Oct 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Scott Kingery of the Scottsdale Scorpions against the Glendale Desert Dogs during an Arizona Fall League game at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Scott Kingery of the Scottsdale Scorpions against the Glendale Desert Dogs during an Arizona Fall League game at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
We’ve officially entered the top ten prospects in the Phillies system. Leading off the top ten is the 2015 second-round pick, second baseman Scott Kingery.
The Phillies 2015 draft class produced two prospects in the top ten of this list, the first being second baseman Scott Kingery. As a junior at Arizona in 2015, Kingery slashed .392/.423/.561 on his way to earning Pac-12 player of the year honors. He played in the outfield his first two seasons in college, but the high school shortstop moved to second his junior year.
The Phillies wanted to test Kingery after the draft, assigning him to Low-A Lakewood upon signing him. He didn’t shine but he wasn’t too bad there. Kingery finished the season with a .701 OPS, stumbling to the finish with a .234/.302/.298 after August 1. It was clear Kingery was fatigued by that point.
Kingery started 2016 with High-A Clearwater performing much better than his initial season in the system. Through 94 games with the Threshers, Kingery had a .293/.360/.411 line with a 128 wRC+. His plate discipline was impressive with a 7.9% walk rate and above-average 12.9% strikeout rate.
Thanks to his torrid hitting in Clearwater, the Phillies promoted Kingery to Double-A Reading at the end of July. He struggled upon reaching Reading, carrying a .606 OPS in 37 games there. Double-A pitchers clearly took advantage of Kingery, striking him out in 21.7% of his plate appearances.
Kingery has the potential for power, flashing some raw power in batting practice. In-game, Kingery has a line-drive oriented swing, so his long-term power will most likely go to the gaps. He hit just five home runs in 586 plate appearances this year, so Kingery’s power is definitely in the developmental stage.
While his power might not become anything special in games, Kingery is still a sound offensive contributor. He puts the ball in play plenty and can beat out ground balls thanks to his plus speed. His speed also translates onto the basepaths and he has the instincts to swipe 30+ bases per season. Between High-A and Double-A, Kingery was 30-for-37 in stolen base attempts this year.
On defense, Kingery can make mistakes, but he should be an average fielder in time. He and J.P. Crawford could form a solid double-play combo in the future.
Kingery may not be the next Chase Utley, but he should still be a solid contributor to the Phillies in the future. Considering his stint in Reading this year went poorly, he will likely return in 2017. A debut next year won’t come until September at the latest, but I fully expect Kingery to replace Cesar Hernandez at some point in the 2018 season.
No. 9: Right-Handed Pitcher Adonis Medina
Adonis Medina was the Phillies breakout pitcher of the Gulf Coast League in 2015, bursting onto the scene at 18 years old. The Dominican prospect threw his fastball into the low-90s while running it up to 97 mph at times. Medina finished the year with a 2.98 ERA and 1.19 WHIP. Baseball America ranked him as the No. 18 prospect in the GCL after the year.
Moving up one step in the minor-league ladder, Medina led a short-season Williamsport team “heavy on raw, but high-upside, Latin talent” according to Matt Winkelman of The Good Phight. Winkelman named Medina the top pitching prospect on the team.
Medina didn’t match his already below-average strikeout rate from the GCL with the CrossCutters. He finished the year striking out just 12.8% of opposing hitters. Medina also struggled with his control down the stretch, walking nearly 12% of batters in August.
While Medina didn’t overpower hitters, he was able to create weak contact.
Medina induced ground balls on 56.72% of batted balls with opposing hitters having a meager .214 batting average on balls in play. The high ground-ball rate is reminiscent of Aaron Nola. I’m not saying Medina and Nola are the same type of pitcher, but they both possess the ability to create groundouts.
Medina is able to induce this high rate of ground balls thanks to his plus fastball that has plenty of sink. There is the hope Medina can have three plus pitches in time. Both his breaking ball and changeup flash plus, but his breaking ball is ahead of changeup. He is more control than command, but even then his control can waver.
Even though Medina didn’t perform well this year, Medina came in as the No. 11 prospect in the New York-Penn League according to Michael Lananna of Baseball America. Lanana said that Medina “should miss more bats as he learns to command his weapons.”
If everything breaks right for Medina, he could have three plus pitches that equates to a solid mid-rotation starter. However, that is a long ways away and his major-league debut may not even come in this decade. Medina could reach his ceiling or completely bottom out by then. The likely future role for Medina is somewhere in the middle as a strong reliever or back-end starter.
