Phillies: 5 Prospects Likely to make an On-Field Impact in 2018
Tom Eshelman
The Phillies pitching was shaky at best last year, which has given opportunities for their multitude of pitching prospects to compete to make an immediate impact this upcoming year. The last two spots in the rotation last year were seemingly a revolving door, leaving room for a prospect like Tom Eshelman to compete for a spot on the staff.
Eshelman prides his game on control, walking only 1.6 per 9 innings in his minor league career. His fastball is sitting in the low 90’s with some sink to it. He combines that with a prototypical arsenal of a curveball, changeup, and slider, all with average break, but they have proved to be effective when coupled with Eshelman’s strong control.
He totaled a record of 10-3 at AAA Lehigh Valley last year along with a 3-0 record at AA Reading. This was enough to win him the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies’ top Minor League pitcher. He should have a shot to make an impact in Philadelphia at some point this year, as he was one of eight prospects invited to Major League Spring Training.