Phillies Post-2016 Top 30 Prospect Rankings Wrap-Up
By John Town
Now that the TBOH Phillies prospect rankings are all wrapped up, we’ll sum up the rankings and take note of the farm system’s outlook.
The Phillies farm system is perhaps the most intriguing part of their organization. It has to be at least somewhat interesting if I could write six articles that contained upwards of 2500 words in each one. If you haven’t read each individual section of rankings, I’ll link them here for you: 1-5 | 6-10 | 11-15 | 16-20 | 21-25 | 26-30 | Names to Note
Pitchers of course led the way, with 13 falling into the top 30. There were three lefties and ten righties on the list. Franklyn Kilome was the highest-ranked pitcher. Out of those 13 pitchers, six pitched in the short-season leagues this year and almost all of them will be in Low-A Lakewood to start the 2017 season.
More from Phillies Prospects
- Prospect Andrew Baker could help Phillies bullpen in 2023
- Phillies manager suggests Andrew Painter could make Opening Day roster
- Phillies No. 1-ranked prospect Andrew Painter receives national accolade
- Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter continues to dominate
- Philadelphia Phillies prospects thriving is a positive sign for the future
The team also had eight outfielders land in the Top 30. Three fell into the top five, with No. 1 draft pick Mickey Moniak leading the way. Roman Quinn was two spots behind Moniak at No. 5, and he made a solid major-league debut in September. I would certainly label these two positions the strength of the system, with depth littered throughout the minors.
Meanwhile, the team’s biggest weaknesses come at the corners of the infield. Rhys Hoskins could be a good hitter from first base, but the inflated Double-A numbers can scare some people away. Cole Stobbe was a solid selection in this year’s draft, but he is far, far away from being anything certain. The depth gets a little better if Jhailyn Ortiz is forced to move to first, but overall prospect pickings are slim from the corners.
More from That Balls Outta Here
- How will Rob Thomson manage the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen in 2023?
- How Phillies’ Ranger Suárez is set to build on 2022 postseason dominance
- What can Philadelphia Phillies expect from Bryson Stott in 2023?
- 3 Reasons to get excited for Phillies’ Craig Kimbrel signing
- 11 Free-agent deals the Philadelphia Phillies wish fell through
Shortstop could also become a hole in the system after J.P. Crawford graduates. The hope is that they won’t need another shortstop, but the team should definitely prepare for the worst-case scenario. I’m not putting my hopes on Malquin Canelo unless his hitting sees some major improvements in the coming season.
All of the players the team selected in the first five years of the most recent draft landed on the list. The aforementioned Moniak came in at No. 3, and second-round pick Kevin Gowdy ranked No. 16 overall. The next three draft picks all landed between No. 21 and 27.
Overall, the class was strong and Baseball America ranked it the fourth-best among all 30 teams in the MLB.
Looking towards the future, the Phillies’ farm system should maintain its top-ten status. They didn’t graduate too many top prospects while building the system well through the draft. Some holes could emerge in the future, but they have enough depth to work with if they have to fill those holes.
Next: Phillies List Job Openings in Analytics Department
As a final note, I just want to thank everyone that took the time to read the prospect rankings. Their view count blew away any post I’ve ever written. They took a lot of time to write, and I’m glad someone finds the farm system as interesting as I do.