How do the Phillies match-up with the Braves?

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Freeman and Harper will lead their teams for years to come

Following a half-decade of losing baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies are trying desperately to build their roster back to a truly competitive level.

Ownership opened their wallets this past off-season, shelling out hundreds of millions of dollars to upgrade the starting lineup.

Last summer, the Phillies surprised many by taking and holding first place in the National League East Division for much of the summer. However, the club eventually collapsed over the final seven weeks of the season to finish in third place, once again with a losing record.

Bolting past the Phillies were the Atlanta Braves, who themselves were coming off a string of losing campaigns. Heading into the 2018 season, the Braves had suffered through four consecutive losing seasons. From 2015-17, Atlanta never finished closer than 23 games to the top of the division.

So, both the Phillies and Braves were awful for years coming into the 2018 season. But in the end, the Braves won a division crown, only their second since 2005. The Phillies missed the postseason for a seventh consecutive season.

There was a surge in excitement around the Phillies after the big cash outlay this past off-season. And as the 2019 season got underway at Citizens Bank Park, the Phillies swept the Braves, outscoring their rivals by 23-11 over three late-March games and looking for all the world like the better ball club.

Flash forward four months, and things could not look any different. The two teams have met seven times since that opening series, with Atlanta winning five of those. Over the last three meetings, the Braves have now outscored the Phillies by a 30-10 margin.

The standings reflect this change as well. The Phillies early season lead in the division evaporated in a cloud of injuries, poor pitching, and inconsistent offensive production. Meanwhile, the Braves caught fire and again bolted to the top.

After Friday night’s 9-2 victory, Atlanta now leads the Washington Nationals by 5.5 games in the NL East standings, with the Phillies now 6.5 games back. And the fact is, the talent gap appears grimly wider than that between the two teams.

An examination of the two starting lineups, both now and projected over the coming seasons, reveals a major challenge ahead for the Phillies in trying to catch and stay with the Braves.

How long can Andy MacPhail survive as Phillies organization again ranked poorly?

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After four years, MacPhail's organization stuck in neutral

The folks at Baseball America collectively produce one of the most respected all-around resources in the game. They are well known for their prospect, draft and minor league coverage. And they also provide some of the best coverage of the deeper issues involving all aspects of the game.

Baseball America is also really good at coming up with lists and rankings. They regularly provide updated rankings lists of the top prospects in each organization. They also do overall organizational rankings as well, which reflect the state of each club’s minor league talent situation.

The Philadelphia Phillies were ranked just 23rd among the 30 big-league organizations prior to the 2019 season. Now the Baseball America organizational ranking has been updated, as they note: “taking the 2019 MLB Draft, our updated Top 100 and new team Top 30s into consideration.”

Those newly considered factors did not help the Phillies. In fact, the organization has now dropped two places, down to just 25th among 30 clubs in Major League Baseball.

Only five organizations are rated lower right now, including the division rival New York Mets just behind in the 26th spot. The Washington Nationals are just ahead of both, sitting in the #24 slot.

The Atlanta Braves embarrassment of prospect riches continues to grow. The defending NL East champions and current division leaders are now ranked in the #3 position. Meanwhile, the rebuilding Miami Marlins have entered the top ten in the #10 spot.

With third baseman Alec Bohm at #37 and pitcher Spencer Howard coming in at #68, the Phillies have just two of the current Baseball America top 100 prospects. It’s not only BA thinking poorly of the Phillies top-level minor league talent. MLB Pipeline currently has just Bohm (36) and pitcher Adonis Medina (75) among their top 100 prospects. Bohm (54), Howard (56) and Medina (71) show up among the current Fangraphs top 100 prospects.

By contrast, the Braves have a half-dozen in the Baseball America top 100, including three youngsters rated higher than Bohm. Both MLB and Fangraphs have the Braves with five on their lists, with four of those ranking higher than any Phillies prospect.

Alec Bohm, Spencer Howard should be untouchable at the 2019 deadline

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2018 first rounder Alec Bohm is a Phillies trade untouchable

The 2019 Major League Baseball trade deadline arrives on July 31, now just over a week away. By all accounts, the Philadelphia Phillies intend to be buyers.

With this team still firmly in the National League Wildcard race and within striking distance of the NL East crown, Phillies general manager Matt Klentak is surely working the phones, trying to shore up his roster and fill the club’s needs.

