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During the Double-A Reading Fightins' recent road series in Trenton, I sat down with the team's pitching coach Dave Lundquist to chat about his pitching staff. "Lundy", who pitched in the big leagues with the White Sox and the Padres, is in his eight season coaching in the Phillies' organization after spending three years in the Pirates' system. Lundquist spoke about his group of well-touted starting pitchers including specific comments on Zach Eflin , Jesse Biddle and recently promoted righty Aaron Nola . He also shared some thoughts on his bullpen hurlers and how a player like Tyler Knigge , who gets moved up and down between levels could be impacted by the movement, among other things. Read ahead for that full interview... Lively, image- Jay Floyd -We talked back in April about the group of five starters you entered the season with that included Tom Windle , Jesse Biddle, Zach Eflin and Ben Lively . Almost halfway into the season, what can you sh...

About a month ago, Phillies Nation featured a post with prospects Brian Pointer and Mark Leiter Jr. predicting the outcome of the entire WrestleMania 31 card. Now, as the biggest boxing match in history approaches, those two and others took time to offer their thoughts on Saturday night's huge title match between undefeated Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao with the unified welterweight championship on the line. Read ahead for comments from Pointer and Leiter as well as Phils relievers Justin De Fratus and Mario Hollands , Phillies backstop Cameron Rupp , pitching prospect Matt Imhof , Lehigh Valley righty hurler Tyler Knigge , top prospect J.P. Crawford, Clearwater third baseman Mitch Walding , Reading's speedy center fielder Roman Quinn along with former Phillies All-Star and current minor league coach Mickey Morandini . Pointer - Money Mayweather will win in a unanimous decision. Leiter - I'll take Pac-man. Turn it into a three-fight...

Tyler Knigge, Image- Jay Floyd Being one step away from the big leagues is a scenario that applies to many prospects. For Lehigh Valley reliever Tyler Knigge, what's ahead isn't as important as where he is right now. A solid outlook and firm understanding of the business have helped Knigge patiently develop his abilities in the minors. With a bit more time, he'll be able to reach the top level of the sport he has played for as long as he can recall. Since his promotion to the Triple-A level last month, the 25-year-old righty hurler has been one of the IronPigs' most reliable contributors, sporting a 1-1 record with a 3.66 ERA while striking out 17 and walking only one in 19 2/3 innings. As the set up man with Double-A Reading earlier this season, Knigge notched a 3-0 record with three saves and a 2.12 ERA in 17 contests, to earn a promotion. A deeper trust in his offerings has been the difference this season for the six-foot-four 215-pounder. Knigge, who was...

On the 65th edition of the show, Tug and Jay are joined by Impact Wrestling superstar Gunner to chat about his career and the upcoming BaseBrawl event at Lakewood's FirstEnergy Park later this month. The guys also talk about the progress of prospects such as Joey Gallo , J.P. Crawford , Tyler Knigge , Roman Quinn , Aaron Altherr and others. The Phillies' 2014 draft approach is also discussed. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

With the new year upon us, it’s time to kick off our annual countdown of the top 25 prospects in the Phillies organization. In the coming weeks, as a fresh season approaches, I will be unveiling player reviews for each of the top developmental talents that you, as Phillies fans, should be familiar with. Taken into consideration when reviewing these developing talents will be age, minor league performance relative to levels played, value to the organization as well as future potential and possible proximity to the big leagues. These rankings will not include players over 25 years of age or individuals that have spent lengthy and multiple stretches in the big leagues. Some very talented youngsters did not make the cut simply because other individuals ranked higher. Players that drew consideration included righty pitcher Mitch Gueller , lefty hurler Hoby Milner , and catcher Andrew Knapp . Gueller, the Phils' supplementary first round pick in 2012, has failed to crack the r...

On the 41st edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast Tug and Jay are joined by top Phillies Double-A pitching prospect Jesse Biddle who shares some thoughts on his 2013 season, his health concerns, growing up as a fan of the Phillies and loads more.  The guys also talk about Cesar Hernandez 's solid production, David Buchanan and Tyler Knigge 's service in the community and they try to predict the MLB most valuable player awards. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Jay and Tug and back with another edition of the PhoulBallz Podcast. On episode 38, righty pitching prospect Tyler Knigge phones in to chat about his progress in the minors, baseball cards and social networking.  The guys also chat about J.P. Crawford 's promotion to Lakewood, Ichiro Suzuki 's 4,000th hit achievement and Roy Halladay 's backtracking over comments he stated about the Phillies' managerial switch. Use the media player below to stream the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Dave Lundquist and Jesse Biddle, Image- Jay Floyd Over the weekend, I spoke with Double-A Reading Fightin Phillies pitching coach Dave Lundquist. A former big leaguer with the White Sox and Padres, "Lundy" has been coaching in the Phils system since 2008. The 40-year-old spoke openly about nearly his entire pitching staff including top prospect Jesse Biddle , David Buchanan , Mike Nesseth , Seth Rosin , Austin Wright as well as Brody Colvin . Read ahead for that full interview... - Jesse Biddle came out in Trenton over the weekend and had somewhat of a bounce back effort, following a pair of poor outings. He says it's not a good result unless he wins, but overall it's gotta be a positive step for him, right? Absolutely. If you look at his last two outings, two-thirds of an inning and then an inning and a third, to come out (on Friday) night and really to have the command, much, much better than he's had. The confidence level was much highe...

