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Phillies: Three sleepers who could sneak onto the roster

By David Esser

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: Adonis Medina of the World Team pitches in the seventh inning against the U.S. Team during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Nationals Park on July 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 15: Adonis Medina of the World Team pitches in the seventh inning against the U.S. Team during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Nationals Park on July 15, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Adonis Medina, Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

Which Phillies are going to break out of camp despite being sleepers?

Unlike some of the organization’s most likely candidates to crack the Phillies’ roster this year, there are a few guys who are emerging as potential “main roster sleepers”.

Players who might have to get a bit lucky this spring while simultaneously putting on good performances in order to be dawning the red and white pinstripes on Opening Day.

Here are a couple of sleepers fighting to make the Phillies opening day roster.

Adonis Medina

A name that has actually begun to be thrown around when it comes to the Phillies’ 5th starter spot is 22-year-old Adonis Medina.

While the battle for the final spot is currently being fought between Nick Pivetta and Vince Velasquez, the potential for Medina to sneak his name in there (given the initial two’s history) is likely.

Despite struggling in AA last year, Medina has shown flashes of brilliance in the Phillies’ minor league system. He recorded a 1.37 ERA as a 17 year old in the Dominican Summer League, posted a sub-3.00 ERA in both the Gulf Coast and New York-Pennsylvania League, and recorded 100+ strikeouts in his first two years of single-A.

Medina uses a fastball, slider, and a changeup all relatively effectively. His ability to already throw three pitches makes him a prime candidate for a potential starter job.

While Medina still struggles with his command at times, his pure “stuff” has led to him being labeled one of the best strikeout pitchers in the Phillies’ system.

The Dominican righty is still very “raw” when it comes to pitching. He just got moved up to AA last year, and overall had a rough time adjusting to the more advanced batters he was facing. With that said, he’s one of the team’s highest ranked prospects for a reason. He will no doubt get his chance to impress new manager Joe Girardi down in Clearwater.

Pivetta already had a rough time in his first spring training outing, and Velasquez’ may go no different. If those two continue to struggle as major league starters, the potential for Medina to emerge as a dark horse rotation candidate is quite high.

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