Phuture Phils

First round of released players from this spring

2007-03-31T05:54:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Phanatic's Girl at philliesphans:

Bryan Hansen
Sam Orr
Dennis Diaz
Wilfredo Laureano
Tim Moss
Zac Cline
Cory Dueitt
Maximo De la Cruz
Matt Olson
Talley Haines
William Capps
Michael Deveaux
Curt Miaso
Evan Tartaglia
Tom Gornati
Jacob Dempsey
John Brownell
Robert Moron
Cody Montgomery
Mark Kelly
Lenin Gazo
Nick Hall
Alan Schoenberger

Retired:
Jeff Winchester

Minor League work groups, thanks to fans in Florida and Phanatic's Girl at philliesphans dot com

2007-03-23T03:44:00.000-07:00

I'm going to add my analysis as I did last year:

** = major league prospect
*** = top prospect
+ = new to organization

AAA:

Catchers
Jason Hill +
Tim Gradoville
Jason Jaramillo **

Infielders
Andrew Beattie +
Gary Burnham
Mike Costanzo **
Joey Hammond
Carlos Leon
Jesus Merchan
Tim Moss
Peeter ramos

Outfielders
Lou Collier
Ryan Fleming
Greg Jacobs +** (outside shot as a Chris Coste type)
Matt Padgett +
Chris Roberson ** (fading)
Jim Rushford
Pedro Swann

Pitchers
Matt Childers +
Jim Crowell
Allen Davis
John Ennis +
Jeff Farnsworth +
Talley Haines
Yoel Hernandez
Landon Jacobsen +
Chris Key
Brian Mazone ** (more of a AAAA guy)
Tim McClaskey
Justin Miller +
Bubba Nelson +
Heath Totten +
Charles Weatherby +
(Lots of new pitchers...)

AA:

Catchers
James(Tuffy) Gosewisch
Lou Marson **
Jeff Winchester +

Infielders
Welinson Baez **(fading)
Juan Francia +**
Bryan Hansen (released)
Brad Harman
Hector Made
Sam Orr (released)
Pete Shier +
Juan Tejeda +
John Urick

Outfielders
Brian Burgamy
Brenden Florence
Greg Golson ***
Victor Hall +
Gary Harris +
Jovan Moran +** (returnee)
Jeremy Slayden **(old for league last year)
Mike Spidale

Pitchers
Ron Hill
Cory Dueitt
Julio De la Cruz
Nick Evangelista
Anderson Garcia
Derek Griffith
Nate Johnson
Kyle Kendrick **
Matt Maloney **
Pat Overholt **
Zac Stott
Matt Sweeney
Cory Willey
Jason Wylie
Mike Zagurski **

High-A:

Catchers
Orlando Guevara
Trey Johnston
Joel Naughton

Infielders
William Capps +
Adrian Cardenas ***
Michael Deveaux
Jason Donald **
Michael Durant
Clay Harris **
CJ Henry **
Fidel Hernandez
Brad Key +
Cooper Osteen

Outfielders
Quintin Berry
Curt Miaso
Jay Miller
Evan Taraglia
Matt Thayer
Julian Williams

Pitchers
Justin Blaine
Dan Brauer **
Andrew Carpenter ***
Carlos Carrasco ***
Zac Cline
Garet Hill
Tom Gomati
Brett Harker **
Bill Kirk
Wilfredo Laureno
Max De la Cruz
Mike McTamney +
Josh Outman ***
Ben Pfinsgraff
Chris Raulinaitis
Will Savage

Low-A:

Catchers
Tim Kennelly
Matt Reed
Jesus Sanchez **

Infielders
PJ Antoniato
Alberto Cambero
Philip Cuevas
Herman Demmink
Dennis Diaz
Derrick Mitchell
Cody Montgomery
Robert Moron **
Zach Penprase
Charlie Yarbrough

Outfielders
Domonic Brown **
Jacob Dempsey
Darin McDonald
Ken Milner
Doug Morales
D'Arby Myers ***

Pitchers
John Brownell
Darren Bryd
Alex Concepcion
Andrew Cruse
Kyle Drabek ***
Michael Dubee
Jarrod Freeman
Edgar Garcia ***
Lenin Gazo
Nick Hall
Mark Kelly
Alex McEnaney
Moises Melendez
Carlos Monasterio
Jake Ociesa
Kevin Salmon

Short Season:

Catchers
Luis Arzeno
Brett Dalton
Francisco Murillo
Alan Robbins

Infielders
Freddy Galvis ***
Agustin Montanez
Jamie Morales
Ambiorix Rincon
Alan Schoenberger

Outfielders
Arion Quioz
Terrance Warren
Jermaine Willams

Pitchers
Heitor Correa
Sergio Escalona
Antonio Florentino
Yen Lin
Miguel Matos
Drew Naylor
Matt Olson
Carlos Pena
Mauricio Romero
Walter Tejeda
Antonio Bastardo
Sam Walls
Reymond Cruz(rehab)
Scott Mitchinson(rehab) **
Robert Roth(rehab)

SWB Roster

2006-04-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
44 Clay Condrey P R R 6' 3" 195 30 11-19-1975
22 Brian Sanches P R R 6' 0" 190 27 08-08-1978
19 Eude Brito P L L 5' 11" 160 27 08-19-1978
47 Yoel Hernandez P R R 6' 2" 170 25 04-15-1980
?? Seung Hak Lee P R R 6' 4" 225 26 06-02-1979
?? Allen Davis P L L 6' 4" 220 30 10-01-1975
36 Travis Minix P R R 6' 1" 199 28 08-08-1977
?? Jeremy Cummings P R R 6' 2" 215 29 11-07-1976
?? Ryan Cameron P R R 6' 1" 175 28 09-13-1977
?? Jim Crowell P R L 6' 4" 225 31 05-14-1974
?? Matt White P R L 6' 1" 180 28 08-19-1977

Catchers (click column headers to sort)
Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
18 Carlos Ruiz C R R 5' 10" 180 27 01-22-1979
?? Dusty Wathan C R R 6' 4" 215 32 08-22-1973

Infielders (click column headers to sort)
Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
10 Chris Coste 3B R R 6' 1" 200 33 02-04-1973
12 Danny Sandoval SS S R 5' 11" 190 26 04-07-1979
4 Juan Sosa IF R R 6' 1" 175 30 08-19-1975
?? Brennan King 3B R R 6' 3" 218 25 01-20-1981
?? Bobby Scales 3B S R 6' 0" 170 28 10-04-1977
?? Joe Thurston 2B L R 5' 11" 190 26 09-29-1979

Outfielders (click column headers to sort)
Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
16 Ryan Fleming LF L L 5' 9" 177 30 02-11-1976
?? Josh Kroeger RF L L 6' 3" 220 23 08-31-1982
?? Chris Roberson CF S R 6' 2" 175 26 08-23-1979
?? Shawn Garrett LF S R 6' 3" 220 27 11-02-1978

Reading Roster

2006-04-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

Name B-T HT WT Born Resides
44 Fahrner, Evan R-R 6-2 200 3/4/78 Bloomington, IL
34 Giese, Dan R-R 6-3 200 5/19/77 San Clemente, CA
18 Gonzalez, Gio R-L 5-11 185 9/19/85 Hialeah, FL
21 Haigwood, Dan S-L 6-2 200 11/11/83 Pleasant Plains, AR
35 Haines, Talley R-R 6-5 210 11/16/76 Jackson, MO
23 Langone, Steve R-R 6-2 193 1/12/78 Reading, MA
14 Lockwood, Luke L-L 6-3 170 7/21/81 Riverside, CA
30 Mathieson, Scott R-R 6-3 190 2/27/84 Aldergrove, BC
41 Mattioni, Nick R-R 6-3 195 3/14/79 Port St. Lucie, FL
29 Mazone, Brian L-L 6-4 200 7/26/76 Cardiff, CA
31 McClaskey, Tim R-R 5-10 170 1/11/76 Melbourne, FL
Shaffar, Ben S-R 6-3 201 9/28/77 Leitchfield, KY
CATCHERS
# Name B-T HT WT Born Resides
27 Gradoville, Tim R-R 6-3 195 1/30/80 Aurora, CO
20 Jaramillo, Jason S-R 6-0 200 10/9/82 Franksville, WI
INFIELDERS
# Name B-T HT WT Born Resides
6 Hammond, Joey R-R 6-1 189 10/27/77 Frederick, MD
19 Hansen, Bryan L-L 6-2 200 5/8/83 Coram, NY
8 Leon, Carlos S-R 5-10 160 8/31/79 Cabimas, VZ
13 Merchan, Jesus R-R 5-11 180 3/26/81 Maracay, VZ
25 Moss, Tim R-R 5-10 175 1/26/82 Lancaster, TX
17 Tugwell, Marc R-R 6-0 190 4/16/81 Springfield, VA
OUTFIELDERS
# Name B-T HT WT Born Resides
12 Bergeron, Peter L-R 6-0 190 11/9/77 St. Petersburg, FL
15 Bourn, Michael L-R 5-11 180 12/27/82 Humble, TX
16 Grindell, Nate R-R 6-1 180 4/9/77 Carrollton, TX
48 Rushford, Jim L-L 6-0 190 3/24/74 La Mesa, CA

Clearwater Roster

2006-04-03T18:08:00.000-07:00

No. Pitchers DL B T HT WT Residence
29 Andy Baldwin R R 6'5 215 Corvallis, OR
34 Jacob Barrack R R 5'10 160 Fallbrook, CA
54 Joe Bisenius R R 6'4 205 Sioux City, IA
DL Zach Cline L L 6'3 205 Union City, PA
45 Julio De La Cruz R R 6'1 170 Cotui, DR
17 Nick Evangelista R R 6'4 215 Shoemakersville, PA
28 Derek Griffith L L 6'6 210 Arab, AL
37 Cole Hamels L L 6'3 175 San Diego, CA
40 James Happ L L 6'6 220 Peru, IL
40 Chris Honsa R R 6'3 185 Chandler, AZ
13 Matt Parris R R 6'4 210 Ventura, CA
56 Brian Reed R R 6'1 210 Amory, MS
57 Zach Segovia R R 6'2 220 Forney, TX
62 Adam Shafer R R 6'5 250 Moscow Mills, MO
47 Matt Sweeney R R 6'2 185 Yardville, NJ

No. Catchers DL B T HT WT Residence
39 James Gosewisch R R 5'11 190 Scottsdale, AZ
23 Zach Norman R R 6'0 205 Napoleon, MO
46 Jeff Winchester R R 5'11 210 Metaire, LA

No. Infielders DL B T HT WT Residence
30 Avelino Asprilla R R 5'11 189 Panama City, Panama
24 Mike Costanzo L R 6'3 215 Glen Mills, PA
5 Mike Dzurilla R R 6'0 192 Bayside, NY
7 Brad Harman R R 6'1 175 Ferntree Gully, Australia
DL Terry Jones SW R 6'2 190 Upland, CA
DL Sam Orr L R 6'2 185 La Miranda, CA
2 Peeter Ramos R R 5'11 180 Caracas, VZ

No. Outfielders DL B T HT WT Residence
3 Brian Burgamy R SW 5'10 190 Lawton, OK
22 Brenden Florence R R 6'0 200 Boise, ID
27 J.J. Johnson R R 6'2 210 Appling, GA
12 Brian Sellier L R 6'0 200 Phoenix, AZ
11 Matt Thayer R L 5'10 173 Woodland Hills, CA

Lakewood Roster

2006-04-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
Kyle Kendrick P R R 6' 3" 185 21 08-26-1984
Maximino De La Cruz P R R 6' 1" 163 20 05-29-1985
Carlos Carrasco P R R 6' 3" 178 19 03-21-1987
Andrew Barb P R R 6' 3" 190 21 10-06-1984
Justin Blaine P L L 6' 4" 188 22 03-12-1984
Brett Harker P R R 6' 3" 185 21 07-09-1984
Ronald Hill P R R 6' 3" 225 23 11-29-1982
Matthew Maloney P L L 6' 4" 220 22 01-16-1984
Scott Mitchinson P R R 6' 3" 185 21 12-28-1984
Joshua Outman P L L 6' 1" 180 21 09-14-1984
Patrick Overholt P R R 6' 0" 190 22 02-08-1984
Michael Zagurski P L L 6' 0" 225 23 01-27-1983

Catchers (click column headers to sort)
Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
Aaron Cheesman C R R 5' 10" 195 24 09-25-1981
Timothy Kennelly C R R 6' 0" 180 19 12-05-1986
Lou Marson C R R 6' 1" 195 19 06-26-1986

Infielders (click column headers to sort)
Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
John Hardy SS R R 6' 1" 180 23 09-28-1982
Clay Harris 2B R R 6' 4" 220 23 08-25-1982
Welinson Baez 3B R R 6' 3" 190 21 07-07-1984
Fidel Hernandez SS R R 5' 11" 160 20 01-18-1986
Cooper Osteen 2B S R 5' 10" 170 23 11-10-1982

Outfielders (click column headers to sort)
Num Name Pos Bat Thw Ht Wt Age DOB
Ryan Frith OF R R 6' 2" 185 23 08-17-1982
Sean Gamble OF L L 6' 0" 195 22 06-23-1983
Gregory Golson OF R R 6' 0" 190 20 09-17-1985
Dennis Diaz OF R R 5' 9" 185 23 02-07-1983
Julian Williams OF R R 5' 11" 175 22 07-27-1983

Links to stats of minor league free agents signed this year

2006-03-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

Here are the 2006 minor league free agent signees in groups #1 and #2 who were not included on the NRI list I published below.

Links are to their stats on baseball cube.

Joey Hammond
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/H/joey-hammond.shtml
28 yr old 2B has been a good OBP guy with very little power during his minor league career with the O's. Hit for a bit of power last season in AA, but at the expense of some of his OBP. Looks like a younger version of Brian Hitchcox, though maybe not as good.

Brennan King
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/K/brennan-king.shtml
25 yr old 3B who was formerly a second round draft pick of the Dodgers. Has topped out at AA where he's an impatient .280 hitter with a little power. Played for KC lat year, who didn't resign him. Not as good as Travis Chapman, but better than Josh Phelps.

Evan Fahrner
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/F/evan-fahrner.shtml
Minor league middle reliever with good peripheral stats, 28 yrs old. Walks a few too many, but gets more than a K/IP. Previously topped out at AA, played for the D'Backs, Cubs, and A's.

Nick Mattioni (though I think I read about him this spring being local-from Reading)
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/nick-mattioni.shtml
Another minor league middle reliever who has decent peripheral stats, 27 yrs old. Gets a little less than a K/IP and walks too many. Topped out at AA prior to last year where he got a cup of AAA coffee. Played for the Mets and A's.

Tim McClaskey
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/tim-mcclaskey.shtml
30 yr old minor league starter who's never been successful beyond AA. Good control, gets about 7Ks/9IP, played for Florida, Seattle, Oakland, and Houston.

Ben Shaffar
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/S/ben-shaffar.shtml
29 yr old minor league middle reliever with decent peripheral stats. A little less than a K/IP (more recently), he's played for the Cubs and Pirates, mostly at AA. He's a little wild.

John VanDen Berg (although I heard about him this spring)
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/V/john-vanden-berg.shtml
26 yr old minor league catcher from the Milwaukee organization with good on-base skills but little power. Topped out at AA, OPS on a downward trend.

Peeter Ramos
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/R/peeter-ramos.shtml
24 yr old 2B from the Padres' organization has never succeeded beyond high A ball (had a cup of coffee in AA last year and didn't hit). No power or patience, all his value is in his BA.

Brian Burgamy
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/brian-burgamy.shtml
25 yr old 2B from the Padres' organization showed power for the first time since short-season ball in high-A last year.

Branden Florence
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/F/branden-florence.shtml
28 year old minor league OF who can hit a little--career minor league BA over .300 with an .840 OPS. Never played consistently above high-A ball, though. UDFA signed by the Giants, last season with Baltimore.

Jonathan (J.J.) Johnson (recently signed--I think I remember a post or two about him)
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/J/jj-johnson.shtml
24 yr old minor league OF from the Cubs organization, doesn't do anything real well with the stick. 6th round HS draftee so he probably has tools. Topped out at high-A.

Ben King
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/K/ben-king.shtml
25 yr old middle reliever signed out of the Northern League, was originally drafted by the Yankees. Good K numbers in Northern League last season, although he gave up quite a few runs.

Steve Langone
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/L/steve-langone.shtml
28 yr old middle reliever drafted by the Dodgers, spent last season with Boston. Good K numbers and good control. Topped out in AAA with the Dodgers, took a year off (injury?) then played high-A with Boston last year. He posted some seriously low ERAs for the Dodgers' farm teams in the early 2000's.

Brian Mazone
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/M/brian-mazone.shtml
30-year old minor league control pitcher who has bounced around from AA/AAA ball to the independent leagues. Mostly a starter, his K numbers have seriously declined over the last two years as his WHIPs have gone up.

Minor League ST Workout Lists

2006-03-24T06:48:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Laura (aka Phanatic's Girl at philliesphans.com) here are the Spring Training minor league "workout groups" as of March 23rd, 2006.