Those needs include more talented bench options, as much help to upgrade the bullpen as Klentak can find, and possibly even an experienced everyday center fielder. Most of all, the GM is trying to plug one, maybe two arms into his starting pitching rotation.

Here at Phillies Nation, we’ve reported on all of the names being attached to the Phillies by the rumor mill. Those include pitchers such as Madison Bumgarner, Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Marcus Stroman and Matthew Boyd.

In order to acquire any of these pitchers, the Phillies are going to have to give up something of value. That could include outfielder Nick Williams, second baseman Cesar Hernandez, or third baseman Maikel Franco. It may also mean a pitcher such as Nick Pivetta, Zach Eflin, or Vince Velasquez moving on.

Even more likely is that the Phillies are going to have to dip into their minor league system, surrendering prospects in a deal. Those names could include pitchers Adonis Medina, Enyel De Los Santos, Ranger Suarez, JoJo Romero and Francisco Morales.

Position playing prospects who could be dealt include outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz and shortstop Luis Garcia. You might even see the club willing to move either Adam Haseley or Mickey Moniak in the right deal.

However, there are two prospects, one an arm, one a bat, who are likely considered untouchable over these next nine days. Those prospects would be third baseman Alec Bohm and starting pitcher Spencer Howard.

Bohm was the Phillies first round draft pick a year ago out of Wichita State. Since turning pro, Bohm has done nothing but rake. This season, split between Low-A Lakewood, High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading, Bohm is slashing .323/.391/.547 with 14 home runs, 42 extra-base hits, 57 RBIs and 53 runs scored over 373 plate appearances in 86 games.

Reading Fightin Phils feature four top Phillies draft picks

Randolph, Moniak, Bohm, Haseley at Reading end of June 2019
(photo credit: George Young Jr)

Many fans of the Philadelphia Phillies make the trip to FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, Pennsylvania at some point. Roughly 75-80 miles northwest of Philly, those fans make the trip to watch the Reading Fightin’ Phils, the club’s Double-A minor league affiliate.

Minor league baseball has its own attractions, with frequent giveaways and other promotional activities. There is often access to the players that you rarely get in a big-league ballpark, and the seating is fantastic in a more intimate setting.

Recently there was something even more exciting for fans who were able to get to Reading. For the first time in the history of the franchise, four Phillies first round draft picks were all being featured in the Fightins lineup at the same time.

The Phillies top prospect, 22-year-old third baseman Alec Bohm, was the club’s first round choice at third overall in the June 2018 MLB Draft out of Wichita State. Bohm was promoted last Thursday from High-A Clearwater after tearing through four levels of the system since being drafted last year.

Bohm made his home debut in Reading with a fantastic performance on Thursday night. “It was an outstanding game, all-around (for Bohm),” said Reading manager Shawn Williams per The Reading Eagle. “He did it all here tonight.”

Bohm has slashed .331/.406/.535 with nine home runs, 32 extra-base hits, 42 RBIs, and 43 runs scored over 298 plate appearances across three levels this season. It was just announced that Bohm has been selected to play for the United States team in the prestigious MLB Futures Game as part of the MLB All-Star festivities next month.

Phillies select Bryson Stott in first round, 40 players total, in 2019 MLB Draft

Bryson Stott was Phillies 2019 first round pick

After three days, the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is now finally complete. 

The Philadelphia Phillies selected 40 players in total, and will now begin the process of negotiating contracts and then assigning players to their minor league system.

The Phillies, who had no second round pick this year due to the signing of free agent Bryce Harper back in late February, had an interesting first seven rounds. During that early phase of the selection process the Phillies chose three shortstops and four pitchers.

Overall, the Phillies draft prospects shake out as follows positionally: 12 left-handed pitchers, 11 right-handed pitchers, 3 catchers, 1 first baseman, 1 second baseman, 5 shortstops, 1 third baseman, 1 corner outfielder, 5 center fielders.

The Phillies selected 21-year-old shortstop Bryson Stott out of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) with their first round pick at 14th overall. Stott had been projected by most pre-draft evaluation services as a likely top ten pick, so the Phillies appear to have gotten strong value.

The second pick came in the third round, and appears on the surface to have been a bit of a reach. The Phillies made shortstop Jamari Baylor that selection at 91st overall. An 18-year-old out of a Virginia high school, Baylor had been projected by MLB as the 161st-ranked prospect, and he did not show up at all in Baseball America’s Top 200 pre-draft rankings.

