That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Top Five Phillies Prospects Who Never Panned Out

By John Town

Jun 17, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Domonic Brown (9) reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 17, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Domonic Brown (9) reacts after striking out during the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
Mar 13, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesse Biddle (70) throws a pitch during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2015; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesse Biddle (70) throws a pitch during the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Bright House Field. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

#2. Jesse Biddle

Jesse Biddle had plenty going for him when the Phillies selected him in the first round of the 2010 draft out of Germantown. The lefty got to play for his childhood team, a true dream for kids across the country.

Biddle put up solid strikeout numbers throughout his first several seasons in the minors, using his solid fastball-curve mix to punch out batters across the lower minors. After two solid seasons of production and the raw tools to be a top-tier starter, Baseball America saw it fit to rank Biddle the No. 1 prospect in the Phillies system prior to the 2013 season.

Jul 14, 2013; Flushing , NY, USA; USA pitcher Jesse Biddle throws a pitch during the 2013 All Star Futures Game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 14, 2013; Flushing , NY, USA; USA pitcher Jesse Biddle throws a pitch during the 2013 All Star Futures Game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

When Biddle reached AA Reading in 2014, his career started to go off the rails. He suffered a concussion in a freak hailstorm and had to deal with mental health problems. He managed to make 16 starts with the Fightin’ Phils in 2014, but control continued to plague him.

Biddle started 2015 back in Reading as part of the “Fab Five” rotation. He wasn’t punching batters out at the same rate, but his walk rate was its lowest since 2012, a promising sign for a pitcher who needed something to build on.

Biddle moved one step closer to the big-leagues after his promotion to AAA Lehigh Valley. The elevated competition caused Biddle to struggle, as his ERA ballooned to 6.25 while he gave up a WHIP of 1.88. His elbow started to bother him as the year went on, and it eventually led to Tommy John surgery in October.

With Biddle out-of-commission for a year and declining numbers, his time in the Phillies system was coming to an end. The Phillies traded Biddle to Pittsburgh for Yoervis Medina, who was released in June.

The Pirates designated Biddle for assignment, with the Braves claiming him off waivers. That is now where Biddle resides as he recovers from Tommy John surgery with the hope he can make a comeback in 2017.

Next: No. 1-It's Obvious Who

Home/Phillies All-Time Lists