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Zach Green, image- Jay Floyd In the Double-A Eastern League All-Star Game on Wednesday, four Reading players represented the Phillies in the contest played at Trenton's ARM & HAMMER Park.  Catcher Deivi Grullon, who won the EL's All-Star Home Run Derby on Tuesday, first baseman/third baseman Zach Green and outfielder Jan Hernandez were all in the starting lineup.  Grullon and Hernandez each homered while Green went 0-for-2. Relief pitcher Edgar Garcia was charged with three earned runs in 1/3 of an inning. The contest was tied at four runs apiece after nine innings, so to decide the game, each team selected one batter to face off in a hitting challenge.  In a two minute window, the players would accumulate points for balls in play or balls launched as home runs.  Green, representing the Eastern Division was bested by Pirates prospect Will Craig, the Western Division's representative, in the unique tie breaking overtime round.  In the Triple-A All...

Zach Green, image- Jay Floyd The Double-A Eastern League announced it's  All-Star rosters on Friday and they included four representatives from the Reading Fightin Phils. Corner infielder Zach Green, outfielder Jan Hernandez, catcher Deivi Grullon and relief pitcher Edgar Garcia have all been named to the Eastern Division roster.  The game is slated to take place at Trenton's ARM & HAMMER Park on Wednesday, July 11th at 7PM. Green, the Phillies' 3rd round draft pick in 2012 has had an outstanding offensive campaign this year. In 57 games the 24-year-old righty batter sports a .290 batting average with 15 homers and 46 RBI. Hernandez was the Phils' 3rd round draft pick in 2013.  In 63 games this season, the 23-year-old righty hitter has notched a .286 average with seven homers, 35 RBI and five stolen bases. Grullon, a 22-year-old Dominican backstop, has come into his own this year, displaying plenty of progress.  In 48 games, the right-handed ...

We're beyond the mid-season point for both full-season Class A teams and now would be as good a time as any to run down some of the top performers throughout the Phillies' minor league levels.  Class A Short-Season Williamsport Crosscutters-  Through four games, lefty hitting first baseman Edwin Rodriguez is batting .462 with two doubles and two RBI.  The 21-year-old Dominican spent the last two seasons playing in the Gulf Coast League. Outfielder Matt Vierling, who was the Phillies' 5th round draft selection out of Notre Dame this year, sports a .450 average with a triple, two RBI and two stolen bases through five contests.  The 21-year-old righty batter is a native of St. Louis.   Venezuelan born hurler Gustavo Armas had an outstanding start in his first appearance of the young season for the Cutters.  In seven innings of work he allowed no runs while striking out seven and walking none.  The righty, Armas, is 22-years-old. Class A ...

Zach Green, image- Jay Floyd Corner infielder Zach Green is healthy after missing parts of a few straight seasons with different injuries and is having a solid campaign for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils.  Through 48 games this year, the righty batter has notched a .276 average with 10 homers and 30 RBI. Last week I sat down with Green, the Phillies' 3rd round draft pick from 2012, about his efforts this year, being healthy, what he's been working on and more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -You look really comfortable out there this season.  That could come with being healthy, but I'm just going by your look out there in the box.  Talk about your comfort level out there and your experiences thus far in the Eastern League this year. Yeah, I mean I think comfortable can be a very relative term, but yeah, a hundred percent.  I feel like I'm having a good time out here, like you said healthy, being able to be on the field and work on things an...

Greg Legg, image- Jay Floyd Last week I spent time with manager of the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils, Greg Legg.  The skipper offered his thoughts on several players including corner infielder Zach Green, backstop Deivi Grullon, starting pitcher JoJo Romero, outfielder Cornelius Randolph and others.  Read ahead to check out the interview. -Zach Green's been consistent this year.  Showing a lot of power, when in previous seasons, due to injuries, maybe he didn't get to show it off that much.  Thoughts on him? I think just being healthy.  Getting to play steady and getting to play the field and not having to worry about "Do I have to go down?" He's just taking advantage of the opportunity to play every day and it's been fun for Zach.  Years ago, the talent was all there, but now he's getting to showcase it.  I think just him playing and being free of injuries is letting him be him and doing what he's done probably his whole life.  -Prior ...

As minor league teams have reached roughly a third of the way through the minor league season, here's a quick run down on some of the standouts at all four full-season levels of the Phillies system.   -Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs (28-20, 1st place in the International League North Division)... Cole Irvin with Reading last season, image- Jay Floyd Thus far in the 2018 campaign, the IronPigs' Cole Irvin leads all Phillies minor leaguers in innings pitched with 54.  Through nine starts, the 24-year-old has a 5-1 record with a 3.17 ERA and an 8.2 K/9 mark.  Irvin, a lefty, was the Phils' 5th round draft choice in 2016. His rotation mate Enyel De Los Santos has a 5-2 record with a 1.40 ERA and a .194 batting average against in nine starts.  The right-handed native of the Dominican Republic also sports a 9.8 K/9 mark.  De Los Santos was acquired from San Diego last off-season in a trade for Freddy Galvis. First baseman Joey Meneses has been incredible ...