For a second straight series a top opposition prospect bat debuts against the Phillies

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Brendan Rodgers was the third overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft

For the second straight series, Citizens Bank Park has been part of the introductory process to Major League Baseball for the top prospect of the Philadelphia Phillies opposition.

Earlier in the week, top Milwaukee Brewers prospect Keston Hiura made his big-league debut. The 22-year-old second baseman was the Brewers’ first round selection at ninth overall in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of California-Irvine.

Hiura went just 2-12 over his first three games, with both hits coming in his first start on Tuesday night. But all the California native has ever done is hit, wherever he has played. He was tearing up the Triple-A Pacific Coast League to the tune of a .333/.408/.698 slash line with 11 homers, 24 extra-base hits, 26 RBIs, and 23 runs scored prior to his promotion.

Last night in South Philly it was the visiting Colorado Rockies turn to break in their top prospect. Like Hiura, Brendan Rodgers is also an infielder who was their first round choice, going at third overall in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft out of a Florida high school.

Also like Hiura, Rodgers had been tearing his way through the Pacific Coast League when he got the call. He was slashing .356/.421/.644 at Albuquerque with 20 extra-base hits, nine homers, 21 RBIs, and 34 runs scored.

Rodgers made his big-league debut with the Rockies on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park. (David B. King)

A natural shortstop, Rodgers is expected to play mostly second base in Colorado, the position at which he debuted last night. That is due to the presence of All-Star shortstop Trevor Story already in the lineup for manager Bud Black.

Watching talented young hitters such as this make their entry into the big-leagues, Phillies fans have begun to wonder, where is ours? When will a legitimate top young hitter again come out of the Phillies minor league system and establish himself as a force in Major League Baseball?

Phillies Nation places Alec Bohm at top of latest Phillies Top 20 Prospects rankings

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Alec Bohm ascends to the top of the Phillies prospect rankings

The Phillies Nation official Top 20 Philadelphia Phillies prospect ranking is being updated here based on a survey of select members of our current staff taken as Spring Training wound down back in late March.

Taking part in the survey were Editorial Director Tim Kelly, lead writer Matthew Veasey (yours truly) and staff writers Alec Whitaker and Drew Rhoades.

We each presented individual Phillies top 20 prospect lists. These were subsequently compiled into what you find presented below as our official ranking.

As always, the staff here at Phillies Nation follow the organization on a regular basis, from the lowest levels of the minor leagues on up through the big league club. We regularly read evaluations from industry experts and those who closely follow the team.

In forming our opinions we incorporate those of the scouts and industry experts from various sources including MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, Fangraphs and a variety of other respected outside resources. We also attend games in person at a number of levels and watch televised broadcasts of the big club and minor league affiliates. As often as possible, we work to see players and prospects actually perform on the field with our own eyes as well.

This latest Phillies Nation version of the current Phillies Top 20 Prospects is meant to present fans of the team with a clearer picture of the very best youngsters now moving through the organization’s minor league system.

Our usual standards applied: in order for players to be considered, they must have not used up their rookie qualifications of 130 big-league at-bats or 50 innings pitched with Major League Baseball.

To come up with each player’s ranking, I simply took each of our staffer’s lists and assigned a numeric point value based on those lists. A first place ranking from our staffer got you one point, a fifth place spot five, a 12th place spot got you 12 points and so on.

A dozen prospects found themselves on all four of our lists. You will find them as the No. 1-12 ranked prospects below. The next five from 13-17 were named on three of our four lists. The final three players at 18-20 were on two lists. Two other players were also named on two lists but ranked lower overall.

Full write-ups on the top 10 are supplied with 11-20 simply ranked. And once again as a bonus, players who were mentioned by at least one of our staffers but who did not make the overall top 20 are presented as well.

How might Phillies be affected if the DH comes to the National League?

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Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton homers in Game Four of the 2008 World Series

It’s an idea that has been discussed for at least the last four-and-a-half decades in Major League Baseball. And yesterday that idea of a “universal DH” again arose and spread quickly in discussions across the baseball landscape.

The DH or “Designated Hitter” is not a new concept, nor did the idea begin with its official introduction to the rules of the American League for the 1973 season. The idea of allowing the pitcher to have someone more proficient take their place in the batting order traces back to the earliest days of organized baseball.