As minor leaguers break camp and three quarters of the teams head north to their full season destinations, I had the opportunity to speak with righty hurler Tyler Knigge . The Phils' 12th round draft selection in 2010, took big strides last year, as he posted a 4-1 record, nine saves and a 0.60 ERA in 34 outings for Class A Advanced Clearwater, en route to becoming a Florida State League All-Star.  The six-foot-three 225-pounder then earned a promotion to Double-A, where he tallied a 2.92 ERA with no decisions and two saves in 21 appearances for Reading.  Additionally, Knigge, who sports a fastball that is regularly clocked in the mid-90's, averaged 9.09 K/9 at the two levels.  He went on to pitcher with Peoria in the Arizona Fall League last year as well. This weekend, Tyler offered some quick thoughts on his preseason, his assignment to begin the regular season with Reading and more.  Read ahead to check out the interview. - How has your spring gon...

The PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast is back with episode number 19.  In this edition of the program, Jay and Tug discuss Phillies prospects Harold Martinez , Colby Shreve , Kenny Giles and Tyler Knigge .  In addition, the duo compares their excitement levels for opening day and WrestleMania.  The IronPigs' new urinal gaming system is discussed, as are local player Bill Rice and Phils' versatile youngster Freddy Galvis . Check out the media player below to hear the full episode, or simply download it by clicking HERE . You can also check out previous episodes and subscribe on iTunes .

Right-hander Tyler Knigge (pronounced kuh-NIG-ee) proved himself to be a fast rising pitching prospect last year, as he dominated with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers and later earned a promotion to Double-A Reading. Drafted in the 12th round of the 2010 draft out of Lewis-Clark State College, Knigge made his pro debut that year, pitching with the Gulf Coast League Phillies and the short-season Class A Williamsport Crosscutters, sporting a 0-4 record along with a 5.28 ERA in 11 outings (four starts). He would pitch in the Florida Instructional League that year as well. The following season, Knigge was a strong performer with Class A Lakewood, pitching exclusively out of the bullpen, where he looked tougher on opposing batters, tallying a 4-3 record, four saves and a 3.32 ERA. In an effort to increase his own stamina, Knigge lost approximately 15 pounds over the 2011-2012 off-season. With improved conditioning, Knigge was amazing with Clearwater last year, posting a 0...

Through 10 outings with the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, righty reliever Tyler Knigge has posted a 1-1 record with a 7.50 ERA, while striking out 10 batters and walking five over 12 innings. Knigge, a 12th round draft selection by the Phillies in 2010, took great strides during the regular season, as he tallied a 4-1 record, nine saves and a 0.60 ERA in 34 outings for Class A Advanced Clearwater, en route to becoming a Florida State League All-Star.  He then earned a promotion to Double A, where he tallied a 2.92 ERA with no decisions and two saves in 21 appearances.  Additionally, Knigge, who sports a fastball that has been clocked at 97 MPH, averaged 9.09 K/9 at the two levels this season. This week, Tyler offered his thoughts on his troublesome AFL stats, his close relationship with top Phils prospect Jesse Biddle , his intentions for the near future and plenty more.  Read ahead for that full interview. - Taking a look at your stats out ther...

Tuesday marks the beginning of another baseball season...the Arizona Fall League season.  This year, as the league celebrates its 20th anniversary, representatives from the Phillies organization will team with players from the Reds, Padres, Twins and Mariners to make up the Poeria Javelinas roster. Led by 2012 Double-A Reading Phillies manager Dusty Wathan , the club will feature seven Phils minor leaguers.  Righty relievers Kyle Simon, Tyler Knigge and Colby Shreve , who each manned a key bullpen role for the R-Phils into the playoffs this season, will solidify Peoria’s relief corp.  Left-hander Jay Johnson will also be serving as a reliever for the team.  Additionally, catcher Tommy Joseph , who was acquired by the Phillies in the Hunter Pence trade this year, will see considerable playing time.  Third baseman Cody Asche , who made an impact at two levels in 2012, his first full year of professional baseball, is also on the roster along wit...