Former Phillies first baseman Rico Brogna re-joined the Phils organization this year as a coach with the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils.  During his playing career, Brogna also took the field for the Mets, Red Sox, Braves and Tigers, the team that drafted him in the first round in 1988.  With the Phillies, he posted two 20-homer, 100-RBI seasons.  Now, he's trying to help develop the Phillies stars of the future. Recently, I talked with Brogna about some of his team's players, his time coaching and scouting elsewhere, his favorite teammate from his playing days and plenty more.  Read ahead for that full interview. -Malquin Canelo's been a catalyst through the first several weeks of the season for this lineup.  He's always had a lot of good tools., but in the past maybe he hasn't really stood out compared to other guys on teams he's been on.  Now, though, he's starting to stand out a bit.  What do you think of him? He absolutely is.  I th...

This week promising reliever Seranthony Dominguez was promoted to the big league roster, joining the Phillies bullpen just 10 days after earning a promotion to the Triple-A level.  The 23-year-old Dominican dominated the minors this year, posting a 2-2 record with a saves, a 1.62 ERA, a .143 batting average against and an 11.3 K/9 mark in 11 appearances.  Dominguez's bump up should be the first of a series of promotions throughout the Phillies minor league levels, as there are several others ready for greater challenges ahead. Damek Tomscha, image- Jay Floyd At the Double-A level, right-handed hitting corner infielder Damek Tomscha is wrecking the competition throughout the Eastern League.  In 26 games, the 26-year-old sports a .337 batting average, five homers and 17 RBI.  Additionally, the Phillies' 17th round draft selection from 2014 has notched five mult-hit games in his last eight contests. Another power bat from the Reading lineup, corner infielder...

Running down some numbers from a crop of Phillies players participating in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. Statistics listed are through games played on Saturday, November 11 th .   In the AFL, which wraps up at the end of this week, Phillies minor leaguers play on the Glendale Desert Dogs along with players from the Dodgers, Indians, Pirates and White Sox.  The team is managed by 2017 Clearwater Threshers skipper Shawn Williams.  Typcially, the Arizona Fall League features many prospects on the verge of the big leagues.  With close proximity to the majors, it's not far-fetched to think that it won't be long before some of these players aren't far from making an impact at BetOnline.ag Sportsbook .   Right-handed pitcher J.D. Hammer is having tremendous success in the AFL.  The six-foot-three 215-pounder has a 0.00 ERA and is holding opponents to a .081 average through nine appearances.  Hammer, 23, was acquired from the Rocki...

Zach Green, image- Jay Floyd Corner infielder Zach Green got a late start to his season this year after dealing with hip and elbow issues. Despite a late start and not posting the most ideal statistical production (.227 avg. at three levels), the 23-year-old feels his season was a success. He did lace 10 doubles and a triple while slamming nine homers and driving in 26 runs over his 57-game season, which isn't too shabby. Green, who was the Phillies' 3rd round draft choice in 2013, has long been viewed as a prospect that possesses plenty of power potential.  He has missed part of each of the past two seasons with injuries and simply may need luck on the health front in order to put together a bust-out season.  He is expected to play this autumn in the prominent Arizona Fall League. I spoke with the talented righty batter prior to the end of the minor league regular season about reaching the Double-A Eastern League, rivalries with other clubs and plenty more.  Re...

Photo courtesy of Cord Sandberg, pictured 3rd from right It’s all part of it! Are you wondering what that means? That’s okay. You’ll be in the know soon enough. It's a simple saying that has become a slogan for baseball players for life inside and outside of the game.  In a sport where its competitors are faced with an immense amount of failure while life presents similar outcomes at times, It's All Part of It has become an important adage for scores of players to lean on for reassurance and motivation. “Whatever happens, the bus breaks down (or) you break a bat- hey, that’s all part of it,” Phillies outfield prospect Cord Sandberg excitedly shared in the home dugout of Lakewood’s FirstEnergy Park recently. Seems like an insightful thought process. The motto has really caught on quite a bit and seems to be making an impression at multiple levels, in various organizations and even across continents. The phrase “It’s all part of it” or sometimes referred to a...