As far back as February 3, 1906 the weekly newspaper “Sporting Life” printed the following: “The suggestion, often made, that the pitcher be denied a chance to bat, and a substitute player sent up to hit every time, has been brought to life again, and will come up for consideration when the American and National League Committees on rules get together. This time Connie Mack is credited with having made the suggestion.”

Mack’s suggestion did not gain traction with that rules committee, the press who covered the game, or the general public at that time. But it was an idea that cropped up from time to time. Finally, the pitching dominance experienced in the game as the 1960’s unfolded became impetus for conversations regarding the idea to spark once again.

For the 1969 season, Minor League Baseball began a four-year trial usage of the DH for their games. This led to the American League owners approving in an 8-4 vote the trial use of the DH for three years starting with the 1973 season. It has remained a part of the AL game ever since.

On August 13, 1980 the National League owners held a vote to consider adopting the DH, a measure that was actually expected to pass. With a majority of the 12 NL owners at the time needed to approve, the final vote tally went five against, four in favor, and three abstentions. There has not been another vote for a National League DH since that attempt.

Though the Designated Hitter is used by most other professional leagues around the world, Major League Baseball is not the only place that you will find such a split usage. Japan’s two largest leagues also have a split. The Central League does not utilize the DH, while the Pacific League has used it since the 1975 season.

Yesterday, the issue of a National League DH in Major League Baseball again exploded across social media following the release of an article by MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

In his piece on negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA, the player’s union, regarding possible rules changes, Rosenthal wrote:

“A universal designated hitter — something the players have sought for more than three decades, according to commissioner Rob Manfred — also was part of the union’s proposal. Under the plan, the National League would adopt the DH for the 2019 season.“

Respected evaluators place four Phillies minor leaguers on top prospect lists

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Adonis Medina is becoming one of baseball's top pitching prospects

With just three more weeks to go before pitchers and catchers begin to report for Phillies 2019 spring training in Clearwater, Florida and still no resolution to the Bryce Harper or Manny Machado free agency situations, baseball is moving on – for now.

It is around this time each year that some of the most respected resources begin to release their top prospect lists for the upcoming season. Baseball Prospectus has now joined MLB Pipeline and Baseball America in releasing their lists here at the start of 2019.

The Philadelphia Phillies organization placed four prospects across the three lists Top 100 Prospects rankings (101 in BP’s case), but only one of those was unanimous in appearing on all three lists.

Last August we released our own Phillies Top 20 Prospects list here at Phillies Nation. Finishing at the top of that list was pitcher Sixto Sanchez. Nearly six months later the 20-year-old Dominican right-hander remains the crown jewel of the minor league system.

Sanchez was ranked as baseball’s #13 overall prospect by Baseball America, #21 at MLB Pipeline, and is sitting at #23 on the Baseball Prospectus list.

Two different players, pitcher Adonis Medina and third baseman Alec Bohm, each make an appearance on two of the three lists. Bohm placed second and Medina fourth in our PN rankings last summer. I wrote just last week of Bohm’s upcoming campaign to prove that he is the Phillies third baseman of the future.

Medina is ranked at #57 overall in baseball by Baseball Prospectus and #64 by MLB Pipeline, but does not appear on the Baseball America rankings. Bohm comes in at #50 for MLB Pipeline and #65 with Baseball America but is unranked by Baseball Prospectus.

The final Phillies prospect to show up on one of the major ranking lists is shortstop Luis Garcia, who Baseball America placed as the #88 prospect in all of baseball in their rankings. We had the 18-year-old from the Dominican Republic at #14 in the organization as of last August. Back in October, Baseball America named Garcia the top prospect in the Gulf Coast League.

Frankly, not much happens in a Major League Baseball off-season that would impact genuine change to prospect rankings. The few exceptions would be for trades, career-threatening injuries, or tremendous breakouts in the Arizona Fall League or Caribbean winter leagues.

Here at Phillies Nation, we don’t want to be publishing lists just for their own sake. So, you’ll see our updated rankings towards the end of the upcoming 2019 minor league season in August. Thus, the most recent full on-field performances are factored in with the 2019 MLB Draft results and in-season trades.

Originally published at Phillies Nation as "Four Phillies prospects land on respected 2019 Top 100 lists"

Phillies third baseman of the future? Alec Bohm ready to show it is him

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Bohm was the Phillies 2018 first round draft pick out of Wichita State

Fans of the Philadelphia Phillies have justifiably been distracted in recent weeks by two names. But while Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are gathering contract offers and making their final decisions, perhaps we can take some time to talk about other topics related to the ball club?

