Pharm Report: AA Reading Fightins

The Phillies ‘AA’ level minor league club, the Reading Fightin' Phils, have bolted out to a first place lead in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League.

The Fightin' Phils are 29-14, on a four game winning streak which has them 2.5 games up on the Hartford Yard Goats farm team of the Colorado Rockies organization.

This is the 50th anniversary of the Phillies relationship with the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, and the franchise is celebrating all year long with various events and giveaway items.

The timing couldn't be better for the fans pouring into FirstEnergy Stadium. The Fightin' Phils have a talented ball club with some exciting prospects.

Manager Dusty Wathan's squad just suffered a personnel loss, the type which minor league affiliate clubs are all too familiar with.

The Phillies top prospect, shortstop J.P. Crawford, began his season with Reading. Crawford was hitting .265 with a .398 on-base percentage, 23 runs scored, and five stolen bases when he was promoted over the weekend to the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Remaining at Reading to lead the offense are a trio of interesting hitters, the best of whom is catcher Jorge Alfaro.

The soon-to-be 23-year old Alfaro got off to a torrid start, but then missed a few weeks early on with an oblique injury. Since returning a couple of weeks ago he has continued to rake.

Phillies 2015 Report Card: Starting Pitchers

To fashion the worst Philadelphia Phillies season since 1972, a deficiency in talent and results from the 2015 starting pitching rotation was a key element. 

However, mixed in with those deficiencies were a few notable bright spots.

Fifteen different pitchers took the mound at the start of a game for the Phillies this past season. 

Thirteen of those made at least five starts apiece, while seven received double-digit starting assignments.

Those seven who did receive at least 10 starts all received at least 13. They will receive grades on their performances, along with the next highest, who received eight starts.

If others want to waste time grading the performances of the other seven starting pitchers individually, that’s fine. 

Suffice it to say that both individually and as a group, they receive an ‘F’ from me.