Prior to tonight's game 2 of the Eastern League division series, I spoke with R-Phils manager Dusty Wathan about several subjects. Read ahead for Wathan's quotes... On who would be the starting pitcher for Reading, if the series reaches game 5- It'll probably be Mario Hollands . He's done a great job in the organization this year, bouncing all around. And, you know, we got him back from Lehigh Valley, put him on the roster. We'll probably use him out of the bullpen tonight, if we need him maybe. So, he's available out of the bullpen tonight, but if we go to a game 5, we'll use Hollands. On his confidence level in set-up man Tyler Knigge , who worked out of a jam in the 8th inning of game 1- It's huge. One thing he had to work on to get to this level was his slider. He has to continue to work on it, and he has. I thought he was throwing the ball well last night. It was a situation where they didn't hit the ball hard the first couple singl...

A trio of Reading Phillies launched solo home runs to power the club to a 4-2 victory in the opening game of the best-of-five Eastern League division series at FirstEnergy Stadium on Wednesday night. Trenton kicked off the scoring in the top of the 4th, when Reading starter Austin Hyatt allowed a two-run homer to left fielder Ramon Flores , who was promoted to Trenton this week after spending the season with Class A Advanced Tampa. Reading clapped back in the 5th inning when a lead-off homer by minor league veteran Jake Fox and a run scoring ground out by Jiwan James knotted the game at two runs apiece. The right-handed Hyatt, the Phillies' 15th round draft choice in 2009, went 6 2/3 innings and allowed just those two earned runs, while striking out four and walking two in the process. After Hyatt walked two batters in the 7th, righty reliever Tyler Knigge (pictured) took over, quickly inducing a double play grounder from Thunder first baseman Kevin Mahoney. The 23-year-o...

Right-handed relief pitching prospect Tyler Knigge is slowly adapting to the Double-A level after being promoted recently from Class A Advanced Clearwater. Following more than three months in the Florida State League, during which he became an All-Star while sporting a 4-1 record with nine saves and a 0.60 ERA, the 23-year-old Knigge has hit a rough stretch as a member of the Reading Phillies. In eight games since his promotion, the Lewis-Clark State College product has tallied a save and a 6.48 ERA. Knigge was the Phillies' 12th round selection in the 2010 amateur draft. Last year, in his first full season as a pro, the 6-foot-3-inch 225-pounder posted a 4-3 record with four saves and a 3.32 ERA in 43 outings. Recently, I spoke with Tyler, just prior to his difficult period, about the differences in his approach this season, his time with the big league Phillies during spring training, playing in Reading and plenty more. Check out the media player below to hear the full interv...

On Friday, two players that could potentially provide some help to the big league Phillies roster this season were in action with the organization's Gulf Coast League club, rehabbing their injuries. Right-handed reliever Justin De Fratus (elbow strain) and outfielder Domonic Brown (knee sprain) both looked good in their efforts down Florida. De Fratus, who threw a scoreless frame for the GCL Phils on Friday while striking out two and allowing no baserunners, says that everything feels good and that he is slated to pitch again on Monday with the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. De Fratus last pitched a scoreless inning on Tuesday, in his first official game action since April. At this stage, the 24-year-old is taking his progress on an appearance-by-appearance basis, as the Phillies plan to make sure each outing goes well, without any setbacks, before they make decisions on each subsequent appearance. Additionally, Brown went 2-for-5 on Friday with two doubles and an ...

On this week's brand new edition of the PhoulBallz Minor League Podcast, Tug and I talk about the excellent campaign Leandro Castro is having, and we provide injury updates on Kyrell Hudson , Tyson Gillies as well as Lisalverto Bonilla . Also, we have an update on Brian Gump 's conversion to pitching, the Twitter Game returns and I share some exclusive quotes from Tyler Knigge on his well-deserved promotion to Double-A Reading. Check out the media player below to hear the full show, or download it by clicking HERE . Additionally, click HERE to listen to previous episodes of the program. You can also subscribe on iTunes .

In place of our usual weekly minor league review where we glance at statistics of players that are on a roll or ones that are performing in the opposite manner, we'll let an inside man have a go at providing information on some Phillies prospects of importance. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to sit down with Gorman Heimueller, the Phillies' minor league pitching coordinator. Heimueller, who has been the Phils' minor league pitching coordinator since 2002, pitched 14 seasons as a pro, including parts of two with the Athletics. Prior to his current position, Heimueller was a pitching coach at the Double-A and Triple-A level for the Phillies. On Saturday, Heimueller offered his thoughts on several young hurlers in the organization's developmental system. Those quotes lie ahead. On Class A Lakewood RHP Colin Kleven , who is the team's lone South Atlantic League All-Star representative... "His career, the way he's come, from when we drafted him, he'...