luke Leftwich, image- Jay Floyd A tell and an injury raised concern for pitching prospect Luke Leftwich last summer, but the right-hander has a positive outlook and is confident he'll return to form in 2020. Leftwich entered last year with a 3.18 ERA in four professional seasons including a solid campaign with Double-A Reading in 2018 in which he posted a 3-4 record with three saves, a 3.73 ERA and a .234 batting average against.  It was a scorching hot start with Reading in 2019 that opened plenty of eyes for the talented reliever.  He tallied a 2-0 record with a 1.02 ERA, a .073 batting average against and a 14.3 K/9 mark in 12 total relief appearances with the Fightin Phils.  His remarkable efforts against Eastern League competition earned him a promotion. With Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Leftwich, who was the Phillies' 7th round draft selection out of Wofford College in 2015, appeared to experience difficulties on the mound from the start.  In 16 total appear...

C. Randolph, image- Jay Floyd HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!  Get early access to articles like this, EXCLUSIVE interviews and more- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz Cornelius Randolph doesn't need prospect rankings, fans' attention or media buzz to do his job. The 22-year-old entered the season as part of a Reading Fightin' Phils' outfield that was made up of three different Phillies top draft picks.  Plenty of excitement, focus and photo opportunities came along with the start of the players' Double-A season. None of those things mattered to Randolph, who goes simply by the nickname "C". "Me, Haseley and Mickey, we just wanted to come out here and play, enjoy the game and have fun," said Randolph outside the visitors locker room in Trenton. Randolph was selected 10th overall in the 2015 draft while Mickey Moniak was the number one overall pick in 2016 and Adam ...

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'...

HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!  Get early access to articles like this, EXCLUSIVE interviews and bonus quotes from Kendall Simmons in the Patreon version of this piece- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz Simmons (center) w/ Bryson Stott (left) & Corbin Williams (right) The 26th of July stands out as a date that Kendall Simmons thinks he’ll remember for the rest of his playing career. It was on that day that his coaching staff offered some guidance that made a difference and helped the young infielder turn his season around. On that day, the talented 19-year-old was batting .169 with two home runs and nine RBI through 21 disappointing games with Class A short-season Williamsport. It was a funk that Simmons couldn’t shake until a reality check from a pair of former big leaguers allowed some things to start clicking for the second baseman/shortstop/third baseman. Crosscutters manager Pat Borders , a Worl...

Herbert Iser, image- MiLB.com Herbert Iser would have already taken strides toward becoming a citizen of the United States if it wasn't for the Phillies drafting him a couple of months ago. The talented backstop was hopeful to make progress in that regard, but signed his first professional contract after he was selected in the 23rd round in this year's amateur draft got in the way. "I was in the process, but being drafted and all that stuff, I couldn't make it to the appointment I had, so hopefully in the off-season, maybe, I'll be a dual citizen with Jamaica and America," Iser said in a recent phone interview. A Citizen of Jamaica, currently, Iser's family has a remarkable background.  Not wanting to live under a dictatorship, Iser's parents, Alfredo Iser and Maria Olivero, fled Cuba for more favorable conditions in Jamaica in 1996.  A year and a half later, Herbert was born, named after his father's employer, Jamaican Minister of ...

J.D. Hammer, image- Jay Floyd HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!  Get early access to articles like this, EXCLUSIVE interviews and more- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz An expressionless stare from the seated reliever began to wear a hole in the floor following J.D. Hammer ’s most recent outing for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Teammates did not speak to him. It was processing time. It was how he will improve. Hammer, one of the Phillies’ prospects that has taken the most strides this season, is back in the Triple-A International League after a recent trade to acquire pitcher Mike Morin left Hammer without a spot on the big league roster. In nearly two months with the Phils, Hammer appeared in 20 games. He posted a 1-0 record with a 3.79 ERA, a .217 batting average against while striking out 13 and walking 12 in 19 innings. The strike out rate and walk rate aren’t gleaming and will need to improve if Hammer is t...

Mickey Moniak, image- Jay Floyd HELP SUPPORT CONTENT LIKE THIS AND KEEP IT COMING ALL SEASON LONG BY BECOMING A PATRON!  Get early access to my posts and EXCLUSIVE interviews- https://www.patreon.com/phoulballz Mickey Moniak continues to be aware that the expectations of him are high, even three years after the Phillies made him the first overall selection in the MLB amateur draft.  Now, in the Double-A Eastern League, he's starting to show some considerable progress and may be proving some haters wrong. Following a difficult April that saw the lefty batting outfielder post a .195 average with two home runs and 11 RBI in 19 games, Moniak has come on strong, tallying a .295 batting average with two homers and 27 RBI through his next 55 games. Part of the recent success may be attributed to the spot where Moniak starts his hands in the batters box. "You go back to Lakewood and the GCL year and in high school, I kept my hands low.  You know, it worked in GCL...