As Philadelphia Phillies fans await the impending youth movement that's sure to come, with top prospects like Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford and Aidan Miller all close to knocking on the door for a Major League call-up, it's easy to forget that the Phillies have many other young and talented players currently in the minor league system.
With publications like Baseball America and MLB Pipeline starting to take notice, the Phillies farm system was recently ranked No. 16 out of 30 ball clubs at season's end, a nice reversal of fortune for a minor league system that ranked near the bottom of the league just a few short years ago. While Painter, Crawford and Miller dominated most of the headlines this past season, a trio of other Phillies prospects had breakout years in 2024.
We previously identified three Phillies prospects whose stock plummeted due to developmental setbacks this past season. Let's flip the script, and take a look at three Phillies prospects who had great seasons in 2024 and have seen their prospect profile on the rise.
3 Phillies prospects whose stock rose dramatically this season
Otto Kemp
Otto Kemp batted .285 with 16 home runs, 66 RBI and 20 stolen bases across four minor league levels this season. The 25-year-old made a rapid climb up the organizational ladder in 2024. Kemp, who was signed as an undrafted free agent out of college in 2022, was most recently ranked as the 28th-best player in the Phillies minor league system.
Kemp's numbers in the Arizona Fall League have been outstanding. Currently playing on a Glendale Desert Dogs team that also features nine other Phillies prospects, Kemp has knocked the cover off the ball in the AFL this fall, batting .289 with a 1.193 OPS, 13 hits, six home runs, and 22 RBI in 45 at-bats.
Untraditional career trajectory aside, Kemp could soon become another option for a utility role if his bat continues to force the issue at Triple-A next year.
Tristan Garnett
Standing 6-foot-6 tall, Tristan Garnett is an imposing figure when he takes the mound in game action. Factor in that he's also left-handed and developing more velocity, Garnett could be the stuff of nightmares for opposing hitters very soon. With the departures of two bullpen arms still looming, Garnett's a player to keep an eye on.
Like Kemp, Garnett was signed by the Phillies after going undrafted out of college. Since entering the Phillies minor league system in 2021, he has put up solid numbers at nearly every stop. The bulk of the southpaw's work was at Double-A Reading this season, where in 31 games, he went 1-3 with a 2.87 ERA, one save and 50 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings of work.
While his numbers in the Arizona Fall League have taken a downward turn, Garnett is currently 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA and 10 strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
Starlyn Caba
Starlyn Caba is an 18-year-old Dominican-born shortstop who is currently ranked as the Phillies' No. 4 prospect and the No. 81 prospect in baseball by Pipeline — a very impressive feat for a player who just made his professional debut in 2023. Making his way stateside with stops in the FCL and later Low-A Clearwater this season, Caba certainly held his own against some much older competition in 2024.
The slick-fielding shortstop spent the bulk of his season playing for the Phillies in the Florida Complex League. In 52 games, Caba hit .254 with 44 hits, two home runs and 17 RBI while also stealing 37 bases in 45 attempts. Listed at 5-foot-9, Caba doesn't project to put up prodigious power numbers, but the combination of his legs and a potential focus on hitting the ball into gaps offers the promise of becoming the type of hitter who could change the game by wreaking havoc on the base paths.
Likely to repeat his assignment in Clearwater to begin next season, Caba is still getting acclimated to more advanced pitching in the lower minor league levels. While the ceiling for parts of his game remains a mystery due to age and his raw and unpolished skillset, Caba's 2025 minor league season will be an interesting one to follow in terms of overall development.