Phillies prospect Cornelius Randolph has had enough of our impatience
Cornelius Randolph has received a lot of beef from fans since being drafted with the 10th overall last year. His development has not been as expedited as other prospects in the organization, but Randolph is here to remind us it’s a process.
The culture shock of coming out of high school in Georgia to being a first round pick in Philadelphia for Randolph may finally be hitting. When Phillies fans talk about the top prospects in the organization, Randolph is easily forgotten.
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Randolph’s place in the organization is an even bigger question, considering he’s primarily a center fielder. The team has Odubel Herrera in place for at least five years, and used their first overall pick on center fielder Mickey Moniak last year.
Last season the 19-year-old struggled with injuries, and only played in 68 games in his first full year as a professional. In 121 games between the Phillies Gulf Coast league and Single-A Lakewood, Randolph has hit .279 with three home runs.
The Phillies drafted Randolph for his ability to hit, and have hoped some power could develop as he moves through the minors.
While every fan hopes to see a teenager like Bryce Harper fly through the organization and be an impact bat from day one, we do have to cool the jets.
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Randolph is right about fans needing to take their foot off the gas and calling him a bust, but being a number one pick comes with expectations.
Hopefully Randolph doesn’t ruffle too many feathers on his road to the show, and can be an impact bat in Philadelphia’s next championship lineup.