**=major league prospect (my analysis)
+=signed as minor league free agent

Group #1:
CATCHERS
Tim Gradoville
Jason Jaramillo**
Carlos Ruiz**

INFIELDERS
Ryan Barthelemy
Nate Grindell+
Joey Hammond+
Brennan King+
Bobby Scales+
Jose Sosa+
Joe Thurston+

OUTFIELDERS
Jake Blalock**
Peter Bergeron+
Michael Bourn**
Ryan Fleming+
Shawn Garrett+
Josh Kroeger+

PITCHERS
Ryan Cameron+
Clay Condrey+
Jeremy Cummings+
Allen Davis+
Evan Fahrner+
Dan Giese
Dan Haigwood**
Seung Lee
Nick Mattioni+
Tim McClaskey+
Travis Minix*+
Aaron Myette+
Brian Sanches+
Ben Shaffar+
Matt White+

Group #2:
CATCHERS
Zach Norman
Marc Tugwell**
John VanDen Berg+

INFIELDERS
Mike Costanzo**
Bryan Hansen
Brad Harman**
Carlos Leon
Jesus Marchan+
Tim Moss**
Peeter Ramos+

OUTFIELDERS
Brian Burgamy+
Brenden Florence+
Greg Golson**
Jeff Inglin+
Jonathan Johnson+
BJ Littleton+
Brian Sellier+

PITCHERS
Gio Gonzalez**
JA Happ**
Ben King+
Steve Langone+
Scott Mathieson**
Brian Mazone+
Matt Parris+
Zach Segovia**
Adam Shafer+
Matt Squires**
Matt Sweeney
CJ Woodrow**

Group #3:
CATCHERS
Aaron Cheesman**
Jose Cortez
James Gosewich
Mike Lombardi

INFIELDERS
Avelino Asprilla+
Omar Bramasco
Mike Dzurilla+
Anton Gray+
John Hardy
Terry Jones(DL)
Sam Orr

OUTFIELDERS
Sean Gamble
Chris Klemm
Timi Moni
Ryan Frith**
Julian Williams**

PITCHERS
Andy Baldwin**
Jacob Barrack
Joe Bisenius
Clary Carlsen
Zach Cline
Julio De La Cruz**
Cory Dueitt
Derek Griffith**
Brett Harker
Ronald Hill
Chris Honsa
Nate Johnson
Kyle Kendrick**
Matt Maloney**
Pat Overholt**

Group #4:
CATCHERS
Derek Brant
Orlando Guevara
Louis Marson**

INFIELDERS
PJ Antoniato
Welinson Baez**
Clay Harris
Fidel Hernandez
Greg Issacson
Cooper Osteen

OUTFIELDERS
Dennis Diaz**
Joe Frazee
Doug Morales
Robert Moron
Jeremy Slayden
Jordan Szabo

PITCHERS
Erick Arteaga
Andy Barb**
Justin Blaine
Carlos Carrasco**
Tom Cochran
Max De La Cruz**
Tyler Gooch
Peter Henyan
Mark Kelly
Bill Kirk
Scott Mitchinson**
Joshua Outman**
Aaron Rawl
Kevin Shepard
Clayton Stewart
Michael Zagurski

Group #5:
CATCHERS
Tim Kennelly** (formerly a 3B)
Joel Naughton

INFIELDERS
John Blanton
Alberto Cambero
Phillip Cuevas
Brett Dalton
Michael Durant**
Matt Edwards
Mitchell Graham**
Derrick Mitchell
Agustin Montanez

OUTFIELDERS
Steve Alexander
Tim Auty
Curt Miaso**
Enmanuel Osorio
Thomas Paterson
Jermaine Williams**

PITCHERS
Juan Alvarez
Antonio Bastardo
Darren Byrd
Alexander Concepcion
Reymond Cruz
Edgar Garcia**
Lenin Gazo**
Yen Lin
Matt Linder
Alex McEnaney
Jose Mejias
Drew Naylor
Matt Olson
Carlos Pena
Gimar Pereira
Nick Regan
Walter Tejeda

Comments:

• Tim Kennelley, a guy who many of us liked from his performance at GCL last year, seems to have changed positions, moving from 3B to catcher.
• Jorge Padilla is nowhere to be found
• I'm surprised Mitchinson isn't with a higher group
• I'm surprised that Kendrick isn't with a higher group--I think this year is Kendrick's final "put up or shut up" chance.
• The free agent signings in group 3 (Asprilla and Gray) seem to indicate the Phils aren't too thrilled about the Lakewood/Clearwater infielders

Current top prospects list--posted without comment for now

2006-01-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

Updated List as of January 2006:

1. Bourn
2. Victorino (sorry, I just really like the guy)
3. Hamels
4. Gio Gonzalez
5. Jaramillo
6. Costanzo
7. Mathieson
8. Dan Haigwood
9. Josh Kroeger
10. Floyd
11. CRuiz
12. Roberson
13. Baez
14. Golson
15. Marson
16. Harman
17. Happ
18. Garcia

July 2005 list for reference:

1. Ryan Howard, 1B, SWB, 25
2. Michael Bourn, CF, Reading, 22
3. Cole Hamels, LHSP, CLW, 21
4. Gavin Floyd, RHSP, SWB, 22
5. Greg Golson, OF, Lakewood, 19
6. Louis Marson, C, Batavia, 18
7. Scott Mathieson, RHSP, CLW, 21
8. Jason Jaramillo, C, Lakewood, 22
9. Edgar Garcia, RHSP, GCL, 17
10. Carlos Carrasco, RHSP, Batavia, 18
11. Jake Blalock, LF, CLW, 21
12. Pedro Liriano, RHSP, SWB, 24
13. Chris Roberson, CF, Reading, 25
14. Scott Mitchinson, RHSP, Batavia, 20
15. Tim Moss, 2B, CLW, 23
16. J.A. Happ, LHSP, Lakewood, 22
17. Shane Victorino, CF, SWB, 24
18. Derek Griffith, LHSP, Lakewood, 23
19. Brad Harman, 2B, Lakewood, 19
20. Yoel Hernandez, RHRP, SWB, 23
21. Carlos Ruiz, C, SWB, 25
22. Mike Costanzo, 3B, Batavia, 21
23. Samuel Orr, SS/3B, Lakewood, 21
24. Danny Sandoval, SS, SWB, 25
25. Ryan Frith, OF, Lakewood, 22
26. Marc Tugwell, C/3B, CLW, 23
27. Randy Ruiz, 1B/OF, Reading, 27
28. Keith Bucktrot, RHSP, Reading, 24
29. Eude Brito, LHP, SWB, 26
30. Francisco Butto, RHRP, Reading, 22
31. Jacob Barrack, RHRP, Lakewood, 22

Phillies 2006 Non-Roster Invitees

2006-01-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

Phils 2006 NRIs with Details: (My comments below the stats in italics)

• Peter Bergeron, OF - Former major league outfielder Bergeron spent most of last year with double-A Bowie, where he hit .296 with five home runs and 33 RBI in 91 games, primarily playing center field. He also played in 10 games for Nashua of the independent Atlantic League (.341, 6 RBI). Bergeron, 28, last appeared in the major leagues in 2004 with the Expos.

Former highly regarded prospect with some speed and the ability to play CF. Could be a candidate for 5th OF in case of an injury or trade. Don't know where he fits in AAA with Roberson/Bourn needing CF time.

• Ryan Cameron, RHP - With double-A Reading in 2005, Cameron went 6-5 with 19 saves and a 2.55 ERA in 58 games. The 28-year-old struck out 99 batters in 88.1 innings (10.01 SO/9.0 IP), held opponents to a .216 batting average and only once all season did he allow more than two earned runs in an appearance.

Long time minor leaguer with high Ks and low H/IP closed for the first time with Reading last season. Probably slated for AAA

• Clay Condrey, RHP - 2006 will be Condrey's second spring training with the Phillies. He spent the 2005 season with triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he went 7-8 with a 4.15 ERA in 25 games (24 starts). Condrey, 30, spent four days in the major leagues with the Phillies, but did not appear in any games. He has a career major league record of 2-4 with a 5.49 ERA in 18 games (nine starts), all with San Diego (2002-03).

Condrey is a career minor leaguer probably here for depth at AAA. From a performance standpoint (don't know that he isn't a great clubhouse guy) he's the kind of player who I wish we didn'thave in the organization--I'd rather take a chance on a younger guy with better peripheral numbers.

• Chris Coste, 3B - After coming to the Phillies' spring training camp in 2005, the 32-year-old Coste spent last season with triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He hit .292 with 20 home runs and 89 RBI. His RBI total was third-best in the International League and tied for third-most in club history. Coste led the team in games (134), at-bats (506), home runs and RBI.

Career minor leaguer who probably could have played in the bigs in some role 4-5 years ago, but never really got the chance. Think Gene Schall. He'll help SWB and could contribute if an injury arises.

• Jeremy Cummings, RHP - Cummings, 29, split the 2005 season between double-A Springfield (5-3, 4.50 ERA) and triple-A Memphis (7-1, 2.77 ERA) in the Cardinals' organization. His combined numbers were 12-4 with a 3.76 ERA in 26 games (18 starts), allowing only 105 hits in 122.0 innings.

A very interesting signing, a relatively young arm who posted great numbers in AAA last year. His peripheral stats are solid but not spectacular. Could provide major-league starting pitching depth and almost surely will help SWB.

• Shawn Garrett, OF - As an outfielder/first baseman with triple-A Sacramento in 2005, Garrett hit .295 with 27 doubles, 17 home runs and 82 RBI in 131 games.

AA/AAA vet who doesn't hit with quite enough power or draw quite enough walks for a corner OF job in the majors.

• Gio Gonzalez, LHP - Acquired as the player to be named later from the White Sox in the Jim Thome trade, Gonzalez split last season between single-A Kannapolis and single-A Winston-Salem. The 20-year-old went a combined 13-6 with a 2.82 ERA in 24 starts. He allowed only 97 hits in 131.0 innings and struck out 163. He averaged 11.19 strikeouts per 9.0 innings. Gonzalez was originally selected by Chicago as a sandwich pick between the 1st and 2nd rounds of the 2004 draft (38th, overall).

A significant part of the Thome trade, slight LH has great K numbers and could be a mid-season call-up to the pen or rotation if he stays healthy. Only 19, so he probably is at least 2 years away unless he posts Hamels-like numbers

• Tim Gradoville, C - 2006 will be Gradoville's second straight spring invitation to major league camp. Gradoville, 25, split last season between double-A Reading and triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, appearing in games for both clubs in one day on May 24.

Good glove, no hit catcher to help in ST.

• Cole Hamels, LHP - Limited to only six starts in 2005 due to injuries, Hamels went a combined 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA for single-A Clearwater and double-A Reading. The 22-year-old was shut down after a July 19 start with back spasms.

One of the best LH in the minors if healthy. Could help the big club sometime this season if he can control his behavior and remain injury-free. Personally, I think his wide variety of injuries, especially with the latest being a back problem, have short-circuited his career.

• Jason Jaramillo, C - After being drafted by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the 2004 draft, this will be Jaramillo's first invitation to major league camp. The 23-year-old switch-hitter appeared in 119 games for single-A Lakewood in 2005 and hit .304 with 28 doubles, eight home runs and 63 RBI.

Catching depth this year in ST, but if he can continue to hit, he'll make the majors before the end of 2007. Moves well behind the plate and handles pitchers well.

• Aquilino Lopez, RHP - Lopez, 30, pitched for five different teams in 2005, including the Phillies. In 11 major league appearances - 10 with the Phillies - Lopez went 0-1 with a 2.16 ERA. He struck out 22 batters in 16.2 innings (11.88 SO/9.0 IP). Lifetime in the big leagues, Lopez is 2-5 with 14 saves and a 3.72 ERA in 101 games.

Slightly built RHP has great stuff but occasionally struggles with his control. Should be in the mix for a bullpen role, but off-season lack of comments from Manuel and Gillick have me thinking they don't like him for some reason, which means he'll be in AAA.

• Travis Minix, RHP - Minix shuttled between double-A Reading and triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre throughout the 2005 season. He combined to go 2-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 53 games. In 76.1 innings, Minix, 28, allowed only 53 hits and only five home runs. In his final 14 appearances with Reading, he compiled a 0.43 ERA (1 ER, 21.0 IP).

Career minor league reliever posted mind-boggling WHIPs last year. Could surprise people and compete for a bullpen spot.

• Aaron Myette, RHP - Myette pitched in three games for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of the Pacific League in Japan, where he went 0-0 with a 20.77 ERA.

Phils liked him when they had him for half a season 2 years ago in SWB. Was injured last year, so it remains to be seen if he can bounce back.

• Brian Sanches, RHP - As a reliever with triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2005, Sanches went 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 51 games (two starts). The 27-year-old held left-handed hitters to a .212 average. Sanches was originally acquired in a trade with San Diego on April 1, 2004.

Career minor leaguer who pitched well in relief for the Barons last season. Probably not a contender for a big-league spot.

• Bobby Scales, INF - With triple-A Portland last year, Scales hit .274 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI in 120 games, playing second base, third base and left field. A switch-hitter, Scales, 28, was originally drafted by San Diego in 1999.

The latest incarnation of David Doster or Kevin Sefcik. Ticketed for AAA.

• Joe Thurston, INF - Thurston, 26, split last season between two triple-A teams, Las Vegas and Columbus. He hit a combined .272 with eight home runs and 42 RBI. At the major league level, Thurston has appeared in 37 games, all with the Dodgers. He is a career .275 hitter in the majors.

See above.

• Dusty Wathan, C - A veteran of 12 professional seasons, Wathan has spent the last three seasons in the Cleveland organization, hitting .262 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI for triple-A Buffalo in 2005. The son of former Royals catcher John Wathan, Dusty played three games with Kansas City in 2003, going 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Minor league back-up catcher has played well in AAA for the last three years. Don't think he has any shot at a big legue job.

• Matt White, LHP - White, 28, went 8-6 with a 3.72 ERA in 35 games (16 starts) for triple-A New Orleans of the Nationals' organization. He finished the season with 15 consecutive starts. As a reliever, White struck out 33 batters in 29.1 innings (10.13 SO/9.0 IP). He made one start in August for Washington at the major league level and lost, allowing four runs in four innings.

Lefty had a nice year in hitter-friendly N.O., and southpaws are always in the mix for major-league LOOGY jobs. Probably headed to AAA.

Blurbs from mlb.com, stats from Baseball Cube

Top 30 Prospects List (List only, as of June 30th)

2005-08-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

I'm starting this thread with my list (requested by a couple of people in PMs) and I'll add write-ups to each player as time permits, at least those in the top ten. I've omitted minor league vets over 27 from the list (players like Chris Coste), I've omitted players with season-ending injuries (Keil Fisher, Terry Jones, Nate Cabrerra), and I've made the decision to include Ryan Howard and Gavin Floyd who have played some in the bigs already this year.

I tend to base evaluations primarily on performance in pro ball, secondarily on performance in major college ball (if relevant), and additionally on scouting reports and first-hand observations (drafting position and signing bonus is part of the scouting-type information). First year players such as Edgar Garcia and Michael Costanzo are therefore somewhat discounted with respect to Baseball America's ratings, which are heavily scouting-oriented.

Note: Andrew Woolley, the talented baseball photographer, was kind enough to offer me the use of his remarkable images, some of which are included in the individual write-ups below (those with the black frame are Woolley's).

