That Balls Outta Here
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Philadelphia Phillies 2018 top prospect list: Nos. 1-5

By John Town

PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: J.P. Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hive fives his teammates in the dugout after throwing out Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (NOT PICTURED) in the top of the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 18, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 4-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 18: J.P. Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hive fives his teammates in the dugout after throwing out Yasiel Puig #66 of the Los Angeles Dodgers (NOT PICTURED) in the top of the eighth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 18, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 4-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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No. 2: Right-handed pitcher Sixto Sancehz

Sixto Sanchez wasn’t even the prospect the Phillies were scouting when they first stumbled upon him, but they knew they had to sign him. Since then, Sanchez has emerged not only as the top pitching prospect in the system, but one of the best among all teams.

Sanchez first made waves last year in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League with a dominating fastball and strong command. This season in Low-A Lakewood, Sanchez was among one of the best pitchers in the league with a 2.41 ERA, 2.35 fielding-independent pitching and 7.11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 13 starts.

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Less than a week after turning 19, Sanchez was promoted to High-A Clearwater, where he was 5.1 years younger than the average player. He made five starts there but wasn’t as effective, finishing his time there with a 4.55 ERA. While his walk rate as a whole was significantly higher, five of his nine walks came in one rain-shortened start. Considering his age, his performance in five High-A starts shouldn’t be any cause for concern.

Sanchez’s fastball is among the hardest-thrown in the minors, especially among starters. It consistently sits in the mid-90s and can hit 100 miles per hour.

His secondary pitches are both strong offerings as well, allowing Sanchez to keep batters off balance. Mixed with his strong command – especially for someone as young and with as much velocity – and Sanchez has all the makings of a top-tier starter. Baseball America compared Sanchez to the Yankees’ Luis Severino in their recent Phillies prospect rankings.

Sanchez should be back in Clearwater to start next year before moving up to Double-A, potentially still as a 19-year-old. Any pitching prospect that can do that should be considered among the best in baseball.

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