Five Phillies prospects who could be in majors by end of 2018
With the Phillies season halfway over, let’s take a look at which prospects could be in the majors by the end of the year.
For the first time in several seasons, the Phillies are right in the playoff hunt. Heading into Monday’s doubleheader with the Mets, they were in a tie for first place in the National League East.
In the last few years, the end of the season largely became the time to evaluate the players on the team and see how a couple prospects fit into the situation. Even though Philadelphia is in contention for the playoffs, a few prospects could still wind up making an impact in the second half of the season.
Let’s take a look at five prospects who could be in the majors by the end of the 2018 season.
Enyel De Los Santos
Okay, this one is cheating. Enyel De Los Santos will start Tuesday’s game against the Mets after the doubleheader Monday. However, this will likely be a one-off appearance as Vince Velasquez will return from the disabled list Wednesday.
Even so, Tuesday shouldn’t be the last time we see De Los Santos in the majors this year. He has been Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s ace this year, being selected both to start the Triple-A All-Star Game and to be a part of the MLB Futures Game.
In 16 starts this year, De Los Santos has a 9-3 record, 1.89 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 87 strikeouts, and 31 walks. His ERA is the best in the International League, his nine wins are tied for the most, and his WHIP is third-best.
Seeing De Los Santos Tuesday should give an impression of what he can do at the major-league level. He will then be on the 40-man roster, making it much easier for him to return to Philadephia later in the season.
Cole Irvin
Backing up De Los Santos in Lehigh Valley’s rotation is Cole Irvin, who has also been having a great season so far. In 17 Triple-A starts. he has a 2.89 ERA, 4.74 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and 1.07 WHIP. His fielding-independent pitching is better than De Los Santos’s at 3.31 and Irvin’s WHIP is the best in the International League.
Irvin has been rising quickly through the minors after being selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft. He started last year in High-A Clearwater before rising to Double-A midseason. The club remained aggressive with him and assigned him to Triple-A to start the year. The move paid off as Irvin is also a Triple-A All-Star this season.
Irvin is having as good of a season as anyone in Triple-A, but the lefty is stuck in the minors largely due to the fact that he doesn’t have a 40-man roster spot. He still won’t need protection from the Rule 5 draft until next year, so adding him to the roster isn’t a priority.
Despite that, Irvin would be a valuable addition to the team this year. The team is severely lacking effective lefties, and Irvin fills that need and then some.
Franklyn Kilome
A few years ago, Franklyn Kilome was considered the top pitching prospect in the Phillies farm system. Now, other arms have taken over at the top, but Kilome remains one of the better pitchers in the system.
This is Kilome’s second year in Double-A and he hasn’t shown the same dominance as he had in the lower levels. So far this season, Kilome has a 4.35 ERA, 4.49 FIP, and 1.47 WHIP in 17 starts. He has suffered from control issues as he has walked 11.5 percent of opposing hitters while only striking out 18.7 percent. Kilome’s numbers have been better in recent starts (3.19 ERA and 1.32 WHIP since May 26) but he still hasn’t been great.
Even though he has struggled this season, I included Kilome largely due to the fact that he has a 40-man roster spot. When September rolls around, the Phillies will likely need every bullpen arm they can get.
There is thought that Kilome could thrive with a transition to the bullpen, similar to Seranthony Dominguez this season. Don’t be surprised if the team toys with that idea later on this year.
Ranger Suarez
Ranger Suarez is a pitcher I would actually be very intrigued to see in the majors this season. The lefty broke out in his full-season debut last year, splitting the season between Low-A Lakewood and High-A Clearwater.
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Suarez moved up to Double-A Reading this year and pitched extremely well despite the hitter-friendly confines of his home park. In 12 starts he had a 2.76 ERA, 3.11 FIP, 1.12 WHIP, an 18.2 percent strikeout rate and a meager 6.7 percent walk rate.
Suarez moved up to Triple-A June 26 and made his debut there June 29. He gave up eight hits and two walks in 4.2 innings, allowing one run and striking out six.
He suffered a groin injury, but Tom Housenick of the Morning Call said that Suarez could start one of Lehigh Valley’s first games after their All-Star Break.
Suarez could be a September call-up once the major-league roster expands. He could become another lefty option out of the bullpen or make a start or two as starters rest for the postseason.