(Format=name, position, team, age) (Ages are as of April 1, 2005)

1. Ryan Howard, 1B, SWB, 25
2. Michael Bourn, CF, Reading, 22
3. Cole Hamels, LHSP, CLW, 21
4. Gavin Floyd, RHSP, SWB, 22
5. Greg Golson, OF, Lakewood, 19
6. Louis Marson, C, Batavia, 18
7. Scott Mathieson, RHSP, CLW, 21
8. Jason Jaramillo, C, Lakewood, 22
9. Edgar Garcia, RHSP, GCL, 17
10. Carlos Carrasco, RHSP, Batavia, 18
11. Jake Blalock, LF, CLW, 21
12. Pedro Liriano, RHSP, SWB, 24
13. Chris Roberson, CF, Reading, 25
14. Scott Mitchinson, RHSP, Batavia, 20
15. Tim Moss, 2B, CLW, 23
16. J.A. Happ, LHSP, Lakewood, 22
17. Shane Victorino, CF, SWB, 24
18. Derek Griffith, LHSP, Lakewood, 23
19. Brad Harman, 2B, Lakewood, 19
20. Yoel Hernandez, RHRP, SWB, 23
21. Carlos Ruiz, C, SWB, 25
22. Mike Costanzo, 3B, Batavia, 21
23. Samuel Orr, SS/3B, Lakewood, 21
24. Danny Sandoval, SS, SWB, 25
25. Ryan Frith, OF, Lakewood, 22
26. Marc Tugwell, C/3B, CLW, 23
27. Randy Ruiz, 1B/OF, Reading, 27
28. Keith Bucktrot, RHSP, Reading, 24
29. Eude Brito, LHP, SWB, 26
30. Francisco Butto, RHRP, Reading, 22
31. Jacob Barrack, RHRP, Lakewood, 22

Also receiving consideration (in no particular order): Franklin Perez, Brian Sanches, Kevin Hodge, Erick Burke, Nathan Johnson, Andrew Baldwin, Maximino De La Cruz, Welinson Baez, Lenin Gazo, Kelvin Pichardo, Tim Kennelly, Curt Miaso, Julian Williams, Jermaine Williams, Michael Durant, Alberto Cambero

Credits for quotes and pictures: Comcast website, New York Times website, Reading Phillies website (Ralph Trout's photos are great!), cnn.com, mlb.com, Randy Miller's wonderful "Down on the Pharm column, philliesfanpage.com, espn.com, JE's excellent philliesdraftreport.com

Prospect #1--Ryan Howard

2005-07-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

1. Ryan Howard, 1B, SWB, 25
How acquired: Draft 2001, Rd. 5
Percentage chance of playing in the majors in the future: 100%
Ceiling and chances of reaching it: Major League Allstar, 40%
Career Minor League OPS: .901
6/30 Minor league OPS: 1.166
Comparable major Leaguers: Paul Konerko, Mo Vaughn, Charlie M: Willie Stargell
Image(s):

My comments: There's not much to say about Ryan Howard that posters here don't know already. He is a large but fairly agile first baseman with prodigious power to all fields, a very high strikeout rate, decent patience, deceptive basepath speed, and a remarkably high batting average on balls in play. Howard has never had trouble moving up levels in the minors, which bodes well for his transition to the big leagues. He's made adjustments to the pitching at each level quickly, and changed his game a bit as he advanced (he's much more selective now than last year, for instance, and he hits breaking balls better than he did in Reading and CLW). SWB manager Gene Lamont: "I've managed in the minor leagues a long time, and Ryan is the best power hitter I've ever had. There have been times this season when the expectations were such that he'd hit a home run every time he came up." Arbuckle on Howard being blocked in AAA: "I know this is tough for the player, but it's good for the club. I wish we had the same situation at four other positions. It's comforting to know Ryan is sitting here. If you move a guy like him, you have to get a lot back. You probably want to send him to the other league so you don't face him all the time. And you probably want to get a player with a similar ceiling at a similar age, not a rent-a-player or a guy two years from free agency. There aren't many guys in that category." Howard on his goals and mentality: "For me, it's all about getting up there. I want an opportunity. If it's with the Phillies, that's great. If not, that's O.K., too. I am just trying to stay the course and not get distracted. Someday, I think I'll look back on this as a time of patience."

Prospect #2--Michael Bourn

2005-07-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

2. Michael Bourn, CF, Reading, 22
How acquired: Draft 2003, Rd. 4
Percentage chance of playing in the majors in the future: 80%
Ceiling and chances of reaching it: Major League Allstar, 25%
Career Minor League OPS: .855 (.426 OBP)
6/30 Minor league OPS: .751 (.367 OBP)
Comparable major Leaguers: Juan Pierre, Brett Butler
Image(s)(Andrew Woolley pic used by permission (others below the same)):

My comments: Bourn is playing well in Reading after skipping a level--his power and eye seem to be returning in June after a couple of months of adjusting (his stolen base percentage, which has been low for him, has also improved recently). He's a prototypical leadoff hitter, with good speed, a good eye, and occasional gap power. He uses his speed well in the outfield, and has a better than average major league arm. If he finishes the year with an OBP around .380 he's almost a lock to be in Phily by 2007. Bourn on the jump to AA: "I have seen a difference in the pitching, but I think it’s more me than the pitching. I gave the pitchers too much credit in the beginning, but after you see the pitching for a while it’s like I know I can play here. That’s how you have to approach it. The big difference is probably in the fastball. Here, the fastball moves more. They know how to sink it and locate it. You just have to make adjustments. I have to do that here if I want to get to the big leagues.” Reading hitting coach Hal Morris on Bourn's makeup: “One of his greatest assets in his makeup. He has such a strong personality and a great presence about himself that the organization felt that if he did struggle up here he’d be able to withstand those challenges and compete. He’s a joy to work with. He comes out and works hard each day and does the extra work. He loves taking extra bunting. He throws well during infield practice, he has attention to detail, he takes the job very seriously, and at the same time he mingles well with the veteran players and he’s very personable in the clubhouse.”

Prospect #3--Cole Hamels

2005-07-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

3. Cole Hamels, LHSP, CLW, 21
How acquired: Draft 2002, Rd. 1 (17 overall)
Percentage chance of playing in the majors in the future: 100% if healthy, all things considered 50%
Ceiling and chances of reaching it: Ace Rotation Anchor, 35%
Career Minor League ERA: 1.31; K/9: 13.15
6/30 Minor league ERA: 0.00; K/9: 10.64
Comparable major Leaguers: Ron Guidry, Sandy Koufax (go ahead, rip me), tgo: Randy Jones (with more velocity)
Image(s):

My comments: Hamels has the highest ceiling of any pitcher currently in the minors, but, of course, there are serious injury concerns. He throws a fastball that touches 96 and sits in the low 90s, a great change, and a curve (although his velocity is reportedly down a little right now, which is OK by me--let's stay within the body's physical limits). He's a bulldog competitor on the field, but, as most of you know, he has had some maturity issues off the field, possibly going back to his high-school arm injury. Will Kimmey of Baseball America on Hamels' Strengths: "His best pitch might be his plus-plus changeup, which was neck-and-neck with Ryan Madson’s as the best in the organization and possibly the minors. Hamels displays exceptional control of his changeup at such a young age, and it really fades away from hitters. Hamels shows a very businesslike mentality on the mound, with no great highs or lows. He’s a great athlete, allowing him to repeat his delivery with ease, hold runners and field his position well." Gordon Heimuller, Phils roving pitching coordinator on Hamels' 2005 debut: “You don’t know how nice it was to see. Cole was having fun out there and looking like the guy I saw a year and a half ago. I wouldn’t call it midseason form, but it was pretty good.” Arbuckle on the chances Hamels will go to Reading: “If Cole is dominating the league, I don’t want him sitting there bored. But let’s see what he does first.”

Prospect #4--Gavin Floyd

2005-07-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

4. Gavin Floyd, RHSP, SWB, 22
How acquired: Draft 2001, Rd. 1 (4th overall)
Percentage chance of playing in the majors in the future: ~100%
Ceiling and chances of reaching it: Mid-rotation starter, 60%
Career Minor League ERA: 2.94; K/9: 7.28
6/30 Minor league ERA: 6.40; K/9: 6.68
Comparable major Leaguers: Don Robinson, Jim Lonborg, Brad Penny
Image(s):

My comments: Floyd is a bit over-hyped, in my opinion--he's good, but his minor league K-rates have never been close to one per inning, and his fastball is very hittable if it's not well-located. His best pitch is his outstanding curve, he's poised on the mound, and he appears to be pretty durable for a young pitcher. This year's struggles are not unusual for a pitcher his age, and his reaction to them will provide a nice window into his competitive makeup. Arbuckle on Floyd's struggles: "The problem is his delivery. He can’t get himself straightened out. We’re trying to get him back on course. Until he gets his delivery straightened out, he’s going to have trouble throwing strikes. He’s thoroughly confused right now." Floyd on his struggles: "I'm thinking way too much out there. I was struggling a little bit and I tried to play around with my mechanics and do some things with my delivery, instead of just letting my natural ability take its course. Now I'm working to let things just happen and not try to force them." John Sickles on Floyd's strengths: "Physically, Floyd is close to being a perfect pitching prospect. He is tall and lanky, but not too thin. He has both a strong upper body and strong legs. His fastball can hit 95 mph, and is a consistent 92-93 mph offering, with movement. His curveball is one of the best breaking pitches in the minor leagues, and he can throw it for strikes. His changeup was mediocre when he first signed with the Phillies, but he has worked hard to improve it, and it is now at least an average pitch. Floyd's command is very impressive for a pitcher his age, and he is poised and confident on the mound. His biggest problems are his over-reliance on the curveball and occasional mechanical inconsistency, which sometimes hurts his command."

Prospect #5--Greg Golson

2005-07-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

5. Greg Golson, OF, Lakewood, 19
How acquired: Draft 2004, Rd. 1 (21 overall)
Percentage chance of playing in the majors in the future: 50%
Ceiling and chances of reaching it: Major League Allstar, 25%
Career Minor League OPS: .755
6/30 Minor league OPS: .744
Comparable major Leaguers: too soon to tell...maybe Andruw Jones if he reaches potential, or Jesse Barfield, Larry Rojas: Frank Robinson
Image(s):

My comments: Phils are very excited about Golson, they think he's a potential all-star power/speed combo, but he's a long way away from the big leagues right now. He's held his own at a very young age in the GCL and now in the Sally League while making significant changes in his swing, and anyone watching him can see he's a special athlete. Next year he needs to post some numbers to validate his high prospect status. Marti Wolever, Phils scouting director, on what they saw in Golson: "His skills and tools are better than many of the players selected ahead of him. He is a top-of-the-scale runner and his makeup is outstanding. He has a chance to be a productive Major League offensive center fielder. We had as much interest in Greg as anyone else that went in the first round. We knew he had a legitimate chance to get to us and he was really high on our list. We love his tools and his athleticism, and are happy to have him. We spent a lot of time with him. We've seen him play about every game. I would say he's at least four years away (from the Majors). You never know. Some (high school) guys are quicker. Vernon Wells was pretty quick. That's where the makeup comes in to play because he has such solid makeup he's going to find a way to achieve and be what he should be... He brings a lot to the party--Nothing ever gets in his way."

Prospect #6--Lou Marson

2005-07-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

6. Louis Marson, C, Batavia, 18
How acquired: Draft 2004, Rd. 4
Percentage chance of playing in the majors in the future: 40%
Ceiling and chances of reaching it: Major League Allstar, 25%
Career Minor League OPS: .722 (GCL only)
6/30 Minor league OPS: .744
Comparable major Leaguers: too soon to tell...maybe Elston Howard if he reaches potential? Or Benito Santiago? tgo: Johnny Bench
Image(s):

My comments: Marson is hard to project from objective standards, but when I was in spring training talking to coaches, they all were extremely excited about his potential--you could tell it more in the manner in which they said things, rather than what they said. He's already a good defensive catcher with a very strong arm, and is hitting more balls hard than anyone else at Batavia early in the season. Steve Noworyta, Phils director of minor league operations, on watching Marson inthe GCL: "He's fun to watch play. It will be fun to watch him grow older and mature." Arbuckle, on Marson vs. Jaramillo: "Marson may have the better ceiling of the two--the ball really jumps off his bat. He's a good-looking kid who can catch and throw, and he's going to have plus-power."

Prospect #7--Scott Mathieson

2005-07-26T10:50:00.000-07:00

How acquired: Draft 2002, Rd. 17
Percentage chance of playing in the majors in the future: 30%
Ceiling and chances of reaching it: #2 starter or closer, 25%
Career Minor League ERA: 4.61; K/9: 7.79
6/30 Minor league ERA: 3.99; K/9: 9.03
Comparable Major Leaguers: John Smoltz, Don Drysdale, Jason Schmidt
Image(s):

(Image courtesy of Dave Schofield, Lakewood team photographer)

My comments:

Prospect #8--Jason Jaramillo

2005-07-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

8. Jason Jaramillo, C, Lakewood, 22

Prospect #9--Edgar Garcia

2005-07-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

Prospect #10--Carlos Carrasco

2005-07-26T10:20:00.000-07:00

Prospect #13--Chris Roberson

2005-07-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Prospect #27--Randy Ruiz

2005-07-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Kyle Kendrick

2005-07-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

Kyle has been Batavia's most effective starter this year, which is an encouraging sign from a pitcher who has been a disappointment over the last two seasons. Kendrick, who has been compared by Mike Arbuckle to Jason Schmidt, features a low 90s fastball and a solid slider along with a change-up. He's still only 20 years old (which is younger than the majority of players in the NYPL) so his first two sub-par years have not put him in the dreaded too-old-for-league category. (Andrew Woolley photo used by permission--Andrew posts at philliesphans.com under the name Dick Allen HoF)

Carlos Carrasco

2005-07-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a spring training picture of Carlos Carrasco who put in time at Lakewood, Batavia, and now is playing for the GCL Phils (although he has yet to appear--perhaps throwing lots of side sessions to recapture his form). He has a beautiful motion; smooth, long-striding, seemingly effortless. His poor results this year were very surprising to me--I think he really struggled with location in the strikezone, and I've heard he lost some velocity with respect to last season. Still, at his age there's plenty of room for hope. I'd like to see him get a really dominating outing or two in for the GCL team before the end of the year.

Julian Wiliams

2005-07-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

Julian Wiliams is a speedy centerfielder with a cannon for an arm, the kind of "toolsy" athlete that scouts think may be able to develop some baseball skills. He didn't seem to have great bat speed when I saw him in Oneonta, but very few of the Muckdogs actually hit the ball hard at all in those games. Williams played some in the GCL last year, and is struggling so far in the NYPL season with the bat. He looked very good in CF defensively, getting good breaks on balls, hitting the cut-off man, and using his exceptional speed to cover lots of ground.

Lou Marson

2005-07-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here's Lou Marson, the 19-year-old catcher who most consider the top prospect at Batavia this year. Marson projects to hit with power, and seems to have good strike-zone judgement. His glovework behind the plate is good, but in the series in Oneonta, he was not throwing the ball well (most scouting reports say he has an excellent arm, so I assume he was sore then). Marson is now the youngest person on the Batavia team, with Carlos Carrasco sent down to GCL.

Mike Costanzo

2005-07-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Phils second round draft pick (the first pick they made) Mike Costanzo in Oneonta, waiting for the lights to come back on after one of two power failures during the three game series against the Tigers. Costanzo seems to have picked up his hitting a bit lately, but is still under the Mendoza line in the NYPL as I post this. Costanzo plays every second of every game at 100%, and will need to employ that intense effort in the offseason learning how to adjust to the wood bat. Costanzo's glovework is not pretty, but he gets the job done, and his arm is strong but not yet reliable.

June 2004 prospects (List Only)

2004-06-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here's my current list with stats, age (official baseball age, which is age on April 1st), my comments, and some quotes if available. I'm excluding players who have not played at all this year (Fisher, Richardson--who's still on rehab, Segovia, Terry Jones), and guys with significant ML time like Utley. I'm also not considering 2004 signees like Golson and Happ.

1. Hamels
2. Floyd
3. Blalock
4. Howard
5. Machado
6. Bourn
7. Roberson
8. E. Ramirez
9. Mathieson
10. Bucktrot
11. D. Gonzalez
12. J. Padilla
13. Simon
14. Moran
15. C. Rodriguez
16. Cabrera
17. Wilson
18. Cortez
19. F. Perez
20. Y. Hernandez
21. Butto
22. Hancock
23. Geise
24. Tugwell
25. Barthelemy
26. S. Lee
27. Parcus
28. Kubes
29. Tejeda
30. Trent Pratt
31. Gradoville
32. Gwaltney

Sources: Philly Inquirer, Randy Miller's Down on the Pharm, Baseball Cube, Baseball America, Asbury Park Press, SWB Times-Leader, Reading Eagle, mlb website, reading phillies website

2004 Prospects List (Details)

2004-06-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

1. Cole Hamels, LHSP, CLW, Age 20

Acquired in the first round (pick #17 overall) of the 2002 draft.

Evaluation: Hamels sparkled in spring training, but apparently overthrew versus the Yankees and has been suffering from elbow soreness since. His performance is so dominant that one can overlook injuries to a certain extent, but one more major injury (he was also hurt last year, and broke his arm somewhat famously in HS) puts his future in jeopardy, and would force his downgrade as a prospect. Throws 95 mph heat, good curve, tremendous change-up.

Stats: Note: Stat formats float off the edge of the blog--sorry!

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Arbuckle after his first start this year--"Cole just walked in like he hadn't missed a beat," said Arbuckle, who took a very cautious approach with Hamels after the 21-year-old experienced mild elbow soreness in early April. "If does that over the long haul, then we've got to think of [moving him to Reading]," Arbuckle said.

Gordon Heimuller's (Minor league pitching coordinator) 2003 scouting report--"Cole signed late last year, then went to [Florida] Instructional League and came up a little tender, so we started him out in extended spring training. We decided to let him dictate where he'd go, and he's been good enough that now we need to challenge him a little bit. His last few starts have been very good. He's got a real good fastball that's 91, 92 [mph], a very, very good change and a very good curve. And he's a good kid who's receptive to teaching. We're trying to change his delivery a little bit, and he's been great about it."

Buddy Biancalana (Lakewood manager) in 2003--"Cole would win some games in the big leagues right now," said BlueClaws manager Buddy Biancalana, who played six seasons with the Kansas City Royals and the Houston Astros. "I'm not saying he belongs in the big leagues, but he'd win some games there in my opinion."

Arbuckle again--"He's not a kid you look at and say, 'Well, we've got to change this and change that,' " he said. "With him, he just needs innings and experience. As long as we can just keep him on the same channel he's on and give him those innings, he'll be fine. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's kind of the way he is. There's not a lot there we need to alter. It's just a matter of the innings and continuing to develop command and things like that."

2. Gavin Floyd, RHSP, Reading, Age 21

Acquired in the first round (#4 pick overall) of the 2001 draft (below is his HS picture).

