The Philadelphia Phillies farm system has started to generate some industry buzz over the last couple of seasons after beginning the decade hovering near the bottom on many of the top publication's prospect rankings. After entering 2024 with a minor league system ranked No. 22 out of 30 teams by MLB.com, the Phillies climbed six spots to land at No. 16 by season's end.
Summarizing the Phillies' late-season jump into the top 20, MLB.com writers Jim Callis, Sam Dykstra and Jonathan Mayo had this to say about the organization's ongoing advances in player development:
"It’s always a positive sign when your top prospects show upward mobility. All three of the Phillies’ Top 100 hitters have each been promoted up a level in 2024, with Crawford particularly performing well in his new environment. The system inches up a bit this time around and that’s without Painter throwing a pitch in nearly two years."
The Phillies farm system profile has vastly improved due to the rapid rise of outfielder Justin Crawford (No. 53) and shortstops Aidan Miller (No. 26) and Starlyn Caba (No. 81) through the minor league system, as well as the talented arm of right-hander Andrew Painter (No. 32), who recently returned to the mound in the Arizona Fall League after being sidelined for the balance of two seasons following Tommy John surgery in 2023.
While the Phillies farm system is clearly heading in the right direction, a trio of former top 10 prospects has seemingly gone in the wrong direction after the 2024 season showed some alarming signs of regression and developmental roadblocks. Let's take a look at three Phillies prospects whose stock plummeted this season.
3 Phillies prospects whose stock plummeted this season
Carlos De La Cruz
Carlos De La Cruz flashed considerable upside in 2023 when the hulking six-foot-eight slugger hit .259 with 132 hits, 24 home runs and 67 RBI in 509 at-bats for Double-A Reading. That was good enough for the previously undrafted outfielder to enter 2024 ranked as the organization's No. 12 overall prospect.
After showing solid progress at Reading for the first few months of the season, the wheels ultimately fell off for De La Cruz when presented with a new challenge. After earning a promotion from Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in July, De La Cruz had a tough time solving more advanced pitching. He hit .190, with 31 hits, three home runs and 18 RBI in 163 at-bats over the course of 48 games with Lehigh Valley.
While his overall numbers between the two levels produced a batting average of .234, 96 hits, 11 home runs, and 53 RBI, his 148 strikeouts in 411 at-bats were enough for MLB Pipeline to drop De La Cruz to No. 25 by the end of the season.
Griff McGarry
Griff McGarry opened some eyes after being drafted by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. The right-hander looked the part of a future rotation piece after making quick work of the lower minor league levels and making it all the way to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2022. But that's where the development curve has stopped for McGarry after spending parts of the last three seasons trying to solve Triple-A hitters.
After starting the season ranked as the Phillies' No. 11 prospect, McGarry ended the season ranked No. 21 after another unremarkable year spent at the highest minor league level.
Bottoming out as a starting pitcher, the Phillies' plan for McGarry in 2024 was to transition exclusively to becoming a full-time bullpen arm, and there were some modest signs of success in that role this season. In 29 appearances for Lehigh Valley, McGarry put together a record of 2-1 with a 4.70 ERA in 30 2/3 innings.
While his strikeout totals remained impressive (42), his 36 walks continued a trend for McGarry that has provided more evidence that controlling his pitches is still a major problem. With 17 runs allowed this season (16 earned), McGarry continued to create problems for himself on the mound in 2024.
Currently pitching for Glendale in the Arizona Fall League, McGarry could be heading for a future-defining campaign next season.
Mick Abel
Like fellow top 30 prospect Griff McGarry, Mick Abel's struggles at Triple-A are now entering into another season. While Abel remains the organization's No. 6 prospect, his strong showing in spring training this year, unfortunately, didn't unlock the breakthrough that the Phillies and fans alike have hoped for since Abel was selected in the first round of the 2020 Draft.
High school pitchers often come with some development risks compared to more advanced college arms, but Abel made quick work of the lower minor league levels in his first two professional seasons. Lehigh Valley is where the 23-year-old found himself again in 2024, after previously spending a lackluster season split between Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, posting an uninspiring record of 5-6 with a 4.13 ERA, in addition to striking out 132 and walking 65 in 113 1/3 innings.
This season was another major setback for Abel, who went 3-12 with an unsightly 6.46 ERA while striking out 117 and walking 78 in 108 2/3 innings. His career-worst WHIP of 1.183 and 15 home runs allowed didn't help matters either. Still relatively young, Abel will be Rule 5 eligible in only a few weeks, but it's likely his upside will keep him in the Phillies organization — for now.