That Balls Outta Here
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Examining the Phillies Short-Season Pitching Prospects

By John Town

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 /
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RHP Sixto Sanchez (GCL Phillies) – 5’10 160, 7/29/98

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

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