Aug 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris (50) pitches during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Hector Neris (50) pitches during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
The Phillies’ pitching prospects in the short-season leagues provide an added layer of depth to their minor-league system
Thanks to recent trades, amateur drafts, and international signings, the Phillies have truly revamped their minor-league system. Maikel Franco, who the team signed out of the Dominican in 2010, and Aaron Nola, the Phillies’ 2014 first-round pick, are both prime examples of successes of the team’s player development department.
If this season has proved anything for the Phillies, it’s that you can never have too many pitchers. The team has taken this to heart, selecting three pitchers in the first five rounds of this year’s draft, as well as committing $900,000 to Venezuelan right-hander Franciso Morales.
As these pitching prospects start to join the minor-league system, almost all start with either the Phillies’ Gulf Coast League affiliate or the New York-Penn League Williamsport Crosscutters.
While many of the players with those teams are nothing more than a pipe dream, some are legitimate pitching prospects. Without further ado, here are some short-season Phillies pitching prospects you should keep your eye on in the coming years.
What makes Medina stand out over other young pitchers are his advanced secondary pitches. He has a good feel for his curveball and change-up, with both flashing plus. Medina’s fastball has held its velocity, and is high for someone with his stature.
Medina hasn’t struck batters out at the same rate as he did at the rookie-level, but that isn’t to say he’s struggled. In eleven starts, he’s allowed opposing hitters a meager .190 average with a 57% ground-ball rate. Medina is much more efficient on the mound, which should hasten his rise to the majors.
Medina will still be 19 through the rest of the season, with plenty of room to mature and develop. He pounds the strike zone with a solid three-pitch combo, forcing batters into groundouts. Even with just two years stateside, Medina has emerged as a top-tier pitching prospect for the Phillies.
The Phillies selected Bailey Falter in the fifth round in last year’s draft, counting on his projection. Falter threw a mid-80s fastball and two bleh secondary pitches, but there was plenty of physical maturation on his tall, slender frame.
Despite a fringe arsenal, Falter found success in 28 GCL innings last year. He walked just 2.6% of opposing batters with a 2.89 FIP (fielding-independent pitching).
Now with Williamsport, Falter’s velocity has risen considerably, as he now reaches the low-90s comfortably. His change has looked notably better with some good fade on it. His curveball still needs work, but it could become decent in time.
Falter has looked particularly effective in his last five starts, carrying a 2.55 ERA in that time. Since July, Falter has walked more than one batter in a start just once. His best performance came July 21, where he struck out ten batters in six shutout innings.
With a much better arsenal, Falter now looks like he could be a back-end starter. Like every other pitcher here, it will be several years before Falter nears the majors, but his chances look far better now.
A name like Sixto garners attention on its own. Tack on an impressive stateside debut with the GCL Phillies, and now we have a prospect.
Sanchez, whom the Phillies signed as an international free agent in February of 2015, has dominated the Gulf Coast League despite his young age (he just turned 18 in July). He has an astoundingly low 0.56 ERA with a 22.4% strikeout percentage. In addition, Sanchez has kept the ball in the zone, walking just 1.5 batters per nine innings.
Despite his small stature, Sanchez cracks the mid-90s with his fastball often and can even hit the upper 90s. Sanchez keeps it low in the zone, preventing batters from getting solid contact on it. His secondary pitches are a work-in-progress, but that is common for pitchers still in their teenage years.
While Sanchez doesn’t have the arsenal of Medina, Sanchez still should see plenty of attention on prospect rankings this winter. It’s hard to project out where he could end up this early, but he’s certainly had a great start in the Phillies’ system.
Next: Kevin Gowdy
RHP Kevin Gowdy (GCL Phillies) – 6’4 170, 11/16/97
Phillies scouting director Johnny Almaraz praised Gowdy’s polish after the team selected him, saying:
“I’m a believer you can’t teach somebody how to pitch. He’s got that innate ability to pitch and get hitters out and that’s what we want in this organization, frontline pitchers.”
It’s unlikely the team would rush Gowdy back to the mound this season, but he should get plenty of action in Instructs. If the team likes what he does this offseason and in extended spring training, he could see Williamsport next year, but is more likely to return to the Gulf Coast League.
Next: Others to Watch
Aug 23, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jake Thompson (44) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports /
Other Names to Watch
RHP Felix Paulino-2016 marks Paulino’s third year in the Phillies organization and his first above rookie-level. He’s made 11 starts for Williamsport, walking just 4.4% of batters. Paulino’s strikeout rate has been unimpressive at just 17.7%, despite a four-pitch mix. Paulino’s fastball can hit 94-95, but his secondary pitches need a real step up before he draws more prospect attention. VIDEO
LHP Nick Fanti-Fanti continues to put up impressive numbers in the GCL, posting a 1.51 ERA in 47.2 innings so far this season. His 0.86 WHIP is second on the GCL Phillies behind Sixto Sanchez. The Phillies selected Fanti as a project in the 31st round of last year’s draft, hoping he can add some strength to his lean frame. For now, Fanti’s stock rides on command and secondary pitches that could be above-average. VIDEO
RHP Luis Carrasco– Carrasco has a solid low-90s fastball going for him, but his delivery needs work. He will turn 22 in September, so the clock is ticking for the right-hander.