Evaluation: Floyd is apparently healthy this year, and pitching effectively in Reading (though without much run support from his otherwise potent teammates). He's reportedly still working on spotting his fastball and throwing his nearly unhittable curveball for strikes. In my opinion he projects as a #2/#3 starter because his K-rate is not what you'd like for a #1 starter, but he's still a stud prospect, clearly in the top 50 in all the minor leagues. Throws 92-94 mph fastball, curve, developing change-up.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Arbuckle and heimuller in 2003, on Floyd's early struggles--"Gavin was trying to copy Millwood and slowed down too much," Arbuckle said. With a slower delivery, Floyd was 1-3 with a 5.19 ERA over his first five starts. Since, Floyd is 5-2 with a 1.71 over nine outings. He's allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last six games and now is second in the league in strikeouts (77) and fifth in ERA. "We shortened his stride a little bit, and now Gavin is coming over his head with his arms to get a little more rhythm," minor-league pitching coordinator Gorman Heimueller said. "He's made a lot of improvements. He's throwing more curveballs for strikes, too."

Rotoworld on Floyd last year--"Floyd, the fourth overall pick in the 2001 draft, came in at No. 17 in the preseason Top 100 Prospects and will move up further in the midseason update coming next week. After a slow start to his season, the 20-year-old right-hander is back putting up outstanding numbers, posting a 2.56 ERA for Single-A Clearwater. He's given up 91 hits and five homers and has an 89/35 K/BB ratio in 102 innings.

Floyd is rather similar to Brett Myers , who has emerged as a quality starter for the Phillies this season. Like Myers, his fastball can be fired anywhere in the 90-95 mph range and he has a curve and a decent change. Myers has the slightly better fastball and superior control. However, Floyd's curve pretty much negates that advantage. It's one of the best breaking pitches found anywhere in the minors, maybe the best.

He's capable of forcing his way to the majors, much like Dontrelle Willis has."

Arbuckle on Floyd's track to the big leagues this year--"I think Gavin can go from Double-A to the big leagues as easily he could go from Triple-A to the big leagues," Arbuckle said. "Hitters need to see those experienced Triple-A pitchers who can change speeds and locate. But if a pitcher is changing speeds and locating in Double-A, I think he can do it in Triple-A or against big-league hitters." Even after Friday's outing, Floyd has good numbers, allowing 26 hits in 33 innings while fanning 26 and walking 13. "Gavin has just continued what we saw from him in spring training, which was very good," Arbuckle said. "He came to camp a lot stronger and is more mature all around."

3. Jake Blalock, Corner OF, Lakewood, Age 21

Acquired in the fifth round (#174 pick overall) of the 2002 draft

Evaluation: After crushing the ball in minor-league spring training, Jake (Hank's brother, of course) is fashioning a break-out year for a player who had shown decent power but little else in short-season ball. As of this writing Blalock has posted a .920 OPS in one of the most difficult offensive parks in all of minor league baseball. His defensive play in LF is improved--he's tall, deceptively fast once he's underway, and has a strong arm. Rates ahead of Ryan Howard due to age-appropriate acomplishment--he's almost two years younger for his level than Howard is.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Arbuckle--"Jake certainly has a chance to be a good, big-league power hitter," Arbuckle said. "The strength is there. You see it in batting practice when he hits balls as far as anybody." A high school teammate of Hamels in suburban San Diego, Blalock was a fifth-round pick the same year (2002) due to his size (6-4, 215) and tremendous power potential. But over his first two pro seasons, he was slow to develop and hit just six homers in 97 games. This season, he equaled that in 40 games. "Jake's still learning how to hit," Arbuckle said, referring to Blalock's 39 whiffs in 139 at-bats. "When he stays on the ball, he can hit balls as far as anybody. It's a learning process with a young hitter." Arbuckle doubts Blalock will move up to Clearwater at any point this season. "I think Jake needs a year in that league," he said.

4. Ryan Howard, 1B (not OF!--yet), Reading, Age 24

Acquired in the fifth round (#140 overall) of the 2001 draft.

Evaluation: Howard is having the type of minor league season that's very hard to evaluate--posting historic numbers, but in a hitter's park at a year above the normal age-level limit for a prospect. The photo above shows him in his new Charlie-Manuel-inspired/Jim-Thome-like stance, which seems to have resulted in fewer K's and better production. Howard is a fit, well-conditioned athlete who probably could move to the OF if pushed by the Phils, but now appears blocked at first base by #25 in Philly and a reluctance to experiment by the organization. He's showing better strike-zone control and plate discipling lately, especially versus breaking pitches, and very few of his homeruns travel less than about 400 feet, so the small dimensions in Reading don't play too much of a role in his HR production.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Arbuckle on the Howard/Thome dilemma--I think something like this has to play out,” Arbuckle said. “It can be a tough situation for a player, but it can be a very positive situation for the club. And I don’t think you’re a good, competitive organization until you start developing these types of situations.”

Arbuckle also is not alone in the organization in his assessment that the 6-4, 230-pound Howard is best suited for first base.

“No, we haven’t talked about him playing somewhere else because I think his skills lend themselves to first base,” he said. “If we had openings in the outfield I’d say we’d be more apt to try it. I look at our club and we’ve got (Pat) Burrell in left and (Bobby) Abreu in right, so I don’t know that we enhance his big-league opportunity by moving him.”

Greg Legg (Reading Manager)--“He’s probably the best power-hitting prospect that I’ve ever got to manage,” said Reading manager Greg Legg. “This park can’t hold him. Now he’s close to hitting .300, and that makes it even spookier.

“He’s getting much more quality at-bats (lately). He’s been laying off some breaking balls down, and he’s actually hit some breaking balls out of the park lately. He’s coming on as a hitter, and the biggest thing that I’ve seen is that the league adjusted to him early there for a stretch, and now he’s adjusted back to the league. Hitting at the higher levels is about adjustments, and he’s doing it.”

5. Anderson Machado, SS, Reading, Age 23

Aquired as an undrafted free agent (international--Venezuela)

Evaluation: In the time he's been with the Phils, the only question about Machado was whether he could produce offensively since he's been considered a spectacular defender from the time he was signed. He had a nice season in Reading in 2002, but regressed when plagued with family troubles in 2003. Now, in SWB, as a 23-year-old, he's posting his best offensive numbers yet, despite still being asked to switch-hit by the Phils and having very poor results right handed. Again, though, he's blocked by a productive major leaguer in Philly. Imagine if Rollins were not on the team how much hype his +800 OPS season would be generating. I think he's been around so long people are underrating him. One of the best bunters in all of baseball and a great base-stealer, his production this year has been slowed by an appendectomy in March.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Arbuckle this spring--"Defensively, he can make major league plays," Arbuckle said. "He just needs to be more patient at the plate."

Arbuckle last spring--"Machado had a good season last year at Reading (.251, 12 HR, 77 RBIs, 28 errors), but we’re keeping him there because we want him to adjust his swing," Arbuckle said. "He hits too many fly balls. He’s not going to be a home run guy. He’s an excellent defensive player who has a chance to be a well-above average, major-league shortstop. He can really run and does a lot of things well."

Arbuckle again last spring--Machado is a natural righthanded hitter, but he feels more comfortable from the left side. In fact, last year he tried to give up switch-hitting and bat lefthanded only. The organization wouldn't let him.

"I think it's an advantage for him to switch-hit," Arbuckle said. "Whenever a player struggles, there's a temptation to make a drastic change. But you've got to look long-range. Sometimes we can do that better than the player. Maybe down the line we'd make a change, but now [switch-hitting] is worth sticking with."

While Machado says he needs to improve his hitting from the right side of the plate, Arbuckle would like to see more consistency lefthanded.

"His swing can get a little loopy from the left side," Arbuckle said. "He lifts too many balls. He's got just enough power to hit some home runs in [Reading's] park, but when he gets into bigger parks, they'll be routine fly balls.

"We want the arc of his bat moving downward. We want him to hit the ball on the ground and use his legs. His 60-yard dash time is 6.5 seconds, so he can fly."

Minor league director of operations Steve Noworyta--"He's a big-league defensive player," Noworyta said. "And he's starting to hit. His stroke is noticeably shorter from both sides of the plate. I saw him three games and he was hitting bullets everywhere. He looks like he's having a lot of fun out there," Noworyta said. "It's good to see."

Finally, Bowa--"He's got all the tools - athleticism, instincts, speed, arm - to be a big-leaguer," said Phils manager Larry Bowa, who watched Machado closely in spring training. "He just needs consistency making routine plays."

6. Michael Bourn, CF, Lakewood, Age 21

Acquired in the 4th round (#144 overall) of the 2003 draft (Cape Cod League photo below)

Evaluation: Bourne is still relatively young for low A ball, is posting a +.400 OBP, is slugging way higher than expected, and at one time (prior to hamstring woes) was stealing bases at an almost historic clip. Most teams would have Bourn in high A ball by now, and he seems to be a weaker defender than Moran, but those are small nits to pick about a very promising prospect. He's the very definition of a leadoff hitter. Good bunter, nice left-handed slapping-type swing.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes (Bourn and Moran are invariably referred to together--that's a mistake, I think...):

Arbuckle on Bourn and Moran's speed--Arbuckle says that Bourn and Moran have been rotating at CF and are getting used to all 3 OF spots to possibly land a job as a 4th outfielder in the majors, and he says that "it would be fun to watch those kids in a 60-yard dash"

Arbuckle--"I like both Bourn and Moran. We see the speed, the potential with the bat and both can really play center."

Arbuckle on Bourn, Moran, and Moss pre-season--"We're going to run like heck in Lakewood," Arbuckle said. "Legs are a huge tool for all three guys. We want it to be part of the learning process from Day 1 - taking the extra base, stealing. We want that mentality all the way through the system for these guys.

Bill Dancy (minor league coordinator) regarding Bourn, Moss, and Moran--"There's going to be some rabbits (in Lakewood), guys who can do some damage on the basepaths," Dancy said.

Arbuckle again--"Time will tell whether [Bourn has] an inclination to hit leadoff, to take pitches, have a feel for that part of it," said Mike Arbuckle.

JE game report--"Watching these two bat back-to-back, it's pretty easy to compare the two hitting styles. Bourn definately has a plan when he goes to the plate. He seems much more than willing to make the pitcher work and doesn't seem afraid to take a strike or two. Extremely patient hitter, he clearly favors hitting the ball to the opposite field and using his speed. In one particularly impressive at-bat against a tough side-arming lefty, Bourn hung in tough and drilled a double to left center. Moran, on the other hand, is much more aggressive and lacks Bourn's patience. I couldn't help to think of Doug Glanville when I saw Moran bat. He's stronger than Bourn and drove the ball better. He seems to be the better athlete and defensive player of the two, but Bourn's better acceptance of the fact that his job is to get on base whichever way he can, I think, will allow him to make a more lasting impact as a leadoff hitter at the major league level. I have no doubt that Moran can play in the major leagues on his defense alone. One thing for sure, it is really fun to watch these two guys run, especially when their both on base."

7. Chris Roberson, CF, CLW, Age 24

Acquired in the 9th round (#260 overall) in the 2001 draft

Evaluation: Chris has been progressing a level at a time (love those aggressive Philly promotion policies) since being drafted out of Feather River JC in 2001, posting good OBP's and stealing lots of bases (59 last year). This year he has begun to hit with some power, and has put together an impressive streak in May an June, hitting .355, posting a 25-game hitting streak, and slugging .550 over the two months (in the big FSL parks). He was also named MVP of the FSL all-star game. At age 24 (almost 25) he needs to be promoted to AA soon. Arbuckle has said he needs to work on his defense and fielding n CLW, but seems akin to Arbuckle's quote saying Machado needs to show more patience.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Arbuckle on his play this year--"He's really taken off," Arbuckle said. "He's making better contact and driving the ball. And he's a double-plus runner."

Arbuckle again-"He's made great strides making contact," assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle said. "He's right on everything."

Arbuckle on the Phils reasons for drafting him--"He was one of those guys we like to take a stab at," Arbuckle said of Roberson. "He hadn't played a ton of baseball. He was slow to come around at first, but we assumed that would be the case when we signed him. Since the second half of last year, he's really begun to put it together."

Noworyta about being old for the FSL--"He's fine in that league," Noworyta said. "He's at the age in that league where you need to be moving in the right direction and making progress. There's no doubt he's doing that."

8. Elizardo ("Easy") Ramirez, RHSP, CLW (now Reading), Age 21

Acquired as an undrafted free agent (international--Dominican)

Evaluation: An unbelievably dominant pitcher at the lower levels despite his rail-thin frame, posting one of the best K/BB ratios ever in the minor leagues in GCL 2 years ago (73/2). Throws a fastball in the low 90's, a slider, a curve, and a change, and can obviously throw all of them for strikes. Has a smooth motion and knows what he's doing on the mound. He got his baptism of fire this June spending three weeks in the big leagues while injured Philly pitchers recovered. His success will depend on mastering a real "out" pitch (his curve is the best candidate), adding velocity, or becoming the next Greg Maddux.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Chuck Hixon (web author)--"Ramirez can do the basics, with a fastball in the low 90s and the usual movement that scouts look for on the pitch. His bread and butter pitch is the curveball. Ramirez would make some major league hitters look very foolish with his curve and it’s even getting better. While his curve ball has been getting better and better, many around the Phillies believe that he’ll gain more velocity over time. The Phillies have also been working slowly on getting Ramirez to throw a change-up that they think he’ll need to keep higher level hitters honest. "

Mike Schmidt, CLW manager--"He's around the plate and has great command."

Arbuckle last spring--"He's wiry-strong," Arbuckle said. "He pitches at 90 m.p.h. and hits 92-93 with his fastball. He's got a good curve and change-up and throws all three for strikes at any count. He's got great poise. He's very advanced for a young kid, more advanced than the typical 21-year-old we get out of college."

Ramirez went 7-1 with a 1.10 earned run average in his 11 starts with the Gulf Coast Phils last summer. He struck out 73 and walked just two in 73 1/3 innings. He came over here and put up ungodly numbers in the Gulf Coast League. This spring, he has continued on that path. I'm usually reluctant to skip kids over levels. He had to show me this spring, and he has."

9. Scott Mathieson, RHSP, Lakewood, Age 20

Acquired in the 17th round (#509 overall) of the 2002 draft

Evaluation: The two best things about Scott Mathieson are 1) he throws 96 mph and 2) he's young. He's still inconsistent due to his age and his relative lack of experience, and he still needs work on his secondary pitches. Has posted about a 2:1 K:BB ratio and about a K per IP this year. Reports indicate he's a very nice young man who works hard and listens to direction.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Langley Blaze Coach Jason Andrew (courtesy of JE's philliesdraftreport.com)--"I know that in a year this kid will put on some pounds and velocity and will be only better, as some players seem to level out he will not. He is by far the hardest worker and most athletic kid I have coached. Many compare him to Ryan Dempster or Aaron Myette (both from this area) who I have coached against but Scott has more mound presence and potential as far as I see. He has the same slider as Jeff Zimmerman who is a local and has worked out in the winter with our pitchers. We are of course biased but see good things for Scott. He also is one of the leagues better hitters and recently hit two home runs in a game with one at least 420. He often DH's and plays a little first base."

BBA this spring--"94 mph fastball with room for added velocity, mechanics as smooth as any in the organization, showed up in spring with added strength, will start in Lakewood"

Gordon Heimuller last fall--"What I like about this kid is he's picked up 2-to-3 mph over a year, and his delivery is smoother," Heimueller said. "In Canada, you don't get the innings that California [high school pitchers] get, so he's still really raw. But, boy, if you'd have seen him a year ago."

Arbuckle last fall--"He's been sitting between 92 and 94 and his 'pitchability' is getting better. I'm always hesitant to throw out big-league names, but they [Kendrick and Mathieson] remind me of (San Francisco Giants' All-Star) Jason Schmidt. Because when we took Jason Schimdt when I was with Atlanta, he was a northwest kid, but you had a great body, good delivery, all the ingredients that you said, 'If this comes together, this kid will be pretty good.' "

Mathieson on a start in Lakewood coming off the DL--"It feels the best when I throw," Mathieson said. "(Missing time) was just frustrating. I always want to be out there on the mound, but they said it was just some bone spurs that would probably dissolve and they wanted to be cautious."

10. Keith Bucktrot, RHSP, Reading, Age 23

Acquired in the 3rd round (#85 overall) of the 2000 draft

Evaluation: Bucktrot throws pretty hard (94-5 mph fastball), but doesn't really have an out pitch, which keeps his K-rate down. He's reportedly very competitive, and he authored a no-hitter and a 1-hitter in Lakewood in 2001. Bucktrot has had trouble with command and with repeating his secondary pitches. Chosen as an FSL all-star in 2002 and fired 2 scoreless innings--also reportedly offered to Pittsburgh in an effort to acquire Jeff Supan last year.

Stats:

Career:

2004:

Quotes:

Arbuckle last May--"I feel real good with what Keith has done," Arbuckle said. "He's repeating his delivery, which has helped his command and control. Stuff has never been an issue with him. He's a young power pitcher who has been slow to put together."

Arbuckle last July--"We obviously like him," Arbuckle said. "We always thought he was a pretty solid prospect. It's kind of like I told somebody about Ryan Madson: 'A few years ago, we would have been raving about Ryan Madson.' But it's just the depth of the pitching that we have in the system now, and the ceiling that a couple of these guys have, that other guys get shoved to the side a little bit. In reality, they have some pretty good ceilings themselves. But we think we have a few guys that have a chance to be really special. But we've got some other guys like Bucktrot, kids that have a chance to be quality big-league pitchers."

