Phillies Organization Has Four Prospects Ranked Within Top 50 in Baseball
The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop-of-the-future has been named baseball’s top prospect
Baseball Prospectus, one of the top outlets for baseball prospects, released their midseason Top 50 Prospect List, naming shortstop J.P. Crawford, the Phillies first-round pick in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft, as the best prospect in baseball. Crawford spent the past year in the top 10 across multiple rankings.
Prior to 2016, BP named Crawford the No. 4 prospect across MLB. With the players once listed ahead of him graduating to the major leagues, Crawford was the clear choice.
Crawford has split this season between AA Reading and AAA Lehigh Valley. He continued to show his advanced approach in Reading, posting a higher walk (18.1%) than strikeout percentage (12.7%).
After an initial slump with the IronPigs, Crawford has heated up at the plate. Since June 22, he has put up a .370/.424/.481 hitting split with a 166 wRC+.
Overall, four Phillies prospects made the list in the following spots, three of which came in the Cole Hamels trade:
- SS J.P. Crawford-No. 1
- OF Nick Williams-No. 23
- RHP Jake Thompson-No. 36
- C Jorge Alfaro-No. 46
In their prospect rankings, BP gave a description on why each prospect will likely succeed but also why each could potentially not succeed.
Here is what Baseball Prospectus had to say about these Philadelphia Phillies highly ranked prospects.
Next: J.P. Crawford, SS, Lehigh Valley
J.P. Crawford, SS, Lehigh Valley
Crawford’s recent hot streak could translate to a promotion, but the Phillies are likely to be patient with the 21-year old. He may see a cup of coffee in September, but he has more than ample time to reach the majors.
Here is what Baseball Prospectus had to say about Crawford:
Why He’ll Succeed: He has the broadest base of skills in the minors, and one of those skills is plus defense at shortstop. Couple that with a strong hit tool and approach, note the double-digit home run potential, and you may be looking at a perennial all-star at shortstop. Why He Might Fail: Crawford hasn’t hit as much against upper-minors competition as you’d like to see from your top prospect, the glove and approach give him a very high floor, but if he is more of a .260/.350/.350 hitter, he may just be a solid, everyday guy.
Next: Nick Williams, OF, Lehigh Valley
Nick Williams, OF, Lehigh Valley
Nick Williams would be next in line for a promotion – considering his .174 ISO (raw power) ranks second on the IronPigs – if not for a recent benching from Lehigh Valley manager Dave Brundage for lack of hustle.
Here is what Baseball Prospectus had to say about Williams:
Why He’ll Succeed: Williams has become a more refined hitter in the upper minors, and while he will never be on the first page of the OBP leaderboard, his approach at the plate is better than you would expect if you just looked at his walk rate. He has prodigious plate coverage and a bit of pop, and if you squint you can convince yourself he’s a center fielder. Why He Might Fail: Well, he’s probably not a center fielder. And he doesn’t have that much power. The arm would limit him to left field, where tweener profiles go to die. It is also possible Dave Brundage will just decide to never play him again, too.
Next: Jake Thompson, SP, Lehigh Valley
Jake Thompson, SP, Lehigh Valley
All four of these prospects could be in Philadelphia soon. Thompson is the most likely to join the Phillies first, as he has spent all of this season in Triple-A. His numbers have been solid with a 1.14 WHIP and 2.58 ERA.
Considering the struggles Phillies starting pitchers have had, Thompson could end up in the rotation sooner than we think.
Here is what Baseball Prospectus had to say about Jake Thompson
Why He’ll Succeed: A plus slider leads a solid four-pitch mix with the two-seamer generating plenty of ground-balls. He’ll flash days when the fastball command, slider, and curveball work in concert and appear to be something more than the mid-rotation arm he really is. Why He Might Fail: He’s a four-pitch guy who could lack a consistent swing-and-miss offering, making him more of a back-end starter than something more.
Next: Jorge Alfaro, C, Reading
Jorge Alfaro, C, Reading
Alfaro had a tremendous start at the plate for Reading, but an oblique injury in April put him on the disabled list for two weeks. Considering Alfaro is still in Reading, it’s hard to imagine him joining the major-league club at all in 2016. However, barring another bout of injuries, we could see him behind the plate in Philly at some point in 2017.
Here is what Baseball Prospectus had to say about Jorge Alfaro:
Why He’ll Succeed: If he refines his approach to the point that it allows both the hit and (big raw) power to fully blossom, his high-end athleticism allows him to stick behind the plate where his arm is a true weapon. He could the rare middle-of-the-order catcher. Why He Might Fail: The glove might not work behind the plate, which would put too much pressure on a profile that’s dependent on a merely solid hit tool, even if the expected power does arrive.