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Brian Sweeney, image- Jay Floyd Last week I sat down with Lakewood pitching coach Brian Sweeney to chat about his Class A BlueClaws pitching staff. He talked about the progress of his hurlers, the improvements made by rising prospect Franklyn Kilome , Alberto Tirado changing roles and levels this season and plenty more. Read ahead for that full interview... -The starting rotation has had some good success lately. What are your thoughts on that? We’re on a good little roll right now. Guys are doing things right, attacking the zone with clean deliveries and confidence. They’re fun to watch and I’m glad to see them succeed. -Is there anyone on the staff you have noticed making the most progress since the season opened? Everybody’s made improvements and that’s really exciting. At the beginning of the year we had our struggles, so really any step forward was an improvement, but these guys are really embracing the process and I see good things especially from guy...

The 2016 season didn't start off the way righty pitcher Skylar Hunter had hoped it might. During spring training, it was announced that the 22-year-old had tested positive for an illegal drug and would miss the first 50 games of the season. Last year after the Phillies drafted Hunter in the 12th round out of the Citadel, Hunter posted a 3-3 record with a 3.38 ERA in 22 relief appearances for short-season A level Williamsport. This year, since being activated, he sports a 1-1 record with a 4.80 ERA in nine outings with Class A Lakewood. This week I spoke with Skylar about the suspension, his season to date, recent news related to police shootings and plenty more. Read ahead for that full interview. -With the disciplinary issues that you faced, can that be a big learning experience for you? It definitely is. You get the consequence of your actions and you get a life lesson. I feel like it made me stronger and I feel like I’m ready to go. -When that takes plac...

On Friday, Phillies director of player development Joe Jordan took time to chat with Phillies Nation's Jay Floyd about an array of topics out of minor league camp. Jordan, who is entering his fifth season in his role, spoke about recently reassigned prospects, top names and what to expect from them, some injuries and much more. Read ahead for the full interview. Carlos Tocci, image- Jay Floyd -I noticed that Carlos Tocci is playing with group 2, the team that will become the Double-A Fightins. It's common for players to play up a level during spring. Is there anyone that might take a notable jump to open the regular season ?   Well, I mean it's too early to read anything too much into the work groups. I mean, normally, you know, this spring training's no different than any other. You've got guys playing up a level. As we start getting guys back from big league camp you have guys start getting pushed. Really it won't be till that last week till y...

Much attention from the Phillies' third day of the 2015 first-year player draft was given to nepotism. With the team selecting relatives of its general manager, its television play-by-play man as well as the sons of two current minor league coaches, the coverage made sense. There were, however, other players worth highlighting. With their initial pick of Wednesday's final day of the draft, the Phillies selected 19-year-old catcher Edgar Cabral, a JuCo player out of Mt. San Antonio College in the 11th round. The righty batter posted a .331 average with five home runs and 32 RBI in 31 games this season, according to the Mt. SAC web site. The five-foot-11 205-pounder is said to show a lot of strength, which the Phils were high on. Righty pitcher Skylar Hunter was the Phils' 11th round choice. The 21-year-old was a closer for The Citadel, where he holds the team and conference saves records. As a junior this year, the six-foot-one 205-pounder tossed 53 innings with t...