We are now getting to the top 10 prospects in the Philadelphia Phillies farm system, leading off with right-handed pitcher Franklyn Kilome at No. 10.
I’ve been following Franklyn Kilome ever since I started writing about the Phillies, and he has always been one of my favorite prospects. The potential is there for a top-tier pitcher; however, with each passing year, the chance he reaches that potential gets slimmer.
Kilome started off the year in High-A Clearwater, where his ERA was quite low at 2.59, as most pitchers’ ERAs tend to be in the Florida State League. He didn’t carry his high strikeout rate from Low-A with him as Kilome struck out 20.3 percent of opposing hitters compared to 26.0 percent in 2016. His walk rate did go down slightly, but it was still way too high at 9.1 percent.
Kilome got his chance to pitch in Double-A a month and a half after turning 22, but he certainly didn’t jump off the page. He had one great start Aug. 21 where he threw eight shutout innings, but even then he still walked four batters. Otherwise, Kilome allowed 15 runs, 11 walks, and 22 hits in 21.2 innings. He will likely need to return there next season.
At his core, Kilome still is the same prospect he has always been. His fastball has great velocity, reaching upwards of 99 miles per hour at times. Kilome also added a two-seam fastball to his repetoire this season that helps induce ground balls. His curveball is the best in the system according to Baseball America. He also throws a changeup, but it is still a below average pitch.
Kilome’s command is still lacking as he still needs to learn how to control his long arms and legs. When he gets out of whack, he throws all over the place, as indicated in his high walk total.
The pieces are still all there for Kilome to be an effective starter; it’s just a matter if he can ever put them together. Otherwise, his fastball-curve combo could be deadly in the bullpen.
No. 9: Left-handed pitcher JoJo Romero
Rejoice as the Phillies have finally found left-handed pitching prospects! JoJo Romero is one of four in this top 20, not to mention another in the “names to note” section that will come out after the top 20 is completed. Heading into the year, you probably wouldn’t think Romero would be the one to wind up at the top of the group.
Philadelphia drafted Romero last year in the fourth round from the same junior college that Ken Giles and Curt Schilling attended. He had a strong debut in short-season Williamsport last year and was promoted to Low-A Lakewood, where he was a part of a rotation that featured several of the best arms in Philadelphia’s system.
Romero arguably had the best season of any of those pitchers, posting a 2.16 ERA, 2.76 fielding-independent pitching, 1.085 WHIP, and 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings. He was promoted from Lakewood to Clearwater midseason and just kept on rolling when he got there. Thanks to his strong season, MLB Pipeline named him Philadelphia’s minor-league pitcher of the year.
Romero’s fastball velocity jumped from his time in college, going from between 89-92 to sitting comfortably in the low-to-mid 90’s, topping out at 96 miles per hour. He pairs that fastball with a curve and changeup that can both be plus pitches along with a slider to mix things up. Paired with good command and a repeatable delivery, and Romero has all the makings of a strong mid-rotation starter.
No. 8: Outfielder Mickey Moniak
Development is rarely a straight, upwards line for Phillies first-round picks, and Mickey Moniak is no exception. After a solid debut in the Gulf Coast League last year, Moniak skipped short-season Williamsport and went right to Low-A Lakewood despite still being just 18 years old when the season started.
Moniak had a decent start to the season with a respectable .279/.333/.413 line through May. His numbers completely fell off from there as he had a .209/.252/.296 line the rest of the season. Moniak reached an ultimate low point once August rolled around as he had a .429 OPS from then until the season ended.
Despite his struggles, Moniak still possesses many of the same tools that made him the No. 1 overall pick last year. He posts average or better attributes across the board. He strayed from his strong approach towards the end of the year to try and get a hit, which only worsened his numbers. If he can return to that approach, the hits will come. Moniak also needs to continue to add strength to both last a full season as well as improve his power at the plate.
Moniak may not be as quick of a riser as originally thought, but it is still far too early to give up on him. Despite that, his poor numbers force a drop in the rankings.
No. 7: Outfielder Adam Haseley
The Phillies used their first-round pick on an outfielder for the third straight year this season when they selected Adam Haseley from the University of Virginia. He was a two-way player in college, but his future in the pros was definitely as an outfielder.
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After a quick pit stop in the GCL, Haseley played 37 games with short-season Williamsport. He racked up 37 hits, 14 walks, 28 strikeouts, and a .730 OPS in that span. The team then promoted him to Lakewood, but he didn’t have as much success with a .258/.315/.379 line in 18 games. The drop off in performance at the end of the season was expected after how much work he put in as a two-way player in college.
Expect Haseley to return to Low-A next season before a midseason promotion to High-A as long as he doesn’t take a complete step backwards or gets hurt.
No. 6: Outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz
If there’s one Phillies prospect to just dream on, that would definitely be Jhailyn Ortiz. He signed as a 16-year-old for $4 million with an immense amount of raw power but some concern in regards to how he would face live pitching. In his first professional season at 17 years old in the GCL, Ortiz showed that power with eight home runs and 18 extra-base hits in 47 games, but his average was a meager .231.
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This year in short-season Williamsport, Ortiz continued to hit for power while showing a drastic improvement in his hit tool. He had a .302 average and showed the ability to hit both fastballs and off-speed pitches. Ortiz employed his power in both directions, hitting plenty of home runs and doubles to right field.
Ortiz will always be a high-strikeout hitter with a 25.1 percent strikeout rate.
It should be noted that he had an above-average 9.6 percent walk rate this year. Combined with his power output, his high strikeout total shouldn’t be too much of a worry.
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Ortiz is bound for Low-A Lakewood next year as a 19-year-old. It will be a big test to see how much he can still hit as he moves up the minor-league ladder. If he can maintain the steady approach he showed this year, there shouldn’t be too much of an issue.