Phillies prospect watch: Blueclaws outfielder Hunter Markwardt

Hunter Markwardt is an under-the-radar prospect for the Phillies.

Aside from Bryce Harper, the future of the Philadelphia Phillies outfield is uncertain.

Andrew McCutchen isn’t a long-term answer and could be nearing the end of his time in a Phillies uniform; he’s in the final year of a three-year deal, though the Phillies could pick up his 2022 option. Odubel Herrera will be 30 years old next season and has his hot and cold streaks.

Harper even said recently that the Phillies farm system isn’t in great shape. We still don’t quite know what the ceilings and floors are for prospects Adam Haseley and Mickey Moniak. So, there is still a lot to determine moving forward.

While the Phillies still have other notable outfield prospects such as Johan Rojas and Simon Muzziotti, Hunter Markwardt might be an under-the-radar name to keep an eye on. The 23-year-old is currently in High-A with the Jersey Shore Blueclaws.

Philadelphia drafted Markwardt in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma Christian University. In 138 career NCAA games at both Abilene Christian and Oklahoma Christian, he stole 58 bases on 67 attempts. In his final two seasons both at OCU, he slashed .364/.435/.506 with 100 runs scored in 85 games.

Markwardt followed that up with an impressive showing in Class-A Short Season with Williamsport in 2019. He appeared in just 18 games but stayed hot with a .306 batting average, six stolen bases, and eight runs scored. In the outfield, he spent time at all three spots and didn’t make any errors in 144.1 innings on 38 chances.

Could the Phillies prospect make it to the show?

After the one-year break due to the pandemic, Markwardt picked up right where he left off. He spent just five games in Low-A with Clearwater going 5-for-16 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. The Phillies promoted him to High-A in May, so he has played the majority of the 2021 season with the Jersey Shore Blueclaws.

Markwardt, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, has primarily played center field this season likely due to the amount of ground he can cover. In 47 defensive chances, he still hasn’t made an error. His only error this season came in right field, where he’s spent 78 innings (10 games), compared to 174 2/3 innings (20 games) in center.

At the plate, he is still figuring things out at the High-A level; he’s hitting .254, but he still has a .336 on-base percentage in 30 games for the Blueclaws. It’s also worth noting that anytime he puts the ball in play, he can get on base, and anytime he gets on base, he is a threat to score. In High-A, he has 14 stolen bases on 15 attempts and has scored 18 runs.

One area in which he could improve is his plate discipline. He’ll have to cut down on the strikeouts – 39 in 30 games – because it’s only going to get more difficult as he moves through the minor leagues. It’s also possible that he could become a key bench piece as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement in close games, similar to Roman Quinn. His ceiling might be close to the caliber of Ben Revere with a little more height.

Of course, these are premature projections. It’s too soon to predict what Markwardt will or won’t be as a professional baseball player. He has a long way to go and a lot of work left to do, and there is plenty of outfield competition in the Phillies farm system. Getting to the big leagues will be extremely difficult, but don’t sleep on him. If Markwardt keeps this up, he could be wearing the red pinstripes in a few years.