Philadelphia Phillies 2018 top 20 prospects: Nos. 16-20

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A look at the top 20 prospects in the Philadelphia Phillies’ farm system starts off with left-handed pitcher Elniery Garcia at No. 20.

2017 could have been a big year for Phillies prospect Elniery Garcia. He pitched well in High-A Clearwater in 2016 and was making the jump to Double-A Reading. There was no indication that he would struggle there, and it could have been the year he jumped to the forefront of the prospect conversation.

Instead, an 80-game PED suspension kept Garcia from logging any significant amount of innings this year. He didn’t make his season debut in Reading until Aug. 9 after a quick pit stop in the Gulf Coast League. In five starts, Garcia walked 17 batters and struck out just 10. He finished his short stint with a 1.75 ERA, but a 4.55 fielding-independent pitching. It wasn’t exactly the step forward we were hoping for from Garcia.

To make up for lost time, the team assigned Garcia to the Arizona Fall League. Through his first four starts there, he has given up nine runs in 14 innings. In that span, he has walked just four batters while striking out 13.

In one of his better starts in the AFL, Garcia’s fastball sat between 89-92 miles per hour, although it can reach upwards of 95 in shorter stints. All of his secondary pitches project to be about average, potentially making him a decent back-end starter. He will have to show sustained success in the upper levels of the minor-leagues before he fulfills that ceiling.

No. 19: Second baseman Daniel Brito

The Phillies were not shy at all with their minor-league assignments this year as several players who played well in the Gulf Coast League in 2016 skipped short-season Williamsport and were sent right to Low-A Lakewood to start out the year. One of those players was 19-year-old Daniel Brito, who posted a .284/.355/.421 slash line in 47 GCL games the year before.

Through his first 26 games, Brito looked like he could handle the higher level of pitching he was facing. In that span, he posted a .333/.379/.454 line with seven extra-base hits.

However, that didn’t last as Brito struggled the rest of the year. He finished the season with a .239/.298/.318 line, winding up with a below-average 81 wRC+. Brito can’t be criticized too harshly as he was skipping a level on the minor-league ladder and it was his first full minor-league season. On the other hand, hitting is his main tool, so Brito needs to show he can hit at every level.

Brito still projects to have an above-average, if not plus, hit tool down the line. His power is unlikely to ever be at that level, but he won’t be a weak hitter, either. Defensively, he should be more than serviceable at second base, but his arm likely will limit him to that position.

Next year, Brito should get a chance to bounce back in Lakewood after a poor start to his career there. He will still be just 20 years old, so he still has time to develop.

No. 18: Left-handed pitcher Kyle Young

The biggest pitcher (both in terms of size and prospect power) heading into the season with short-season Williamsport was the seven-foot lefty, Kyle Young. He had a solid professional debut working mostly out of the bullpen in the Gulf Coast League last year after being drafted in the 22nd round. As it turns out, the Phillies may have gotten a steal.

Getting the chance to work exclusively out of the rotation this year, Young was dominant. He struck out 9.97 batters per nine innings while walking just 2.08 per nine over 13 starts, finishing the year with a 2.77 ERA and an even more encouraging 2.20 fielding-independent pitching.

In addition to taking a step forward statistically, Young’s velocity did as well. His fastball is starting to climb into the low-90s and could very well top out at 95 in the future. Mixed with the extension Young gets thanks to his size, he can overpower hitters. Due to this alone, Young could be a back-end starter. Mix that with ever-improving secondary pitches and Young could continue to move up lists.

No. 17: Outfielder Carlos Tocci

For the first time in his career, Carlos Tocci moved up the minor-league ladder and actually hit well in his first season there. In 113 games at Double-A Reading, Tocci hit .307/.362/.398, good enough for his first season with an OPS above .700 since 2015, his third time in Low-A. He also barely struck out with a 13.9 percent strikeout rate. Tocci’s walk rate wasn’t great at 6.1 percent, but with that high of a batting average and that low of a strikeout rate it’s definitely workable.

No. 16: Right-handed pitcher Thomas Eshelman

I have liked Thomas Eshelman since the Phillies acquired him from the Astros in the Ken Giles trade after the 2015 season. Considering how the other players from the trade have fared, Eshelman may ultimately wind up being the best thing Philadelphia got in the trade.

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Eshelman’s profile is more or less the same since being drafted in 2015. He exhibited 80-grade command at Cal-State Fullerton, and for the most part he still possesses that command. In 150 innings this year, Eshelman walked just 18 batters. Thanks to his command, Eshelman elevates what is an average arsenal at best and makes it work. He finished the year with a 2.40 ERA and 0.973 WHIP between Reading and Lehigh Valley. After his strong season, he received the Paul Owens Award as the top minor-league pitcher in Philadelphia’s farm system.

While Eshelman will never be a top-tier starter, he is about as safe of a prospect as there can be. Thanks to his command, he should be a serviceable back-end starter for the team.

Next: With Phillies manager hired, what comes next?

Eshelman doesn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster this offseason, so a return to the minor-leagues next season is likely. If his success continues, he shouldn’t be stuck there for too much longer.

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