These 15 Phillies top prospects should be on your radar
2. Bryson Stott SS
This is where it gets really exciting. Bryson Stott is expected to debut as early as Opening Day 2022, and his arrival cannot come soon enough.
Bryce Harper’s hometown buddy is coming off an epic Arizona Fall League performance. Over 26 games, he hit .318/.445/.489 with a .934 OPS, a pair of home runs, 20 runs scored, and 31 driven in. He also stole five bases.
The Phillies’ first-round pick from 2019 skyrocketed through the farm system this year, going from High-A to Triple-A by season’s end.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski told Stott to approach the 2021-22 offseason with the mindset of trying to earn a spot on the big-league roster. The Phillies desperately need him, as they are currently stuck with Didi Gregorius for another year, and he’s coming off one of the worst seasons in his career.
MLB ETA: 2022
1. Mick Abel RHP
The Phillies’ #1 prospect is their first-round pick from 2020, righty Mick Abel.
Since Abel was drafted in a year without a minor-league season, 2021 was his professional debut. Over 14 starts with Clearwater, he posted a 4.43 ERA and 1.209 WHIP. His season total of 44 2/3 innings and 189 batters faced amounted to 66 strikeouts, 27 walks, and he only gave up five home runs.
Scouts are impressed with Abel’s four-pitch mix and “pure stuff.” He’s thrown as hard as 98 mph, and doesn’t walk too many batters, a welcome change from the Phillies’ pitcher norm.
After the franchise’s well-documented struggles developing pitching (Spencer Howard comes to mind), they’re handling Abel with kid gloves.
MLB ETA: 2024