Reading pitching coach Rod Nichols last year--"His delivery has changed," Nichols said. "It's awesome. It's slowed down. He understands it more. Whatever work they've been doing in Clearwater, it's been awesome. He's coming here with confidence and with that drive, as far as getting to the big leagues. That is his top priority. He's starting to smell it a little bit. He's been watching Gavin Floyd and Cole Hamels and Elizardo Ramirez. He's watching them. He doesn't want to be passed up."

June 2003 Prospects Llist (brief comments)

2003-06-15T19:51:00.000-07:00

(I've excluded the following players due to ML service: Junge, Telemaco, and Smith)

1. Utley, SWB, 2B--you've got to give a guy who is producing at AAA the edge over the younger, higher ceiling guys IMHO.
2. Hamels, Lakewood, LHP--dominating low A ball much more than Floyd ever did last year--health is the only question.
3. Floyd, CLW, RHP--not quite the strikeout numbers most of us expected, he's still searching for his lost curve ball.
4. Howard, CLW, 1B--very consistent first half, but, given his age, I'd like to see him repeat the performance at Reading this summer.
5. Madson, SWB, RHP--always seems to keep the team in the game, at this point he appears healthy enough
6. Buchholz, Reading, RHP--would be higher without the recent injury concern, but his most recent start is VERY encouraging
7. Machado, Reading, SS--still posting a great OBP for a SS
8.. Chapman, SWB, 3B--still very consistent offensively and a plus defensive 3B at AAA--rates higher than the next few guys due to level.
9. Butto, Lakewood, RHP--a bit older than a great prospect should be in low A, but he is getting everybody out, and improving lately.
10. Richardson, Reading, 3B--HR power is outstanding, but he's old for the league and not showing much else

11. Jones, Lakewood, 3B--I admit I'm intrigued by the month-long 1.000 OPS streak
12. Gonzalez, CLW, SS--improved consistency in the field (excepting 2 games last week) and a decent bat
13. McRoberts, Lakewood, LF/C--power in streaks--hits like Dave Kingman
14. Lee, Reading, RHP--I'm afraid he'll top out as a AAAA guy
15. Padilla, Reading, RF--good arm, solid top of the order guy who's always injured
16. Ramirez, CLW, RHP--young for the league, but not nearly as effective as hoped--he has the highest ERA of all the CLW starters--he has suffered from being left in the game 1 inning too long on quite a few occasions, though

Honorable mention:
SWB--Kubes, Geary, JPerez, Giese, Wedell
Reading--Hitchcox, Sitzman, Brooks, Carter, Glen
CLW--Bucktrot, Dawson, Astacio, Phelps
Lakewood--Gwaltney, Segovia, Tejeda, Bourgeois (all have injury issues)

Winter 2002 Prospects List and Comments

2002-12-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

This year I’m rating the players, including some stats (ages listed are official baseball ages for LAST year), and featuring quotes (see bottom of article for sources) about their performance during the year with a few of my own comments.

1) Marlon Byrd—CF, SWB, age 24

37 doubles, 15 homers, and a .838 OPS. Byrd had a solid season although his power production was down a bit. Before the season Arbuckle said, “All Marlon needs is more at-bats. I want to see him hit more experienced pitchers who change speeds.” Well Marlon hit ‘em reasonably well, and looks to have the CF job going into spring training. Byrd got off to a slow start, sizzled in the summer, and tailed off a bit in August, perhaps due to personal difficulties that we’ve all seen discussed. Arbuckle's scouting report: "Marlon started out strong, went into a little slump and now is back on a good track. He needs to continue to get at-bats. He plays a good center field. I think he's going to be a real frontline major-league player who has a chance to make a few All-Star teams. You can win pennants with him. When he got him, we saw a strong guy with power and speed, but his baseball skills didn't jump out right away because he was primarily a football player. He was raw, but the bat came and allowed him to use the power. The thing I love about him is he's a workaholic who makes adjustments quickly."

2) Gavin Floyd—RHSP, Lakewood, age 19

2.77 ERA, 140 K/166 IP, .200 OBA. Floyd had a great season, pitching a lot of healthy innings with excellent effectiveness lmost every time out. He was also asked to pitch on occasion without his best pitch, his curve, in order to improve his change-up. "We want Gavin to get his feet wet in pro ball this year," Arbuckle said before the season. "The quality of his stuff was outstanding in spring. This guy can be a No. 1 All-Star caliber in the big leagues. His ceiling is extremely high." He began the season on a very low pitch-count, restricting his outings to 4-5 innings until late May. "Gavin's only 19, and we want to bring him around slowly," minor-league pitching coordinator Gorman Heimueller said. "There is no need to rush him. It's the right thing to do. We're looking for pitch efficiency. You should be able to get through five innings with around 75-to-80 pitches." On his change-up Heimuller said, "He probably threw about six changeups in high school, then (in a geme in early May) he throws 12 changeups in six innings ... all 12 for strikes. A few were in the dirt, but hitters swung at 'em. He's really taken to the changeup, and that's huge because the curveball and fastball he's going to have." Heimueller's mid-season scouting report: "What's impressed me most about Gavin is his changeup, which is a pitch he didn't throw at all in high school. He has a big, hard curveball that he doesn't throw for strikes yet, but he will. Right now, he's consistently throwing in the low 90s, and will go down to 88. Gavin's throwing the ball well, but I wouldn't say he's dominating the league. You've got to understand that this kid is in his first year of pro ball, so we've been very conservative with him, not letting him throw for more than 75 pitches the first month. He'll get up to 105 or so this summer, and that's enough because he's pitching every five days and getting his work in. We all know he's a No. 1 pick and signed for a lot of money, but you wouldn't know it from talking to him. He's doing well and learning every single day - on and off the mound.'' BlueClaws skipper Jeff Manto however said that Floyd had the best stuff in the league, which is very impressive for a 19-year-old who was a high school senior a year ago. One of the highlights of Floyd’s season was a nine inning no-hitter, although he lost the game 1-0 to Lexinton. "That was about as much of a dominant game as I've seen in a long time, but it's bittersweet," said BlueClaws manager Jeff Manto. Floyd's no-hitter was the organization's first no-hitter since Bucktrot threw a seven-inning no-no for the BlueClaws last season. The last Phillies prospect to throw a nine-inning no-hitter was Brad Baisley for Clearwater in 1999. "I'm not going to say he's going to be better than Myers, but in three years I can see Myers and Floyd winning a bunch of games for the Phillies," minor-league pitching coordinator Gorman Heimueller said. "Like Myers, Gavin's something special, too. This is only his first year in pro ball and everybody thought he would compete well, but he's been a lot better than that." Floyd is 8-7 with a 2.88 ERA in 20 starts. In his last 11 starts, the 19-year-old right-hander is 5-4 with a 2.44 ERA. But because he's walked 50 over 122 innings, Floyd is unlikely to double-jump from the Sally League to Reading next season like Myers did last year. "Gavin doesn't have the command to do that, and Brett was an extraordinary kid mentally to the point where he's almost arrogant," Arbuckle said. "Shoot, he is arrogant. Gavin isn't like that."

3) Ryan Madson—RHSP, Reading, age 21

16-4, 3.20 ERA, 132/53 K/BB ratio, .242 OBA. Madson was coming off of a sub-par (for him) year at CLW, and Arbuckle said before the year, “The quality of his stuff continues to be good, but want him to improve on his ability to change speeds." Madson pitched well early (after a poor first start), and Heimuller said, "We've been stressing pitch inside to Ryan, and that's made his changeup better." At midseason Heimuller continued, “Ryan is bigger and stronger this year, and getting a better idea about pitching. One thing he's done very well is pitch inside more, especially with his fastball. That's made his changeup and breaking ball better. He's a kid with the best changeup in the organization. He has the confidence to throw it at any time, and it really complements his fastball. Because he's a big kid, he can create an angle in his pitches, and that's going to be an advantage. His fastball is anywhere from 88 to 91 mph, and that's an average fastball, but his changeup makes an average fastball look better than average. Right now, I can see him being a No. 3 starter someday in the big leagues." Clearly, Madson learned to change speeds. Near the end of the season the organization was even higher on him: "He's probably been the most consistent pitcher in the organization," Arbuckle said. "This guy's only had one or two shaky outings the whole season." Although imposing at 6-6, Madson doesn't overwhelm anyone with velocity or stuff, but has very good control and pitches with intelligence. "His raw stuff isn't in the Myers and Floyd category, but it's good," Arbuckle said. "Myers and Floyd can be a true No. 1s in a good rotation. I don't know that Madson quite has that ceiling, but he can be a quality No. 2 guy. He's going to be a very good big-league pitcher." The Phils awarded Madson the Paul Owens award for pitcher of the year, but cautiously did not promote him to AAA for the playoffs and asked him not to pitch winter ball after throwing 171 innings at Reading.

4) Taylor Buchholz, RHSP, CLW, age 20

10-6, 3.29 ERA, 129K in 159 IP, .233 OBA. Buchholz was coming off of a great second half in Lakewood, and continued his success this year. At the start of the season Arbuckle said, "The quality of his stuff is good, his command continues to improve and he touched 93, 94 mph this spring. I think he's got a chance to be a No. 2 starter in the big leagues." He had a short-lived slow start playing for a CLW team that was simply horrendous in the first half of the season, but began to get things back on track in late April with 7 innings of shutout ball versus Ft. Myers, although he continued to be inconsistent through May. "I just think pitchers, like hitters, go through slumps, and he's experiencing a slump right now," said Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies' assistant general manager in charge of player development. "He's having some trouble throwing strikes. He's having a little down spell, but he'll come back from it. "Clearwater manager John Morris gave a more detailed description of Buchholz's problems. "The command of his fastball hasn't been as sharp as we'd like," Morris said. "It's a work in progress with him." Heimuller offered this mid-season scouting report, "Taylor hasn't been blessed with playing on good teams, but maybe it's going to make him a better pitcher in the long run. He's got potential for a three-pitch mix that are better than average. He has a fastball that he can move inside, a very good curve ball and a good changeup that's still a little inconsistent. He'll throw 89-to-92 mph and his fastball has life to it. He has a nice pitcher's body, too, and has more muscle than when he first signed. He's progressing very well." Arbuckle usually shies away from promoting young pitchers during a season, but the Phils made an exception with Buchholz in mid August promoting him a level from Clearwater. A sixth-round draft pick in 2000 from Springfield, Pa., Buchholz was 7-2 with a 2.55 ERA over his last 12 starts. "Taylor's earned it," Arbuckle said. "He's always been a slow starter, so the feeling is if he goes up now and gets acclimated to the league it'll help him for next year." Arbuckle’s end of season comment, "This kid just continued to move in a positive direction in everything he did ... from the quality of his pitches, his ability to make pitches in certain situations to his ability to control a game."

5) Anderson Machado—SS, Reading, age 21

.751 OPS, 72 walks, 77 RBI from the 2-hole, .156 average hitting RH vs .289 lefty. Machado should probably give up switch hitting as his .400 righty OPS indicates (vs .850 lefty). At mid-season, machado was named the best prospect on the Reading team (which included Madson and Chapman) Arbuckle said that the Venezuelan was still a baby at 21, but already was so good defensively that he's being compared to Davey Concepcion. He's holding his own at the plate, but the switch-hitter is batting poorly from right side. "This kid is starting to figure it out," Arbuckle said. "He has just continued to get stronger and, as he naturally fills out, he is starting to control the bat better." Near the end of the season, Machado had a power surge: “Anderson Machado is known for his flashy defense and speed. His bat always has been the weakest part of his game, but that's changing in a big way. A 21-year-old switch-hitter, Machado has been putting up Sammy Sosa-like numbers the last week. Through Friday, the Venezuelan had an incredible 19 RBIs in his last six games with three homers (including two grand slams) and three doubles. For the season, he's hitting .259 with a career-high 12 homers and a personal best 70 RBIs. "Anderson is in a great groove right now, and the key is he continues to get stronger," Arbuckle said. "We always felt he was going to hit, and it was a matter of strength." Machado weighed just 130 when signing with the Phils at age 16. Now, he's up to 170. Machado still needs work in one area. He's hitting .301 with 11 homers in 289 at-bats left-handed, but has a .152 average with one homer in 112 at-bats from the right side. For now, Machado will continue hitting both ways. "It would be down the road if we stopped him from switch-hitting," Arbuckle said. "He's still young and has time to improve." Besides his added production, Machado is having a career year on the bases, too, with 36 steals in 46 attempts. And in the field, he's been making Ozzie Smith-like plays all season, despite his 27 errors in 109 games.” He’s finally convinced me he’s going to hit in the big leagues (likely as a lefty-only, though), so I’m now a believer after resisting the bandwagon for so long.

6) Travis Chapman—3B, Reading, age 23

35 doubles, 15 HR’s, organization-high .861 OPS (which was over 1.100 at the time of his injury). Chapman has an unusual batting style (closed, pigeon-toed stance with his left leg barely touching the ground) and has not hit with power until this year, making him an unlikely prospect coming into 2002. Arbuckle down-played him before the season-- his scouting report: "Travis is a good contact hitter who hits for average and has gap power. He's probably better than average defensively. He's a guy that five or six years ago everyone would have been talking about, but he's not an upper-echelon guy now because we've got better talent." In mid May the Phils changed their tune—“Chapman (.398, 6 HR, 27 RBIs) is so hot that he's in Ted Williams' territory - over .400 - until Friday, when he was 0 for 2 and left the game after being hit in the lower back by a pitch in the fourth inning. Through Friday, Chapman, 23, was hitting .478 (22 for 46) with 16 RBIs in his last 14 games. "Travis always made good contact, but he worked hard over the winter and came into camp stronger," said Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies assistant GM for scouting and player development. "He's driving the ball better now. He has gone from a guy who was marginal to a guy who has a chance to play in the big leagues." What's surprising everyone is Chapman’s power. A 17th-round pick in 2000, he hit six homers in his first two pro seasons, but already has six this season in 123 at-bats. "There aren't many big-league third basemen who hit five or six home runs a year, and he was projected to do that in the past," Arbuckle said.” Looked a bit like covering their previous mistakes to me. Long quote from an Inky article:
[quote] "I think the fact that he's gotten stronger has really paid off for him," Arbuckle said. "He really went into a hard conditioning program this winter, and now he's showing the ability to drive the ball. He always made good contact, but the strength factor is significant."

That strength came from a winter of intense workouts in Los Angeles with Darren Bush, a teammate last season at single-A Clearwater.

"I just got real big into working out," Chapman said. "We moved out there and worked out six days a week. Darren just knew a lot about working out. I got to the point where I could [lift] significantly more weight, and I started a better diet with a lot of calories and protein."

In his first season at double-A Reading, Chapman has become the talk of the Eastern League.

Through Saturday, he led the league in hitting (.398), hits (49) and doubles (14). He was tied for the league lead in extra-base hits (20) and on-base percentage (.465). Also, he was second in slugging percentage (.659), thanks to his six home runs, one more than he hit last season, when he opened the year in Clearwater and finished at Reading.

"Heck, yeah, it's been fun," Chapman said. "It's always nice to contribute to your team winning and to start off hot."

Wherever Chapman has played, he has left an indelible mark with his managers.

Asked before the start of the season what player might really make an impact at Reading this year, Phillies bench coach Gary Varsho immediately offered Chapman's name.

"There's just something about him that I really like," said Varsho, Reading's manager last season.

Chapman made that impression after spending just a few weeks with Varsho.

John Morris, the manager at Clearwater, spent most of last season with Chapman.

"I said in the organizational meetings last year that this kid is a sleeper to play in the big leagues," Morris said. "This kid is a professional hitter."

Rico Brogna, in his first season as a hitting instructor at Reading, is seeing the same things that impressed Varsho and Morris.

"He has as close to a picture-perfect righthanded swing as I've seen," Brogna said. "It is definitely the best righthanded swing I've seen this season. There's no question his work ethic is great.

"He asks questions, even though he already has a lot of knowledge about the mechanics of his swing. To be honest, he really didn't have that good a [spring training], but when we went in to watch some video and I started talking to him, I thought, 'Wow, this kid really has an understanding of what he's doing.' He can make adjustments in the middle of an at-bat."

What also makes Chapman interesting is the position he plays.

It's no secret, of course, that the Phillies will likely be in need of a third baseman after this season. Chapman plays that position.

At this point, Chapman is not considered as much a prospect as Chase Utley, the Phillies' first-round pick in 2000 who is learning how to play third base at triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Utley, a second baseman last year at Clearwater, skipped his scheduled stop at Reading this season and is holding his own at Scranton, hitting .269 with a league-leading 14 doubles and six home runs.

"I think there may be some competition between those two," Arbuckle said. "It will be good for Chase to look behind him and see this guy putting up those kinds of numbers."

If there is a weakness in Chapman's game, it is his speed.

"He's not the fastest guy in the world, but he's a very smart baserunner," Morris said.

Chapman sat out Saturday night's game against New Haven after being hit by a pitch in the hip. Earlier in the week, he had another one of those moments that defined the hitter he has become.

