Phillies Farm System Report: Top Prospect Figuring it out

Mar 13, 2017; Sarasota, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford (67) walks up to batting practice prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2017; Sarasota, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford (67) walks up to batting practice prior to the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
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Clearwater Threshers

Week Record (2-4)

Year Record to Date (24-19)

Recap and Standouts

The Threshers are another team that has baffled me thus far. There are not many well-known prospects on this team. The handful they do have seem to be underperforming. And the one who has been executing his job at a high level may be hurt at this point.

We will start there. Seranthony Dominguez, who had arguably been pitching better than anyone in the system was randomly pulled from his last start. According to Matt Winkleman, Dominguez suffered an apparent neck injury, during a start. The righty had a 2.02 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 45 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 35.2 innings. Time will tell us what is next for Dominguez, but we hope that he does not miss too much time in his development.

More from That Balls Outta Here

As far as the players on the field, it was not a banner week by any stretch. Franklyn Kilome had another difficult start for the Threshers. He could not make it through three innings, due to reaching his pitch count. He surrendered five hits and two walks in that time that led to two earned runs, and an eventual loss for his team.

On the other hand, Cole Irvin had a fairly strong start in a loss. The lefty tossed five innings, allowing only five hits, three walks, and three earned runs. The outing raised his ERA to 2.14 through the first month and a half.

Offensively, I am becoming increasingly concerned about the former first-round pick, Cornelius Randolph. The left-handed outfielder has not been able to gain any sort of traction at the plate. When a 1-5 day raises a player’s average, it screams that there may be problems.

And, sadly, this is not a Crawford situation. He is not putting together back-to-back eye-opening games. He is nursing one-hit games. It is an even more severe problem for a player that does not have a position. Randolph’s bat is what the Phillies are hoping carries him to the big leagues.

At this point, it seems to be what is holding him back

Schedule