Five Phillies prospects who could break out in 2018
By John Town
Cornelius Randolph
Since being drafted in the first round back in 2015, Cornelius Randolph has had high expectations placed on him. He was drafted as a hit-first prospect, moving from shortstop to left field. Since then, he hasn’t put up the gaudy numbers of a first-round pick whose best asset is his ability to hit.
The first two years of Randolph’s minor-league career, he hit for a solid average but had no power. He hit a combined three home runs between the Gulf Coast League and Low-A Lakewood. Then, he finally showed his raw power with 13 home runs in High-A in 2017, but his average dipped and strikeout rate spiked.
Randolph still hasn’t found a way to put all the pieces together offensively. However, he is likely going to play in Double-A Reading in 2017, the place where every Phillies prospect sees their offensive numbers spike. Randolph could very well hit 20+ home runs in Reading and certainly have a breakout there.