Reading faced Altoona on Tuesday afternoon, and righthander Kris Benson made his final rehabilitation start before rejoining the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"He had some really good at-bats against Benson," Brogna said. "He wasn't overmatched at all. I think this kid can hit in the big leagues."

He's done nothing but hit in the minor leagues.
[/quote]

7) Chase Utley—3B/2B/?, SWB, age 23

I think the Phils hurt him badly by moving him to 3B, where his defense appears to be worse than it was at 2B, and publicly speculating about moving him again to 1B where he really doesn’t hit enough to play. “Utley still needs work at his new position,” the Phils said in May. The former second baseman had 13 errors in 40 games at the hot corner. "Chase has good hands and a good quick first step - and that's a plus - but he has to get a more consistent arm slot throwing the ball to first," Red Barons manager Marc Bombard said. Arbuckle's scouting report: "He's on a good track. He's swinging the bat well, hitting the ball hard. He's just gotta play every day. The errors don't worry me. He's at a new position and he's doing fine there. He's actually made some pretty good plays at third base already." Arbuckle continued to be Utley’s biggest booster at mid-season. "We can make a big deal of the errors, but it's part of the learning process, and I think Chase is doing fine," Arbuckle said. "We're going to continue to concentrate on his defense, but he's really improving." Utley still has problems going to his left. "He changed positions and jumped two levels at same time," Arbuckle said. "I would anticipate him not walking in and being accomplished." What about next year? The Phils discussed this in August: [quote]"Personally, I'd like to see him start here again next season," Scranton/Wilkes-Barre manager Marc Bombard said. "I think he could use a little more seasoning. But who knows? He might play winter ball, and people might see tremendous improvement and say he's ready. I think he'll certainly be in the mix in spring training."

Mike Arbuckle, the Phils' assistant general manager in charge of player development and scouting, said: "I think there's a chance. But if he plays up there, he's certainly not a finished product at third base. He's been playing ahead of schedule. I think he can survive there, but it's a pretty good assignment to jump a level and learn a new position all in one year. He'd have his hands full defensively."

Said Utley: "It's up to them. If they feel I'm ready, if they have enough confidence in me, they'll put me out there. When they do that, I'm definitely going to have confidence in myself."

The most important opinion on Utley's readiness belongs to Phillies general manager Ed Wade, the man ultimately responsible for putting together next year's team.

While being quick to acknowledge Utley's overall talent and progress this season, Wade hinted that Utley could need more time in triple A, saying: "We've thrown an awful lot at him in a hurry this year. The transition from second base to third is not an easy one. At this point, he's certainly in the hunt for next season, but I also think he deserves some patience."[/quote]

8) Elizardo Ramirez—RHSP, GCL, age 19

1.10 ERA, 7-1, .165 OBA, and “The stat of the year:” 73/2 K/BB ratio. Unbelievable dominating year for “Easy”, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected—the 18-year-old righthander was an eye-popping 10-1 with a 1.26 ERA in 14 starts for the Phillies' Dominican Summer League team last year. "You'll be hearing about this kid in a couple years," Heimueller predicted. "He's a special kid," Heimueller continued. "I like him a lot. His delivery is very effortless. He averages 89, 90 mph, touches 91, 92, and he commands pretty good. He doesn't just throw it down the middle. And his work habits for a 19-year-old are very good. He fields his position and holds runners very well, does all this stuff that you want to see when they get older." "With Elizardo, you're watching a veteran pitcher in a kid's body," pitching coach Carlos Arroyo said. "He has the ability to repeat his delivery, and that's unbelievable at his age. He's not blowing people away, but the way his pitches finish kind of reminds me of Pedro Martinez, especially with the arm speed on his changeup." Arroyo says Ramirez “could be successful "right now" at Clearwater, but he'll finish the season in Rookie League because the league has a mandate on each team having so many players age 20-and-under and he's needed there to maintain the team’s age eligibility.” "I keep saying it, but this kid pitches like someone a lot older," Heimueller added. Next year, Ramirez probably will start out in Lakewood. Another reason the 19-year-old wasn't promoted this year is he's taking English classes in a program set up by Sal Artiaga, the club's director of Latin American operations. "The numbers say you move him, but he's apart of Sal's program and if I move him he loses out in that development," Arbuckle said. "He's not just getting his English classes three or four days a week, but learning basics on how to sit down in a restaurant and order to paying bills." Things were exciting for the GCL champion Phillies, especially on the mound, "I think pitching depth in the organization is excellent, and it shows all the way down to the lower levels," Arbuckle said. Staff ace Elizardo Ramirez pitched a three-hit shutout to win Game 1 of the finals, then 2002 No. 2 draft pick Zach Segovia worked three scoreless in relief to win Game 3. Asked about the top two pitchers, Arbuckle added, "Both are very legit. Segovia is a very strong and competitive kid with a very good arm. Ramirez is a kid with pitch-ability beyond his years, and he has great command with very good stuff."

9) Carlos Rodriguez—SS, Batavia, age 18

.290, 29 runs (led team), 21 SB, .694 OPS. Actually, the numbers weren’t bad at all for an 18-year-old in a college dominated league. Arbuckle said prior to the season, “Rodriguez can really play short, is a plus runner and his bat's coming." At the end of the year in Batavia, a pair of 19-year-olds Dominicans with the same first name gave the Phillies a reason to be excited. SS Carlos Rodriguez (.286, 15 RBIs, 21 SB) and RHP Carlos Cabrera (8-2, 3.94) were the biggest bright spots this summer for the Muckdogs, who will finish their season this weekend as a last-place team. "We like Rodriguez and Cabrera a lot," Arbuckle said. "Both of those guys had very good summers and are on a positive track." Through Friday, Cabrera was third in the league in innings and tied for third in wins. Besides showing terrific defensive ability, the switch-hitting Rodriguez is third in the league in steals and second on his team in hitting in his first full season as a pro. Arbuckle's comment: "Carlos really had a quality year. He was very good defensively and made good strides offensively."

10) Ryan Howard—1B, Lakewood, age 22

19 HR’s, 20 doubles, 66 walks, .827 OPS. Howard is a classic power/patience guy, whose season probably wasn’t quite up to the level it should be for a 22-year-old top prospect in the Sally league. Last year’s manager Bill Dancy’s pre-season scouting report: "He's still making the adjustment from a metal bat to wood, but he can hit the ball out in dead center anywhere. I think he can hit 20 homers in the big leagues and can be a .260-to-.270 hitter. He's been getting better at first base. He has really good hands, but needs work on his footwork." Howard was named the team’s first-half MVP.

"This guy really believes in himself," Lakewood manager Jeff Manto said. "There are some guys who say they believe in themselves or think they believe in themselves, but you can see that every time Ryan goes on the field, he is determined to get to the big leagues."

At this stage, Howard is still a raw talent, something he readily acknowledges.

"I feel like I'm doing pretty well," he said. "But I need to work on my whole game. Everything. There have been improvements in things defensively and offensively, but I have a lot of work to do on my whole game."

Manto agreed that Howard has a lot to learn. That's also why the manager is so excited about his first baseman's future.

"He's a flat-out joy to work with," Manto said. "He doesn't even know how to really hit yet and he's already hitting well. It will be exciting to watch him as he gets more repetitions and learns more and more about how to hit."

Don't tell opposing pitchers in the South Atlantic League that Howard is still learning to hit. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound slugger has used his sweet lefthanded swing to hit a league-leading 13 home runs.

"Not one of them has been a cheap home run," Manto said. "He hits line drives to right field, he hits balls out to left field. There are a few ballparks in this league that are small, but none of his home runs have been hit there."

Howard also leads the BlueClaws with 58 RBIs, 50 walks and a .396 on-base percentage. The only negatives on his Lakewood resume are the 91 times he has struck out and the 12 errors he has made at first base.

"The strikeouts don't even bother me," Manto said. "He has cut down on them since we started the second half. He has a good idea of the strike zone. He'll take curveballs and he's not afraid of lefthanders. His defense has gotten better. That's something that is definitely on the rise."

Despite his large stature - he's built like a young Mo Vaughn - Howard also is a pretty good baserunner. In addition to leading the BlueClaws in home runs, he has a team-high five triples, good for fifth in the league. His batting average has hovered around .300 all season.

"His speed is deceiving, and he knows how to run the bases," Manto said. "Once he gets going, he can move. If he puts a ball in the gap, he'll try to get a triple. I think he can hit for average and power."

That Howard has emerged as a top prospect in his first full season with the Phillies is not entirely surprising. He was projected as a possible No. 1 pick after playing for the U.S. national team in 2000. But when he hit just .271 as a junior at Southwest Missouri State, his stock slipped and he slid all the way to the fifth round.

"I think where we took him, we thought he was a very good gamble," Mike Arbuckle, the Phillies assistant general manager, said. "There was nothing physically wrong. It just looked like he was pressing.

"This kid is kind of a perfectionist; a little like David Coggin. He puts a little too much pressure on himself. But we can see him growing out of that. He's having fun playing now."

11) Seung Lee, RHSP, Lakewood, 22
12) Jorge Padilla, OF, Reading, 22
13) Ryan Carter, LHSP, CLW, 23
14) Cole Hamels, LHSP, DNP (late signing), 18
15) Zach Segovia, RHSP, GCL, 18
16) Carlos Cabrera, RHSP, Batavia, 19
17) Danny Gonzalez, SS, Lakewood, 20
18) Yoel Hernandez, RHSP, CLW, 19
19) Eric Junge, RHSP, SWB, 25
20) Rob Tejeda, RHSP, CLW (injured), 20
21) Jean Machi, RHP, GCL, 18
22) Mark McRoberts, C, Batavia, 20
23) Eziquiel Astacio, RHSP, Lakewood, 21
24) Brian Hansen, 1B, GCL, 18
25) Keith Bucktrot, RHSP, CLW, 21
26) Franciso Butto, RHSP, GCL, 19
27) Juan Richardson, 3B, CLW,23
28) Jake Blalock, 3B/OF, GCL, 18
29) Nick Punto, SS/util, SWB, 24
30) Jeury Diaz, C, GCL, 18
31) Terry Jones, 3B, Batavia (injured), 19
32) Elio Serrano, RHRP, SWB, 23
33) Brad Baisley, RHSP, Reading (injured), 22
34) Taft Cable, RHP, Lakewood, 21
35) Eric Arteaga, RHSP, Batavia, 22

Thanks for the many quotes from Randy Miller's "Down on the Pharm" column at phillyburbs.com, others from the Inquirer.

April 2002 Prospects List

2002-04-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

1) Brett Myers, RHP, SWB--this is written after spring training, and his effective, sometimes dominating performance there has, in my mind, moved him to the head of the class. Fastball now consistently 92-94, touching 97, and power overhand curveball make him a difficult opponent for even experienced major-leaguers. His third pitch, a change-up, is getting better and was, at times, a fine complement to the rest of his arsenal this spring. I mentioned in another thread that he came across as quite nervous an immature in his first TV interview on comcast, almost hyperactive. He'll need to keep his emotions under control (at least on the field, which has reported to have been a problem with him) when (not if) he comes up this year. BBA #2.

2) Marlon Byrd, CF, SWB--Byrd reacted to his early cut this spring by showing up an hour before everyone else at the complex to take extra hitting practice--you've got to love the guy's attitude. A lot of us forget that at the end of April last year Marlon was hitting a robust .125, then finished at .316 with 28 HR's and 89 RBI. Marlon on his goals, "I want to be an All-Star like Jimmy Rollins. I want to be a player everyone knows." Does he have a chance to do it? "His work ethic is absolutely unbelievable," said Bill Dancy, the Phillies' minor league field coordinator. He needs to have a very good year, given he's still about a year older than most AAA prospects at 24. Only Phil to win the Paul Owens award in consecutive years. BBA#1.

3) Gavin Floyd, RHP, Lakewood--I don't like ranking "pure" rookies this high, but he flat-out blew away hitters in the FIL and this spring in the low-A minors spring games. An interesting tidbit about Floyd's last HS game, against the team that had given him 4 of his 5 HS losses:

With a huge crowd in attendance, thanks in large part to a feature story in The Baltimore Sun that same day, Floyd did not disappoint. He pitched 10 shutout innings (remember, high school games usually last seven innings) and only allowed two hits and two walks while striking out 13 and tossing 110 pitches. To top it all off, he even stroked the game-winning hit to center field with two runners on and two outs in the bottom of the 10th to give the Gaels a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

Scouts said his curveball was better than Myers', which was voted the best breaking pitch in the EL by scouts. BTW, Floyd was a freshman on the JV team while Mark Teixiera was a senior on the varsity at the same HS, Mt. St. joseph. BBA#3.

4) Carlos Silva, RHRP, SWB--I'm assuming he gets sent down when Wolf returns--spring training vaulted him ahead of several others grouped from about number 4 to number 12. Bowa loves his hard sinker, and his future is certainly in relief unless he learns an off-speed pitch. His biggest problem is he just can't get enough swings and misses, but he sure gets the ground balls. The first signee from the revitalized Phils Latin American program to make it to the majors. Twice an all-star in the minor leagues, believe it or not this is his sixth year in the Phils' system (he began in Martinsville at age 17). BBA#10.

5) Chase Utley, 3B/2B, SWB--the UCLA alum who holds the school's single-season freshman HR record seems to have finally begun to show the promise the Phils expected when they drafted him #1 in 1999, as the level jump and position switch indicate. Needs to listen carefully to Mike Schmidt or Greg Gross about working the count--he seemed to lose this skill after his 2000 season at Batavia. Homered off of Cubs' prospect Juan Cruz in last year's Futures Game. The report on his 2B defense in BBA indicates no pressing need for the switch in positions, "Utley will never be a Gold Glover, but the Phillies are thrilled with the progress he made with his range and double-play pivot. He has enough arm to play second base but lacks natural actions around the bag." I personally think he's a better prospect as a middle infielder. Utley was a little league teammate of Padres' 3B Sean Burroughs.

6) Taylor Buchholz, RHP, Clearwater--another guy who helped himself in spring training this year, he actually started one game for AAA SWB and pitched four solid shut-out innings, and he's only 20 years old. Buchholz after the game, "This was a big test for me. It was my first game at the Triple-A level, and the caliber of play is much higher than I'm used to. I pitched with a lot of confidence, because I knew I had an outstanding defense behind me. My fastball was working in and out. I think it topped out around 94. I wasn't afraid to challenge hitters." Buchholz said he patterns his style of pitching after Curt Schilling, who was his childhood idol. "Curt's a power pitcher who goes after people, and he doesn't back down. I would like to have those same attributes." Drafted from local Springfield Delco High School. BBA#4

7) Jorge Padilla, RF, Reading--Padilla, whose mannerisms and potential have often been compared to Sammy Sosa (we can only hope!), tied Chase Utley for the team lead in HR's at CLW with 16 (big FSL parks, heavy air tend to reduce these totals). Padilla has been plagued with nagging injuries each year in the minors and has yet to play a full season. One of the very bright spots last year was he began to work the count more, and upped his walk totals to acceptable levels. Mike Arbuckle recently said about him, "He's developing the power we thought he would, plus he's a very good rightfielder. ' But, Arbuckle then indicated that the organization didn't see any opportunities for him because of Burrell and Abreu. Padilla attended the same high school as Danny Gonzalez, the Lakewood SS--Florida Air Academy. BBA#7

8) Eric Valent, RF/1B, SWB--He's the guy with the career HR record at UCLA, as well as the PAC-10 career record formerly held by Mark Magwire. Had a great year going in AAA last season, but shuttling back and forth to Philly in the middle of the year put him in a 3-week slump that made his year look average. Has a tremendous outfield arm, strong and accurate, and has been playing occasionally at 1B to prepare for a possible utility role. Valent has an interesting off-season regimen, "I just start lifting and running with my trainer, two times a week during the month of November, to go along with some lifting and cardio on my own. Come the first of December, we lift and run three times a week, concentrating on a lot of explosive lifts, and explosive running. Other players that train with me are fellow ex-Bruins Troy Glaus (Angels), Pete Zamora (Phillies), Scott Seal (Rockies), and Eric Byrnes (Athletics). We work hard and also have a great time." BBA#9

9) Ryan Howard, 1B, Lakewood--OK, so you all know I love power/patience guys, and this one might be the Phils best, along with the old-for-level and throwing-challenged Nate Espy at Reading. Howard posted an .840 OPS last year at Batavia, and, despite playing only half the short season, led the team in walks and HR's. Won the "Player Most Likely to go Furthest" (how about that grammar?) award at Batavia last year, and was a college teammate of current Lakewood catcher Ben Margalski at SW Missouri State. BBA--not in top 15 (I think he was added at 15 after Asencio was deleted).

10) Ryan Madson, RHP, Reading--make or break year for the 6'6" Madson who in 2000 out-pitched Myers at Piedmont, but struggled with injuries and inconsistency at Clearwater last season. A long quote from madson about the scouting process and signing with the Phils:

Madson will never forget the recruiting process of the pro scouts.

“My junior year was big for me,” he said. “That’s when all the scouts came to see me and got to know who I was.”

As a senior, he counted representatives from 25 major league teams who said they were interested.

Like Kannapolis HS pitcher Daniel Moore, he had already signed, putting his name on a sheet of paper bearing the logo of the University of Southern California. And he learned a hard lesson about the real world, thanks to the scouts.

