Who are the Philadelphia Phillies’ top 15 prospects after the 2021 season?
The Philadelphia Phillies‘ long-barren farm system is turning a corner and beginning to bear fruit. The Pharm has ranked terribly for most of the last decade, but between some clever trades, top draft picks, and organizational hires, the tides are slowly turning. And if the lockout doesn’t throw things off too much, some of these prospects could be debuting as early as Opening Day 2022.
Let’s count down the current top-15 prospects in the system, starting with…
15. Cristian Hernandez RHP
21-year-old Cristian Hernandez joined the Phillies organization in July 2017 as an international signing. Beginning with the Phillies in the 2018 Dominican Summer League and rising all the way up to Low-A Clearwater in 2021, he has a lifetime 3.12 ERA and 1.190 WHIP over 33 games (30 starts).
According to scouting reports, Hernandez is a promising starting pitcher who can throw in the high 90s. He has a fastball, slider, and changeup in his repertoire.
At the 40-man roster deadline, Hernandez was one of the five prospects the Phillies protected. Of course, with the lockout, the Rule 5 Draft has been postponed indefinitely, rendering the protection unnecessary. However, it’s absolutely noteworthy that the Phillies prioritized them when teams thought the prospect-poaching draft was still going to happen.
MLB ETA: 2024