Phillies: 3 prospects who Dave Dombrowski should call up now
Phillies prospect Adonis Medina could finally be performing up to the hype.
Ranked as the fourth-best Phillies pitching prospect — behind right-handers Spencer Howard and Francisco Morales, as well as left-hander Erik Miller — right-hander Adonis Medina has already received his first taste of Major League Baseball action.
Making a start last December against the Toronto Blue Jays, Medina, 24, suffered a loss after allowing three hits, two runs (both earned), and three walks across four innings. The right-hander struck out four of his 18 batters faced, while tossing 84 pitches (51 strikes).
Similar to Randolph, Medina kept a focus on baseball in the offseason, appearing in five games and 11 innings at the Dominican Winter League. So far, that decision has been a good one for the right-hander — who is 3-0 with a 3.50 ERA, 14-4 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, and 1.056 WHIP through four starts and 18 innings this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Offseason free-agent signees Matt Moore and Chase Anderson simply have not worked out in the starting rotation, forcing the Phillies and Dave Dombrowski to dig deeper into their depth, such as using Vince Velasquez every five days instead. Perhaps Medina is an arm the Phillies should give a chance to succeed in the majors. His 3.50 ERA is the 22nd-best in the Triple-A East, while his .224 batting average against is the 25th-best.
The Dominican Republic native was once considered the Phillies’ “1B” best prospect in their farm system behind Sixto Sanchez, who they later dealt to the Miami Marlins as part of the trade that sent catcher J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia.
Bailey Falter could be an intriguing left-handed option in the Phillies rotation.
The Phillies currently have just two left-handed pitchers on their Major League roster — Jose Alvarado and Ranger Suarez. Former fifth-round pick Bailey Falter perhaps could make a notable impact as a third left-handed option.
Falter debuted earlier this season, albeit in an eventual 12-2 blowout road loss to the Colorado Rockies. Used across the final two innings, Falter allowed four hits, two runs (both earned), and one home run, while striking out two of his nine batters faced.
These stats should be considered an outlier, considering his success at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season through four starts and 18 2/3 innings pitched. The 24-year-old has allowed just 14 hits, five runs (all earned), two home runs, and five walks, while striking out an impressive 26 batters en route to a 2.41 ERA and 1.018 WHIP ratio.
The California native’s ERA is good for ninth-best at the Triple-A East level, while his .206 batting average against ranks as the 19th-best. Earlier this month, Falter recorded five shutout innings while striking out seven opposing batters in a start that eventually featured Archie Bradley in a rehab appearance.
Falter has shown other signs of dominance in his minor-league professional career, such as his five starts in 2018-19 Puerto Rican Winter League action — recording a 0.42 ERA and 0.797 WHIP in 21 1/3 innings. In 2019 at Double-A Reading, he struck out 62 batters and walked just 14 in 77 1/3 innings and 14 starts.
The Phillies rotation could use a left-hander. Why not Falter?
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