Elniery Garcia, image- Jay Floyd Class A Advanced Florida State League All-Star rosters were announced on Friday and among those honored were seven from the Phillies affiliate Clearwater Threshers. Pitchers Elniery Garcia , Alexis Rivero and Tom Eshelman will be part of the Northern division roster along with second baseman Scott Kingery , outfielder Carlos Tocci , catcher Chace Numata and 1B/3B Zach Green . Garcia, a lefty, has been excellent this year. The 21-year-old Dominican has a 4-2 record with a 2.08 ERA in eight games (seven starts) while striking out 40 and walking 14 in 47 2/3 innings. Rivero, the team's closer, has a 3-1 record with four saves, a 1.09 ERA and a 10.2 K/9 mark. The right-hander is 21-years-old. Eshelman, a righty, was acquired from Houston in the Kenny Giles trade, sports a 3-2 record with a 3.61 ERA and a 9.1 K/9 mark in nine starts. The 21-year-old was a 2nd round draft selection by the Astros last year. Kingery, the Phils' 2nd r...

Hollands, image- Jay Floyd Phillies left-hander Mario Hollands was in Philadelphia this week to have a follow up exam on his surgically repaired elbow and feedback was positive. Hollands, who was the Phils' 10th round draft selection in 2010 out of UC Santa Barbara, was sidelined last year during spring training, and soon underwent UCL reconstructive ( Tommy John ) surgery. Nine months out from surgery, the throwing arm is healing as well as can be expected, according to team doctor Michael Ciccotti . The team anticipates that Hollands will begin throwing off a mound by late January or early February. His time table for facing batters remains to be determined, but with a month of spring training action still six weeks away, Hollands will have plenty of time to get in game shape. Keep the 27-year-old in discussions for holding down a big league bullpen spot in the first half of the coming season. In 50 games as a big league rookie in 2014, Hollands posted a 2-2 record...

The dawn of a near year brings along with it our annual “Prospect Nation” rankings, which counts down the Phillies organization’s top 25 up and coming young players. Over the next several weeks, with the organization in rebuild mode, I’ll be bringing you reviews for each of the top developmental talents that appear to have the brightest futures for the Phillies. Always taken into consideration when compiling this list is age, minor league performance relative to levels played, value to the organization as well as future potential and proximity to the big leagues. These rankings do not include players over 25 years old or individuals that have spent lengthy stretches in the big leagues. For instance, a talented youngster such as Darnell Sweeney , who wrapped up the regular season on the Major League roster after having played in 37 games for the Phils last year, will not be on this list. Hurlers Alec Asher and Severino Gonzalez , who each made seven starts in the majors last s...

On Sunday, Phillies director of player development Joe Jordan took time to answer questions about many topics throughout the minors, including injured players Jonathan Pettibone , Roman Quinn , Zach Green and Aaron Brown . He also provided feedback on the rise of pitching prospects Aaron Nola and Franklyn Kilome , the return of 2012 top draft pick Shane Watson and the release of lefty pitcher Yoel Mecias . Read ahead for the full interview with Joe... Quinn, image- Jay Floyd -Outfielder Roman Quinn was having a great season in Double-A prior to missing time to due a hip tear. He's been named an Eastern League All-Star. Will he have to stay in Florida and continue rehabbing during the All-Star festivities? He's staying in Florida to continue his rehab. Very disappointing that it happened, 'cause he, I mean everything was coming together for Roman. He was starting to figure himself out as a player. But, you know, he's getting better. It's going to take a f...

Zach Green, image- Jay Floyd Third baseman Zach Green is one of the most promising offensive prospects the Phillies currently have at the lower levels. Upon signing his first pro contract, at 18 years old, he quickly showed his skills with the bat as he sported a .284 average with 13 doubles, a triple and three home runs for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies in 2012. Green had been committed to playing baseball at Oregon State prior to the MLB draft. With a body type that is prototypical of a corner infielder at six-foot-three 210 pounds, coaches and scouts speak highly of Green's raw power. The California resident represented the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game in 2013, winning the league's annual home run derby. With the Cutters, Green batted .252 with 20 doubles (tied for league lead), a triple, 13 homers (league leader) and 41 RBI. In 2014, Green missed roughly seven weeks for Class A Lakewood wit...

Zach Green, image- Jay Floyd Zach Green entered the 2014 season as one of the Phillies' fastest rising prospects. The swift ascension was halted though, as the 20-year-old third baseman had a difficult go of things early last year and was sidelined with a hip injury, playing hurt for much of the season. After being drafted in the 3rd round in 2012, the six-foot-three 210-pounder notched a .284 average with three homers and 21 RBI in 47 games for the rookie level Gulf Coast League Phillies. He followed up that season with an All-Star campaign in the Class A short-season New York-Penn League, posting a .252 average with a league-leading 13 home runs and 41 RBI in 74 games for Williamsport. This year the righty batting Green missed roughly seven weeks with the ailment that limited his range for the entire season. When the hip issue became too painful to play with in April, the California native was sporting a .219/.293/.260 slash line. After he returned to action in June...