“Somebody can tell (Moore) he’s getting a million but it doesn’t mean that’s what’s going to happen,” Madson said.“They told me, `We’ll draft you here and we’ll draft you there.

“I had one team call on the day of the draft.”

That one team, the Philadelphia Phillies, called in the morning.

“They asked me if I wanted to sign in the third round for $125,000,” Madson recalled. “I said, ‘No’ and hung up, not thinking.”

At 3 p.m., the Phillies called again, telling Madson they were going to draft him in the ninth round.

“I got decent money,” he said, not elaborating on figures. “But it wasn’t about money. It was about what I wanted to do.

“There were a lot of reasons Isigned,” he continued. “One was just a gut feeling. The other was, I didn’t want to go to college, risk injury and not get a chance to play professionally. That’s probably the biggest reason.”

BBA#13

Second ten:

11) Anderson Machado, SS, Reading—everyone but me rates him higher—I’ll have to see him hit at AA before I believe the hype. From Phillyburbs.com last year when machado was hitting .300 in CLW: “"I wanted Anderson to go back and repeat that league because I wanted him to do exactly what he's doing,'' Arbuckle said. "He needed to show that he can handle pitching at that level.'' Defensively, Machado has committed 10 errors in 47 games, but is making highlight-film plays on a nightly basis. "He can play defense with anybody,'' minor league field coordinator Bill Dancy said. Machado reminds Dancy of one of Venezuela's greatest shortstops ever, former Cincinnati Reds Gold Glover Dave Concepcion. "Anderson has long legs, and from the waist down has Dave's build,'' Dancy said, "And he wears Concepcion's number (13).”

12) Franklin Nunez, RHP, SWB—a power-pitching righty with a 97 mph heater, Nunez was showing some consistency (finally) near the end of last year in AA, including a masterful playoff victory. Nunez started the AFL championship game for Grand Canyon and pitched well in a game that featured 4 hits by marlon Byrd and a dramatic, last inning comeback win by Phoenix (long after Nunez had hit the showers). Comments from a topprospectalert article on the game: “Nunez was especially effective, mixing a mid 90s fastball with a very good high 70s breaking ball to hold the Desert Dogs to two runs (one of which was unearned) over his five innings of work. The 24-year-old Dominican right-hander yielded only three hits and two walks, striking out six batters.”

13) Carlos (Rosario) Rodriguez (CRod on this board), SS, Batavia or GCL—Hit very well and posted a high fielding percentage in the GCL last year at an extremely young age after signing a huge (by Philly standards) $850,000 bonus. A long article about an October FIL game discusses him and Danny Gonzalez in particular:

C-Rod. Has a nice tone to it, huh?!!

I had heard wonderful things about this shortstop Carlos Rodriguez. The Phillies signed him for a (at that time) club-record bonus for a non-drafted signee, $850,000. Got my first look at him yesterday.

Wasn't much of a "look." The Phillies inserted him in the late innings of a Fall Instructional League game against the Pirates yesterday.

Actually, the guy he replaced had a pretty fabulous game defensively. 19-year-old SS Daniel Gonzalez (.238-0-20 at short-season Batavia in 2001) had two spectacular plays (guys, I'm not exaggerating here), including one where he dived to keep a grounder from going through the 3b/ss hole, then threw the hitter out with an amazing off-balance pirouette. I'm not too familiar with Gonzalez, but he bears watching due to the defensive expertise he displayed yesterday.

Bottom line, Carlos replaced him in the late innings, showed some decent range (although nothing was hit to him that actually tested him), got a base-hit in his only AB and flashed some moves on the basepaths.

The base hit came off of RHP Josh Higgins, a 22-year-old relief specialist who pitched at low-A Hickory this year. See, that's one cool thing about instructionals (and also a reason why they don't keep stats)...you can actually see how a player fares against higher competition. Prior to this fall, C-Rod had only faced GCL pitching in competitive situations...but here he was, bringing his bat against a guy five years older than him, who had 1 1/2 years of organized ball experience, and sported a 2001 WHIP of 0.84, with 71 Ks in 61 innings pitched in low-A ball in 2001. C-Rod drilled a base-hit to left-field.

So what did I learn new about C-Rod yesterday? Not much...just that he could get a base-hit off of low-A ball pitching. But he seemed pretty heady, which was impressive for a 17-year-old surrounded by guys who were 2-4 years his senior

13A) Rob(inson) Tejeda, RHP, Clearwater—part of the 4-prospect Lakewood rotation last year, some think he might have a very high upside, although, like teammate Yoel Hernandez, he doesn’t light up the radar guns but locates his fastball well. His major weakness, however, is the breaking pitch, which is teachable, so he might come on quickly if he masters a change, curve, or slider. A "Q and A session" with BBA’s highly respected Josh Boyd this past December:

Q: Dan from Philadelphia asks:
The top 15 phillies prospects featured two members of Lakewood's staff (Taylor Bucholz, Yoel Hernandez), but for much of the summer a lot of the buzz coming from the phillies was that Rob Tejeda was the real jewel of the rotation. Was he close to being on the list?
A:
Josh Boyd: Tejeda did make major strides at Lakewood, and even the other member of the rotation Keith Bucktrot was impressive. Tejeda was close to the top 15, but checked in around No. 20. He lacks the feel for a consistent breaking pitch, but upped his velocity into the 92-94 range. Clearwater will be a big test for him next year.

Tejeda had the best stats of all the Lakewood 4, striking out 152 hitters in 150 IP and allowing only a .228 OBA.

14) Brad Baisley, RHP, Reading—the tall, injury plagued pitcher has to get it together this year and post some decent numbers or he enters the suspect zone rather than the prospect zone. Scouting summary, “He uses a low-to-mid-90s fastball and power curve as his top two pitches. With his age, you could expect his fastball to gain some speed and possibly to clock in the mid-90s consistently if he can recover fully from the injury. I don't think you will see him rushed to Philadelphia. Instead, he should get a full season at each level, allowing him to start in the majors sometime around 2003. If he is healthy, Baisley could be a No. 1 type of starter. At 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, he could be an imposing force.” From Phillyburbs, “Brad Baisley, finishing up his second consecutive frustrating season, has been much-improved the last month and pitched well in a no-decision on Friday, when the R-Phils beat Erie to take a 2-games-to-1 lead in their best-of-five Southern Divisional playoff series. Two years ago, Baisley was the organization's No. 1 pitching prospect. Despite earning a July promotion to Double-A, the 6-9 right-hander no longer is in the top five. Baisley fell behind by missing two months in 2000 with a shoulder injury and another month at the start of this season to work on his mechanics. In 12 regular-season games at Reading, he was 5-4 with a 6.50 ERA, allowing 82 hits over 62 1/3 innings. "I think Brad's playing catch-up all year because of the time where we backed him off," farm director Mike Arbuckle said. "He doesn't have command of his secondary pitches yet." Because Baisley is just three years removed from high school, Arbuckle still believes the 1998 No. 2 draft pick can live up to his potential. "He's 21 and at Double-A, I'll take that," Arbuckle said.”

15) Yoel Hernandez, RHP, Clearwater—classy pitcher, young but knows how to pitch, one wonders if he has the stuff to advance to the majors. Comments from an older USAtoday prospect report, written after his first season (2000) at GCL:

Pitching in his first professional season in the United States, Hernandez provided a pleasant surprise to the Phillies organization while pitching in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Venezuela in 1998, the 18-year-old led the league with a 1.35 ERA while going 4-1 in 14 appearances.

Hernandez, who was named as a league All-Star, also led the loop with a .183 batting average against and a fewest baserunner/9 IP ratio of 9.65. A very mature and professional pitcher for his age, he did not allow more than two runs in any of his 14 appearances. He also struck out five or more batters seven times, including his first six outings. The righthander does not have overpowering stuff but does have excellent command of his pitches.

The 6-foot-2, 170 pounder has an excellent idea of how to pitch and can even work through days when he does not have his stuff. Hernandez has good mound presence and can spot his breaking pitch for a strike at anytime. With more experience, the young hurler should continue his improvement as he moves up through the system.

16) Danny Gonzalez, SS, Lakewood—continued reports of his excellent defense and a fast start with the bat this spring training now continuing at Lakewood have finally convinced me that he might live up to his draft-day promise. Another great first-hand account of him in the FIL last year from FSL.com:

We're about halfway through the 2001 Fall Instructionals, yet I'm already convinced on who my pick is for top defensive infielder: SS Danny Gonzalez.

I ventured up to Bradenton again today, ironically to check out C-Rod (Carlos Rodriguez). C-Rod was suited up, but remained on the bench throughout the game. In my earlier brief on C-Rod, I noted that the other Phillies' SS (Danny Gonzalez) had made a couple of mind-boggling defensive plays. Saw more of the same today.

After seeing him twice this Fall, I can confidently say this kid has major league defensive talent, along with a flair for making spectacular plays look...well...spectacular.

Arm strength? This guy is no slouch...I've seen him make three off-balanced throws after vacuuming balls hit in the hole between 3b and short--all of them hit the 1b's mark and all three nailed the hitter. Basically, in a game-and-a-half (he played a half-game last week, sharing time with C-Rod), he robbed 3 hitters of base hits. Okay, making the throw from deep in the hole is tough enough for a young shortstop, but I've seen Gonzalez do it three times while making the throw with neither foot on the ground and off-balance. Mike Arbuckle was sitting behind me today and I even heard him exclamate an "ooooh!!" on one of Gonzalez' feats.

Hand-eye coordination? This afternoon, he took a slow grounder towards second base, barehanded it and in the same motion as grabbing it, nailed the runner at first. If you're a fan of defensive acrobatics, this is a guy you need to see.

The 6' 0", 180-pounder's stick is so-so, but then again, he's only 19. Signed too late to participate in summer ball last year, his first exposure to competitive pro ball was this summer at Batavia. His offensive stats were anything but impressive, compiling a .588 OPS in 281 ABs. But then again, he was a 19-year-old, in his first season of pro ball, going up against opposing New York-Penn League pitchers--most of whom came directly out of 4-year college programs. So you naturally have to cut him some slack there--theoretically, based on his age and experience, he should've been playing for the GCL Phillies or an advanced-rookie level squad, if the Phillies had one. As well, Batavia's Team OPS was only .652...so Gonzalez was only 64 basis points below the team average--again, on a team and in a league made up of primarily collegiate players. Today, the switch-hitting Gonzalez got on base once.

The good news on Gonzalez is, he doesn't turn 20 until November. It will be interesting to see how Arbuckle & Co. slot Gonzalez and C-Rod for their 2002 Opening Day assignments. You'd think they'd push C-Rod to Lakewood (low-A), but then again, maybe they slot Danny at Lakewood and let C-Rod linger in extended spring training. It will certainly be an interesting race to watch.

A native of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, Gonzalez was the Phillies' 4th round selection in the 2000 draft, out of the Florida Air Academy. Florida Air Academy is a military prep school based in Melbourne, Florida...despite playing at the 2A level in Florida high school sports, FAA has produced several baseball draft picks and minor leaguers.

17) Keith Bucktrot, RHP, Clearwater—based primarily on Arbuckle rating him very highly this spring. He was dominating early last year in Lakewood with a no-hitter and a one-hitter. Here’s Arbuckle’s quotes on him, "He's similar to Nunez in that he just has to improve his command and get some innings in. He has the makings of a good breaking ball and an idea on the changeup." (from Phillyburbs) Don't be misled by Keith Bucktrot's 5.36 ERA and 5-8 record. This 20-year-old right-hander isn't just a prospect, but one of the very best in an organization suddenly filled with talented young arms. A third-round pick in 2000 out of high school, Bucktrot has a 94-mph fastball and a lot of pitching ability. "He's easily in our top 10 pitching prospects," Arbuckle said. "I think Keith can be a No. 2 guy in a major-league rotation." Bucktrot took a no-hitter into the seventh last Sunday, when he allowing two runs on two runs over 6 1/3 innings to a victory over Greensboro. But in many of his 18 starts, he's had problems with his command, and thus has allowed 99 hits and 35 walks over 100 2/3 innings. "He's just the typical up-and-down high school kid," Arbuckle said. "He can't consistently repeat his pitches, especially the secondary pitches."Bucktrot on his no-hitter (really a perfecto except for 2 errors), “It felt great," Bucktrot said. "I moved my fastball in and out and hit my spots. I never threw [a no-hitter] in high school or Little League. It was great to throw one, but winning the game was most important.”

18) Elio Serrano, RHRP, SWB—for two years the Phils have raved about this guys’ arm but haven’t really pitched him as a closer or a starter, so it’s hard to reconcile their words with his usage (like Doug Nickle). From USAToday prospect analysis, “The Phillies' latest addition to their 40-man roster could vie for a bullpen spot in spring training this coming season, Arbuckle said. He throws a fastball in the mid-90s with good life and a plus slider. "Things really clicked for him this year," Arbuckle said. "He really goes after them out of the bullpen." In his last seven games at Clearwater before his promotion, he allowed one run and one walk over 16 innings. In his last 17 games at Reading, he allowed two runs over 19.1 innings and had a month-long scoreless streak.”

19) Vinnie DeChristofaro, LHP, Lakewood—again, Arbuckle loves him. Here’s an article about his situation on draft day from the Savanah Morning News

Vinnie DeChristofaro received a lot of advice on how to handle the first day of the Major League Baseball draft. Most well-wishers told the Richmond Hill senior, "Whatever you do, don't stress out."

So what does DeChristofaro do?

"For about three hours, I was very stressed out," DeChristofaro said. "That's one thing you can't help but do."

He got one hour of sleep Monday night, then he stayed close to the phone Tuesday afternoon.

Then the Philadelphia Phillies called in the seventh round, and all of the left-hander's anxieties were released like air from a popped balloon.

"I'm doing great now," DeChristofaro said. "I expected to go in the top five rounds. That's where the predictions were. But I'm happy where I am."

DeChristofaro's stock rose after an outstanding junior season with the Wildcats, where he improved from a losing record and a 7. 42 earned run average to a 5-2 record with a 2. 81 earned run average and a school-record 99 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. Scouts like his 6-foot-2, 170-pound frame, which suggests his 88 mph fastball can only increase in velocity once he puts on weight and gets stronger.

DeChristofaro finished his senior season with a 7-3 record, 125 strikeouts and an 0. 96 earned run average.

"The one thing the scouts wanted to know was his work ethic, and Vinnie's one kid you don't have to lie about," said Richmond Hill coach Mickey Bayens. "It's good to see a kid put in a lot of hard work, who wants to be a pro baseball player, and see it all pay off."

During the season, DeChristofaro talked with friend and former Chain Gang teammate Adam Wainwright about the draft. Wainwright, from Glynn Academy, was selected in the first round by the Atlanta Braves last June.

"(Wainwright) would say, "Don't worry, things will work out. Just worry about pitching,'" DeChristofaro said. "Adam and his whole family really helped me get through this."

And although scouts, armed with radar guns, were lining up behind the backstop of Richmond Hill games, DeChristofaro said he was never in awe.

"(The scouts) told me, 'Go out and have fun. Work hard and good things will come out of it,'" he said.

Actually, DeChristofaro was almost in a no-lose situation. He signed a baseball scholarship to Georgia Southern, just in case he wasn't drafted high.

He talked to Eagles coach Rodney Hennon on Tuesday, shortly after being selected. Hennon offered congratulations.

But DeChristofaro is putting college on hold. His thoughts are on the Gulf Coast League, a short-season Class A league, where the Phillies most likely will send their first-year players.

Maybe, in the future he'll be matched against former Screven County star Macay McBride, who was picked in the first round Tuesday by the Atlanta Braves.

"It'll be like the old days," DeChristofaro said. "Right now, I just can't wait. I feel like I've been off too long already."

20) Travis Chapman, 3B, Reading—I can’t help but love this guy, he can flat out play. He’s one of a group of three or four guys (Chapman, MDelgado, Wes Carroll, Andre Marshall) that don’t seem to get the respect their performance deserves. Chapman has very good on-base skills and hits for a high average, but doesn’t post good power numbers, although he has the size to improve in that area. Chapman was the all-star third baseman in the FSL last mid-season and was promoted to Reading where he didn’t hit at first, but crushed two homers in the playoffs and played spectacular third base. He played college ball at Mississippi State, the alma mater of Will Clark and Rafael Palmiero.

21. Andre Marshall 22. Terry Jones 23. Nick Punto 24. Jason Michaels 25. Taft Cable 26. Mario Delgado 27.Tony Cancio 28. Brian Hansen 29. Wes Carroll 30 Ryan Hutchison 31. Ryan Carter 32. Martire Franco 33. Il Kim 34. Seung Lee 35. Rod Perry

End of 2001 Prospect Discussion

2001-08-31T20:14:00.000-07:00

August Prospect Update:

I decided to do the update by teams this time, dividing players into those who had taken a step forward, those who were treading water, and those who were sinking fast. I’ll send the html version to Dave soon and have him post it. Players are listed where they’ve played the majority of their time:

SWB

Steps forward:

SPECIAL SECTION--guys who got “the call”:

David Coggin--(now with the Phils)--his stats at SWB were good, but nothing special. Only 53 K’s in 97 IP’s, 1.274 WHIP, less than a 2.0 K:BB ratio, yet he has been very successful with the big club in his second turn. He has stepped forward, though, since in 1999 he pitched horribly at Reading, and in 2000 he was mediocre at AA and AAA. His last good year was in low-A ball, and his most significant improvement this year is in his control, which led to a 3.05 AAA ERA. If I could trade this guy for his perceived value now I’d do it in a second.

