Superb Philadelphia Phillies prospect joins the MLB Top 100 list

Superb Philadelphia Phillies prospect Logan O’Hoppe joins MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects rankings

For the first time in over a decade, the Philadelphia Phillies have more than two prospects in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects.

This week, Logan O’Hoppe, the unexpected standout from the 2021 Arizona Fall League and the player named Phillies Breakout Prospect of the Year in 2021, moved into 100th on the list, joining pitching prospects Andrew Painter (69) and Mick Abel (71).

Most years, the Phillies were lucky if they even had one prospect on the list. Years of poor drafting and development made their farm fruitless. That’s finally changing.

Painter and Abel were the Phillies’ first-round picks from 2021 and 2020, so their presence on the list is somewhat expected. O’Hoppe, drafted in the 23rd round of the 2018 draft, is a wonderful surprise, and in many ways, a beacon of hope for lower-round picks.

Like current big-league infielder Bryson Stott, O’Hoppe started the 2021 season in High-A and worked his way up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Across the three levels and 104 games last season, he hit .270/.331/.458 with a .789 OPS, 106 hits, 19 doubles, two triples, and 17 home runs. He scored 51 runs and drove in 58. O’Hoppe was commended for his plate discipline, drawing 33 walks and only striking out 76 times.

An impressive Arizona Fall League appearance came next. Over 22 games, O’Hoppe amassed 23 hits, including eight doubles and three home runs. He stole three bases in four attempts, scored 19 times, and drove in 17 runs. Again, his plate discipline stood out; he walked more (21) than he struck out (15).

O’Hoppe started the 2022 MiLB season with Double-A Reading, but the way he’s hitting, he won’t be there for long. Across 53 games, he’s slashing .283/.398/.571 with a .969 OPS, 42 hits, nine doubles, a triple, 14 home runs, 40 runs scored, and 38 RBI. He’s 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts, and his plate discipline continues to be strong. He drew 33 walks in 104 games last season; he’s already drawn 28 walks this year.

Behind the dish, O’Hoppe’s work as a catcher is also impressing scouts and his organization. New farm director Preston Mattingly (yes, he’s Don Mattingly’s son) named O’Hoppe as one of the prospects who makes their system “deeper than people think.”

"“I’ve had the pleasure of seeing a bunch of other teams’ top guys and I think the guys in our system stack up with those guys. They don’t get the recognition that others do.”’ve gotten to see a bunch of catchers. Logan stacks up with anybody.”"

J.T. Realmuto is signed through 2025, but there could definitely be a power struggle at the backstop before that contract is over.

Rebuilding farm systems isn’t an overnight turnaround. Phillies fans know this better than most teams, as the organization has struggled to build a working farm for most of the last decade. But the Phillies are finally moving in the right direction; for the first time since 2017, they improved in the organizational rankings. But beyond rankings, the clearest sign of turnaound is that they’re not just drafting well in the early rounds, but also finding diamonds in the rough later in the draft. The individual talent of unexpected standouts like O’Hoppe proves that change is finally coming.

The Philadelphia Phillies have an unexpected edge over other MLB teams

MLB teams are struggling to find good catchers, except for the Phillies, who have an abundance of catching talent in the majors and minor leagues.