Philadelphia Phillies 2018 top prospects: Five pitchers to note
By John Town
Right-handed pitcher Connor Seabold
The Phillies raided the college pitching class, taking several through the first 10 rounds of the draft this year. One of those pitchers was Connor Seabold from Cal State Fullerton, the same school that Thomas Eshelman went to. Funnily enough, they are very similar pitchers.
More from Phillies Prospects
- Prospect Andrew Baker could help Phillies bullpen in 2023
- Phillies manager suggests Andrew Painter could make Opening Day roster
- Phillies No. 1-ranked prospect Andrew Painter receives national accolade
- Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter continues to dominate
- Philadelphia Phillies prospects thriving is a positive sign for the future
Seabold easily has plus command and he isn’t going to issue many walks at all. His pitches are okay but not great, with a fastball between 88-92 miles per hours. Both his curveball and changeup could be average pitches, with his changeup being a little better. Thanks to his command, Seabold could move quickly up the system as a back-end starter, but his lack of standout stuff could hurt him in the major-leagues.
Seabold made five appearances of two innings each of relief in short-season Williamsport this season. He did well, giving up just one earned run, walking two batters and striking out 13. He didn’t make an appearance after Aug. 3, but he also threw 127.2 innings in college this year. The team probably didn’t want to work Seabold much more than he already had this year.
Next: Phillies 2018 top prospects: Nos. 1-5
Next season, Seabold should get a chance to work out of the rotation in Low-A Lakewood at 22 years old.