There are other possible Hot Stove situations further out on the horizon that have also received some attention from the fans. One of those could come next Fall, when third baseman Nolan Arenado is due to become a free agent if he and the Colorado Rockies cannot reach a contract extension.

Having acquired Jean Segura via trade earlier this off-season, the Phillies would like Machado to play third base for them. If that were to come to pass, then the hot corner would be filled for the foreseeable future.

However, should the club fail to land Machado this year or Arenado next, the Phillies future third baseman could already be in the organization. And I’m not talking about incumbent Maikel Franco.

Last June the Phillies made Alec Bohm of Wichita State University their choice in the first round at third overall in the MLB Amateur Draft. With an advanced bat, it shouldn’t take more than a couple of seasons before Bohm is ready for a crack at the big-leagues.

When Bohm was drafted there were many who speculated he would eventually end up at first base or an outfield corner. But as the Phillies (hopefully) learned this past season with the Rhys Hoskins left field experiment, you cannot simply stick a player in the outfield and hope that his bat makes up for defensive deficiencies.

Hoskins is not a left fielder and never will be one. Nothing about Bohm suggests that he would be a solid defender out there either. With Hoskins now apparently back and settled in at first base for years to come, that position presents more than a roadblock to Bohm.

Based on what we know at this point, Bohm is the Phillies third baseman of the future. As the RotoWire staff pointed out for CBS Sports, if the 6’5 Bohm were to make it and become a regular at the position he would be bucking the odds. Troy Glaus and Kris Bryant are the only players 6-foot-5 or taller to have ever played 200 games at the position in the majors.

Neither Glaus, who bashed 320 homers over a 13-year big-league career from 1998-2010, or Bryant who is one of today’s premier power hitters, would ever be considered a defensive whiz. Their bats were their calling cards.

There is little doubt that the bat will be what carries Bohm as well. If anyone knows hitting, it’s Charlie Manuel. The Phillies 2008 World Series-winning manager was quoted on that bat by Jim Salisbury for Baseball America back in November:

MLB Pipeline names David Parkinson and Adam Haseley top 2018 Phillies prospects

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(Parkinson was a Phillies 2017 draftee out of Ol' Miss)

The writers at MLB Pipeline serve as the primary online resource for minor league prospect information and evaluation as presented by Major League Baseball.

In voting by their staff, outfielder Adam Haseley has been chosen as the Phillies Hitting Prospect of the Year and southpaw David Parkinson as the organizational Pitcher of the Year.

The 22-year-old Haseley is a lefty bat who was the Phillies first round pick at eighth overall in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Virginia.

Haseley slashed .305/.361/.433 with 11 homers, 55 RBI and 77 runs over 512 plate appearances split between High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading this season.

Parkinson will turn 23-years-old in mid-December and was the Phillies 12th round pick in that same 2017 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Mississippi.

The left-hander went 11-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 1.013 WHIP in 22 appearances, 21 of them starts, during the 2018 season. He allowed just 91 hits over 124.1 innings with a 141/35 K:BB ratio. 17 of his outings came with Low-A Lakewood and another five at High-A Clearwater.

The key for Parkinson was learning to more effectively utilize his curve. Jim Salisbury in Baseball America quoted Lakewood pitching coach Brad Bergesen:

“He learned to use it in and out of the strike zone, backdoor to a righty, back foot to a righty. He started to understand how to sequence it better. He’d use an elevated fastball off his curveball, and vice versa…David is very analytic and intelligent. He is advanced in game-planning and sequencing. His preparation is excellent. He has deception in his delivery. He knows his strengths and how they play against a hitter’s weakness. He’s never complacent and is always dedicated to finding a way to get better. The sky is the limit.”

The Phillies had previously honored Parkinson as one of their Paul Owens Award winners, which go to the top hitting and pitching prospects in the organization each year. Austin Listi captured the honors among position players.

Lakewood BlueClaws

✔@BlueClaws

Congrats to 2018 BlueClaw David Parkinson and 2017 BlueClaw Austin Listi, named winners of the Paul Owens Award for top performers in the Phillies Minor League system. https://atmilb.com/2NzBve0 

2:16 PM - Sep 11, 2018

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