Phillies Land Three Prospects on MLB.com’s Top 100 Prospect Rankings

Sep 12, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro (38) singles in his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Pirates, 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro (38) singles in his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Pirates, 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

MLB.com ranked three Phillies prospects in their Top 100 Saturday. They lost four prospects off the list compared to this time last year.

MLB.com released their 2017 Top 100 prospect rankings Saturday night after releasing a series of positional rankings. Shortstop J.P. Crawford, outfielder Mickey Moniak, and catcher Jorge Alfaro were the three Phillies to make the top 100. They ranked at No. 7, No. 19, and No. 72, respectively.

Crawford fell two spots this year, dropping from No. 5 to 7. Moniak obviously wasn’t on the list as he was still in high school this time last year. Meanwhile, Alfaro moved up from No. 96 to 72.

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This time last year, Philadelphia had seven prospects on the list, the most for any single team. Crawford, Jake Thompson, Nick Williams, Mark Appel, Cornelius Randolph, Alfaro, and Roman Quinn were the Phils on the list last year.

Williams struggled in 2016, so it was no surprise to see him fall off the list. Appel, Randolph, and Quinn all battled injury last year, so their falling prospect status isn’t a shocker either.

Meanwhile, Thompson exceeded his rookie limits in 2016, so he was ineligible for the list.

In addition to releasing their top-100 list, MLB.com also released their list of who has the best tools. While no Phillie took the crown for any one tool, each of Crawford, Moniak, and Alfaro all were honorable mentions. Crawford was credited for his defense, Moniak for his hitting, and Alfaro for his arm. Crawford also received votes for the “All-Defense Team.”

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With Corey Seager graduating to the majors last year, the title for the No. 1 prospect in baseball was up for grabs. Yoan Moncada was the highest-ranking prospect left on the 2016 list, but Gleyber Torres and Andrew Benintendi also had strong cases for the title. In the end, it was Benintendi who became the new top prospect in the MLB.

The Braves and Yankees tied for the most prospects in the Top 100 with each placing seven on the list. The Yankees had the most “prospect points”, while Atlanta had the third-most. The White Sox had the second-most after making two impact trades this winter with Boston and Washington.

Next: Peter Bourjos Signs With White Sox

The Phils’ farm system lost a lot of steam in 2016, but there is still plenty to be excited about this season even if they don’t dominate the Top 100.

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