Nelson Figueroa--(now with the Phils)--doesn’t light up the radar gun, but has lots of movement on his pitches and lots of guts. Uses both sides of the plate and rarely leaves his breaking stuff up in the zone, though he does occasionally put a fastball in the heart of the plate. SWB stats were spectacular 87 IP’s, 74K’s, only 74 hits yeilded, 1.053 WHIP, 4.1 K:BB ratio, and a 2.47 ERA. I hate to jinx the guy, but he pitches like a young Greg Maddox, with the same movement on his fastball, though it’s a few mph slower.

Johnny Estrada--(now with the Phils)--forced to the bigs by injury, he capitalized on a hot spring training, convincing the Phils he could hold down the position. He has been more than adequate defensively, but his two biggest offensive weaknesses are more apparent than ever--no strike-zone control and a tendency to GIDP frequently. He hit .290 in 131 AAA AB’s with a low OPS.

Brandon Duckworth--(now with the Phils)--clearly the best pitcher in AAA baseball this year, if BBA were to rate the Phils prospects today he’d probably be #1. He led the IL in wins, K’s, and ERA (the pitcher’s triple crown) when he was promoted in early August. 147 IP, 122 hits, 150 K’s, a 1.075 WHIP, and a 4.2 K:BB ratio. His ERA was 2.63, and he punctuated his season with a brilliant 2 IP’s in the AAA all-star game. Not bad for an undrafted free agent!

END OF SPECIAL SECTION

Other steps forward:

Eric Valent--improved his BB/AB ratio enough to be a legitimate threat to become a regular major-league outfielder--his defense is excellent, he has a great arm, and he has sufficient power. I expect he’ll be insurance in AAA next year despite the progress he’s shown. I’d like to see him come to camp next spring 20 lbs heavier and a lot stronger, since he doesn’t have great speed anyway. OPS currently at .855, he leads the team in RBI’s and has less than a 2 K:BB ratio.

Kevin Orie--career minor leaguer who gave himself a chance to get back to the bigs again after failing with the Cubs. He has fielded 3B quite well, and is the most patient hitter we have in AAA (talk to Reggie Taylor, please!). Currently sporting an .864 OPS with a .404 OBP and 30 doubles. If Rolen goes down, he would be head and shoulders better at third than Kevin Jordan or Felipe Crespo

Doug Nickle--he was unreal up until his last two outings with a 1.04 ERA into August. His ERA currently is 1.41 with a 1.086 WHIP and a 1.8 K:BB ratio. He’s has been primarily a set-up reliever, though he’s finished 21 games with 6 saves.

Matt Walbeck--acquired from the Reds, has hit .333 in his first month at SWB.

Pete Zamora--the rule V minor league draftee has posted good enough numbers to get noticed, he might make the show as a lefty specialist.

Treading Water:

Tom Jaquez--continues to be effective without being spectacular.

Jason Boyd--a low ERA and high K’s combine with only a mediocre WHIP. Used similarly to Nickle.

Reggie Taylor--a severe ankle sprain early in the season kept him out of the lineup for a month, and hampered his hitting for a month afterward. Since mid-June he’s hitting over .300 with power and his walk rate is up, but still lower than it needs to be. Current OPS is .675.

Jason Michaels--looking more and more like a AAAA player, he’s hitting only .256 with a .756 OPS. No speed, no power, no OBP usually keeps an outfielder in the minors.

Nick Punto--fielding well at SS, he walks quite a bit and steals bases, but he’s only hitting .235. A .641 OPS won’t get you to the bigs, but if he hits .270-.280 next year he’s got a chance.

Sinking fast:

Evan Thomas--took a really long time to start pitching well after off-season ankle surgery. The Phils never liked the 5’9” righty anyway. I suspect he’ll be a minor league free agent departure this winter. ERA is 5.28 with a WHIP over 1.5.

On to AA!

Reading is a fairly interesting list, especially the pitchers:

Steps forward:

Marlon Byrd--this one you know--if he’s not the number 1 prospect, he’s number 2. Adjusted well to CF, just as he adjusted to the level jump. He could be a 30-30 guy in the minors, a rare accomplishment. His current OPS is .966 with 25 HR’s and 23 steals. I’d like to see him get the chance to make the team next spring, he’s not that young.

Brett Myers--slumped through mid-summer, but back on track now. I still don’t see him as an A+ prospect as many do, but he’s very good and still young. There are not many 20-year-olds pitching in AA as effectively as he is. Tends to overthrow when in trouble and miss his spots, but he is apparently working on that now. 1.328 WHIP (too high for a top-notch prospect) and a 3.0 K:BB ratio (showing improved control). He’s allowed 20 HR’s and opponents are hitting .275 against him, both numbers also too high for a premeire pitcher.

Carlos Silva--though he has been somewhat erratic, this has been his best year in the Phils’ system. His 1.236 WHIP is reflective of great control rather than deceiving stuff--he sometimes throws hard but straight. 3.3 K:BB ratio.

Mickey Lopez--very patient hitter, Lopez was acquired from the Brewers for Bobby Sismondo (PTBNL) and has played SS and 2B and hit at the top of the order for the RPhils. Lopez is too old (27) to be a great prospect, but a .370 OBP is nothing to sneeze at in a versatile infielder.

Brian Harris--good power numbers for a SS/2B, the switch hitter kills lefty pitching and could be a very useful platoon infielder (if anyone still does that!). .748 OPS currently with 39 extra base hits

Andy Dominique--played catcher, 1B, and some limited 3B this year, has been promoted to SWB recently. He learned how to hit again this year, but is a bit too old to be a true prospect. His .848 Reading OPS would look good coming off the bench, though.

Treading Water:

Frank Nunez--can’t seem to pitch in relif, but still shows his 97 mph heater as a starter. Still inconsistent. More than a K per IP, but a high WHIP

Rusty McNamara--injury killed his season.

Mark Outlaw--double jump was tough on him.

Jeremy Wedel, Cary Hiles--inconsistent, low K/IP numbers for short relievers (Hiles can hit, though--he DH’d twice when Reading was short-handed)

Jason Johnson--fast, excellent defensive CF had a good first half repeating in the FSL but has yet to really play well at Reading. Older prospect must steal bases and hit for average to advance.

Sinking Fast:

Josue Perez--injury and attitude problems, hitting under the Mendoza line.

Uri Casillas--not hitting, too old to have an off year.

Geoff Geary--not getting it done, recently moved to relief.

Jason Kershner--stats worse than last year, couldn’t handle AAA

Clearwater is the home of many of the organization’s pre-season top prospects, but all is not good news here:

Steps forward:

Travis Chapman--not mentioned in any pre-season prospect listing, the 6’2”, 190 lb 3B taken in the 17th round of the 2000 draft out of Mississippi State has continued his excellent, balanced offensive production. Hitting .321 with an .821 OPS, the 22-year-old needs to develop a little more power (which his frame suggests he will) to continue along the road to becoming one of the organization’s top prospects. He has committed only 11 errors in 76 games at 3B and drawn 35 walks in 280 AB’s, but only has 21 extra-base hits.

Miguel Ascencio--an enigma last year when he pitched very well in 5 games at Clearwater but struggled at Batavia, Ascencio has put it together this summer to become the ace of the CLW staff. He has struck out 100 batters in 130 IP and has a WHIP of 1.300 to go along with his 2.91 ERA and team-leading 10 wins. His only weakness is control, which should improve as this 20-year-old matures

Martire Franco--the number 2 pitcher on the CLW staff is more than a year younger than Ascencio, but seems very poised for his age. His record is 9-7 with a 3.78 ERA, but his K/IP ratio is low and he allows more than a hit per IP. He’ll have to keep improving to stay ahead of the young arms now at Lakewood

Chris Keelin--shares the closing duties with Brad Pautz, and is the more impressive prospect with his 71 K’s in 58 IP

Brad Pautz--leads the team in saves, has great stuff but goes through periods where he’s being hit hard. Good control (only 18 BB’s in 52 IP) and good stuff are his trademarks, and may allow this former starter to make the show as a set-up man.

Treading water:

Chase Utley--he’s shown more power (13 home runs is good in the FSL) and continues to improve his fielding, but his low average (.251) and falling walk rate are concerns. A .738 OPS with only a .318 OBP are not good enough for a first round draftpick to continue to be a top-ten prospect.

Nate Espy--he continues to show power and patience, but he must take one more step forward offensively to become a legitimate prospect as a first baseman. His .800 OPS is good but not great for a 23-year old cleanup hitter in the FSL.

Jorge Padilla--without the injuries he might have taken a step forward, but he has been out three times this year with nagging problems (especially his hamstring). His .828 OPS leads the team, but the 21-year-old outfielder who has been compared to Sammy Sosa needs to find a way to stay healthy.

Anderson Machado--still fielding his position exceptionally (and more consistently), he just can’t seem to find a consistent way to contribute offensively. A .735 OPS in the FSL isn’t too bad for a slick-fielding SS, but it’s not as high as you would expect from a FSL repeater (even though he’s only 20 years old). Recently promoted to Reading, where he’s hitting below .200.

Brad Baisley--recently promoted to Reading, the 6’9” righty just can’t seem to get his act together following his arm injuries over the last two years. He posted a better than 2.0 K:BB ratio at CLW, but he has lately been hit pretty hard at Reading.

Ryan Madson--a slow start followed by a July injury has hampered his development. He continues to post good K:BB numbers (2:1) but has yielded far too many hits

Sinking fast:

Julio Campos--he lost 2/3 of the season to injury after tearing up the GCL last summer. No way to tell whether he can handle the higher level since he plays only about once a week]

Alex Giron--repeated CLW and didn’t improve, looks like an organizational player.

Russ Jacobson--showing little power, no patience at the plate, and not hitting for average (though he has improved in the second half). He has good defensive skills which should allow the catcher to advance despite a sub-par year. Persistent rumors say he’s not focused on baseball, which he needs to be given his production.

Jay Sitzman--a very slow start, followed by a scorching mid season, followed by a late season slump led to a .677 OPS for this fleet CF out of Arizona State. Needs to become far more patient at the plate.

Frank Brooks--classy lefty can’t get high A hitters out consistently, either as a starter or in relief.

Justin Fry--a very high ERA for Piedmont’s premiere reliver last year.

Greg Kubes--despite a selection to the FSL all-star team, Kubes has a high ERA, low strikeouts, and a high WHIP.

Lakewood was a question mark coming into the season (although their offense looked very weak), and the prospect development here has been a pleasant surprise.

Steps forward:

Taylor Buchholz--a 19-year-old chosen the opening day starter for the Blueclaws, he’s 7-1 since a 1-10 start--this highly regarded 2000 HS draftee has paid dividends in the second half of the season. A 1.260 WHIP and a 2.2 K:BB ratio indicate advancement potential. He leads the SAL in CG’s and shutouts. Might be pitching a few too many innings.

Mario Delgado--coming out of nowhere this 2001 mid-round draftee shocked even the Phils. He destroyed the pitching in the GCL for a week, and they promoted him to Lakewood where he’s been the best hitter in the league for a month. A .964 OPS with .581 SLG, he continued to produce despite suffering a painful shoulder injury that restricted his swing (from which he’s just now only partially recovered). Lefty swinging college outfielder moved to 1B by the Phils.

Ambi Reyes--a slick fielding infielder, Reyes finally learned to hit with consistency this year, but he still needs to learn to hit with power or take a few walks or he’ll top out at AAA. Reyes plays 2B, SS, and 3B extremely well, though the Phls seem to like him best at 2B. He hit .285 at Lakewood before being promoted to CLW where he’s now batting over .320.

Juan Richardson--finally showing some of what the Phils believe is exceptional talent. He’s hitting for power and taking walks, but his sub-.240 average has got to be improved for him to be a real prospect. He’s only 20 years old, so there’s still time. His OPS is a very respectable .775 given his low average.

Wes Carroll--has been here too short a time to make a final judgement, but he’s hitting .310 with an .800 OPS so far.

Rob(inson) Tejada--leads the team’s starters in ERA and strikeouts, averaging a K per IP. His 1.181 WHIP and 2.7 K:BB ratio are impressive for a young power pitcher who had previously only pitched impressively to the radar gun in the US.

Treading water:

Anthony Hensley--came back from a career threatening shoulder injury, still stealing bases and drawing walks. Playing much better lately after a very slow start. Needs to shift to CF.

Keith Bucktrot--pitched a no-hitter against the offensively challenged ChWVa club, but has been very inconsistent. Still young, but almost a year older than Buchholz.

Ryan Carter--best lefty starter in the Phils minor league organization now, but he is still struggling with control. Promoted to CLW where his numbers are similar. Averages almost a K/IP and less than a hit/IP.

Yoel Hernandez--averages less than a hit/IP but with fairly low K/IP totals. Not nearly as dominating as he was at GCL last year. Only 18 years old, has time to improve.

George Rodriguez--great numbers at Lakewood (0.47 ERA) but failed when promoted earlier in the season to CLW.

Andy Elskamp--lots of K’s per IP, but not used in game-finishing situations.

Dan Adams, Eude Brito, Trevor Bullock, Chad Sadowski--all four have ERA’s lower than 2.50 and are pitching very well in relief. Bullock is the closer and a lefty, all might be prospects, but need more work at a higher level to be sure.

Jarrod Lawson--appears to be regaining his arm strength after surgery. Numbers this year are encouraging, especially the K/IP ratio of about 1:1.

Sinking fast:

Reggie Griggs--older GCL hitting star was injured and released.

Carlos Acevedo--corner OF is all tools, no performance. OPS of .603.

Dario Delgado--NYP all-star 1B seems to have reached his limit--.496 OPS

Kennon McArthur--catcher who simply can’t hit.

Dan Tosca--see Kennon McArthur

Scott Youngbauer--erratic SS who doesn’t walk or hit for average--has a little bit of power, but limited range.

Jason Barnette--CF needs to learn to take a walk, OBP only .285 with no power.

I’ll do the short season leagues a bit differently, listing those who have shown enough to be considered prospects, and those who have given some reasons for hope. In these leagues players are sometimes making large adjustments, and a bad year (or even two for a young player) don’t eliminate a player from prospect status.

GCL/Batavia:

Prospects on the rise:

Carlos Rodriguez: at 17 he’s a year younger than most of his competition in the GCL, yet he leads the littlest Phils’ regulars in SLG and RBI and is second in OBP. he’s playing a very consistent shortstop, committing only 6 errors in 26 games despite the hard Florida infields and the mid-day sun. He looks like an A+ prospect.

Mark McRoberts: like all of the Phils’ catching prospects, he’s got an achilles heel, a low batting average, but he leads the GCL Phils in HR’s, and is patient at the plate.

Antonio (Tony) Cancio: finally starting to hit, but is not showing the expected power yet. The 19-year-old first baseman is repeating GCL, but that’s not uncommon for American HS players, and power hitters are traditionally slower to develop out of HS.

Entire GCL pitching staff: they all pitch too few innings to get a clear picture of their potential, and predicting their potential is complicated by the pitcher’s backgrounds (the Latin players having often played professionally for one or two previous years overseas, the college players and HS players being mixed...). The best of the lot seem to be Vinny DeChristofaro with a 1.65 ERA, Carl Dawson 31 K’s and 4 BB’s in 31 IP’s (but he’s a college guy, so the numbers might be misleading), Ezequiel Astacio, who has posted the best numbers of the trio of Latin starters. Cabrera has been wild (but is andyb's favorite, and he's been right before) and Arteaga is giving up more than a hit per IP. Relief pitchers are anyone’s guess at this point.

Danny Gonzalez--started the season committing an error per game playing SS at Batavia, but has really settled down over the last 20 games. He shows some pop with his bat, and he’s a HS draftee in a predominantly college league, so his moderate BA and OPS can be excused. [color=red]Fielding is receiving rave reviews in Spring Training 2002 after looking great in the FIL.[/color]

Ryan Howard--has shown power and patience, but it’s too early to tell much more. He had a 5 for 5 game this week, and his OPS is .874 after his first 26 games.

Rod Perry--low average, but good defense in CF and patience at the plate. He’s a great athlete with limited baseball experience, so he might develop later than most college players.

GG Sato--the Japanese college catcher has shown power at the plate, but is not refined defensively and is over-agressive offensively at times.

I don’t really like any of the Batavia starting pitchers except Il Kim and Seung Lee--Kim had a brilliant game this week and is starting to get some strikeouts, which combine well with his excellent control to give him a 4.6 K:BB ratio. Lee has just started to pitch after undergoing back surgery and reporting out-of-shape. Relievers Ryan Hutchison (0.47 ERA) and Nick Glaser (7:1 K:BB ratio) have been impressive.

Reasons to hope (still):

Mike Wilson--Batavia starter not back to where he was before surgery yet.

Andres Silvera--great offensive 2B last year in the GCL, slumping at Batavia this summer.

Deudis Duran--good offensive stats, but the 2B is repeating the GCL.

Anyelo Brito--good glove, no offense from the GCL SS.

Bryan Hansen--too soon to tell anything about the late-signing HS power hitting 1B at GCL.