That Balls Outta Here
FanSided

Philadelphia Phillies 2018 top prospects: Nos. 11-15

By John Town

PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 27: The Phillie Phanatic performs during the seventh inning stretch during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on May 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 4-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 27: The Phillie Phanatic performs during the seventh inning stretch during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on May 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 4-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Phillies
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 27: The Phillie Phanatic performs during the seventh inning stretch during a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds at Citizens Bank Park on May 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies won 4-3. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

No. 12: Shortstop Jonathan Guzman

The Phillies international scouting department has been scooping up plenty of intriguing prospects the last few years, and one of those is shortstop Jonathan Guzman. He put up strong numbers in the Dominican rookie league in 2016 and came stateside at just 17 years old.

Guzman actually started the year in short-season Williamsport, collecting five hits and four walks in six games there before being reassigned to the Gulf Coast League. There he posted a .248/.299/.320 line in 38 games with a 6.7 percent walk rate and 14.5 percent strikeout rate.

Even though his stats weren’t that impressive, Guzman still has plenty of tools to make him a strong shortstop prospect. Ben Badler of Baseball America said the following about Guzman in the Phillies top ten prospect chat:

More from That Balls Outta Here

"He’s very good. Don’t see much similarity to Crawford, but he’s definitely going to stick at shortstop, he fields the position well, and even though the overall line at the end of his season wasn’t good, I think his swing, hand-eye coordination and overall high baseball IQ are all positive indicators for his offensive potential. He played pretty much the whole year at 17, so he’s essentially the same age as a current high school senior. Put him in the draft next year, especially with the lack of shortstops there, and he could go in the first round. It’s going to take some patience with him because of the age and lack of strength, but he should be jumping into their top 10 list at some point."

Guzman will likely play next year in Williamsport at just 18 years old and should be an interesting follow through the farm system as he develops.

Home/Phillies Prospects