No. 8: Catcher Andrew Knapp
Andrew Knapp flew under the radar as a prospect in his first two seasons in the Phillies system. After a quiet debut with short-season Williamsport in 2013, Knapp underwent Tommy John surgery. He was able to return to action the next year, but he hit for a .710 OPS in 2014.
2015 was when Knapp truly came alive as a prospect. He started off the year with a .262/.356/.369 line with High-A Clearwater. Upon a promotion to Double-A Reading, Knapp completely ripped the cover off the ball. In 55 games with the Fightin’ Phils, Knapp hit 11 home runs with a 1.050 OPS. He was a key cog in the lineup that made it to the Eastern League Championship.
With numbers as high as Knapp’s in 2015, they were bound to come down, and they did this year. Knapp spent all of 2016 with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, finishing the year with a .266/.330/.390 line. He hit just eight home runs in 107 games. Knapp struck out a significantly higher rate than in Double-A, striking out 24.2% of the time this year.
Knapp’s production this season is more in line with his future potential at the plate. Scouts see Knapp as line-drive hitter whose power mostly comes from mistake pitches. He is a switch-hitter, hitting for more power from the left side of the plate. He should be able to hit for average, but his power will be limited.
If Knapp doesn’t pan out as a catcher, he may get some time at first base in the future. This notion may only be exacerbated by Jorge Alfaro, who is an overall better defensive catcher. Knapp should get major-league experience behind the plate in 2017 as Cameron Rupp’s backup.
No. 7: Outfielder Cornelius Randolph
Cornelius Randolph is the second prospect from the 2015 draft class in this section of the list. The Phillies selected Randolph with the No. 10 overall pick in the draft that year, signing him to a $3.2 million signing bonus. While he was drafted as a shortstop, the team moved him to left field, where they see him in the future.
Randolph made a strong debut in the Phillies system, hitting .302 in 53 games with the GCL Phillies. He led the team in that category among players with 50 or more plate appearances. The left-handed hitter had a .866 OPS.
Coming into this year, the Phillies challenged the 19-year old Randolph by sending him to full-season Lakewood. He struggled in April before landing on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. He spent more than two months there before returning to action July 7. Randolph looked better upon returning from injury, but he still posted an OPS below .700 and a wRC+ of 99.
Looking at Randolph’s swing in video, it is one of the prettier swings among all hitters in the system. It produces plenty of line drives from the left side of the plate.
A shortstop in high school, Randolph has an above-average arm, but it might be the only above-average aspect of his defense. Randolph clocks in at 5’11 205 pounds, meaning his range will be limited. There is the hope he can be an average fielder in left, but that’s the only position he’s going to play and it’ll be Randolph’s bat carrying him through the minors.
Like most players from the 2015 draft, Randolph is still a good deal away from the majors. In the time between now and when he reaches Philadelphia, Randolph will hopefully add some power to his swing, starting in High-A Clearwater next year. He could easily be a top-of-the-order hitter who mashes for average, but if everything goes well, Randolph could be a No. 3 guy who hits for both power and average.
No. 6: Right-Handed Pitcher Franklyn Kilome
The Phillies’ international scouting department has produced a crop of talented Latin pitchers, none more exciting than righty Franklyn Kilome. Kilome stands 6’6 according to MiLB.com with long, lanky arms that just scream projection.
After two solid seasons in the short-season leagues, Kilome got his first test at full-season action this season with Low-A Lakewood. His first three starts were a mess, allowing five or more earned runs in all three while walking 10 batters.
After those starts, Kilome looked like the top prospect he is, striking out 10.61 batters per nine innings. Opposing hitters had a measly .224 average as Kilome carried a 2.57 ERA, 2.74 FIP, and 1.21 WHIP. Kilome wasn’t perfect, allowing walks to 9% of batters in that span.
Kilome was especially effective from July on this year. His ERA was just 1.96 in 11 starts after July 6, striking out batters at a Jose Fernandez-esque 34.2% clip. His control looked slightly better at 2.72 walks per nine innings.
The parts of Kilome’s game that still need some work are his changeup and command. Kilome’s changeup should be an average third pitch and it flashes even better, but he still needs to work on it. As evidenced by the walk rates above, Kilome’s control and command also need some work.
With Jake Thompson graduated, Kilome is now the best pitching prospect in the system. That label carries a lot of responsibility, but he has shown the raw tools as well as the adaptability to improve over time. Kilome should do well in the pitcher-friendly Florida State League, but Double-A will be a true test for him as a pitcher.
