With Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford officially graduating from the Phillies’ Top 30 prospect rankings, two new outfielders have stepped into the organization’s prospect conversation.
MLB Pipeline recently added John Spikerman at No. 29 and Raylin Heredia at No. 30 in its updated Phillies rankings, giving fans a closer look at two very different developmental profiles working their way through the system.
Neither player arrives with the immediate star power of Painter or Crawford, but both represent the type of athletic upside the Phillies have continued prioritizing throughout the organization.
Spikerman, currently playing for High-A Jersey Shore, may already be familiar to college baseball fans after a productive career at Oklahoma. The switch-hitting center fielder was drafted by Philadelphia in the third round of the 2024 MLB Draft and immediately stood out for one obvious reason: elite athleticism.
MLB Pipeline grades Spikerman’s speed as a 70-grade tool, paired with above-average defensive instincts and a plus arm that gives him legitimate long-term center field potential. Evaluators believe he can handle all three outfield spots, though his athletic profile is clearly built around staying in center.
The offensive development is where the long-term projection becomes interesting.
According to MLB Pipeline’s scouting report, Spikerman spent much of his amateur career relying on a swing that became too large for his offensive profile, particularly for a player whose game is built around contact, pressure, and speed. After dealing with multiple injuries during both college and the early stages of his professional career — including a hamate injury at Oklahoma and a shoulder injury in pro ball — the Phillies were encouraged by adjustments he made during the offseason to simplify his swing and better utilize his hands and athleticism in the batter’s box.
The foundation of the profile is already there. If the offensive consistency continues improving, Spikerman has the defensive floor and athleticism to carve out a major league role.
Heredia brings a different kind of upside.
Raylin Heredia brings different profile to Phillies' prospect stockpile than John Spikerman
The 21-year-old outfielder is already playing in Double-A Reading and offers a much more power-oriented profile than Spikerman. Signed by the Phillies for $300,000 during the 2021 international signing period, Heredia has steadily climbed the system while flashing all five tools at various points throughout his development.
MLB Pipeline notes that Heredia’s combination of strength, bat speed, and arm talent gives him intriguing long-term corner outfield potential, particularly in right field where his plus arm fits naturally. At the plate, he has shown the ability to generate hard contact and impact the baseball from the right side, though his development still revolves heavily around approach consistency.
That has been the central developmental challenge for Heredia throughout his minor league career.
After struggling at times with swing-and-miss and chase rates, Heredia reportedly worked with Luis Arraez’s hitting instructor during the offseason prior to 2025, leading to noticeable improvements in his bat-to-ball skills. MLB Pipeline also notes that while he is not an explosive basestealing threat, he moves better than expected for his build and physicality.
That combination makes Heredia one of the more intriguing “if it clicks” profiles in the back half of Philadelphia’s system rankings.
That’s ultimately what these final Top 30 spots are supposed to represent: not polished finished products, but players beginning to force evaluators to pay attention. And with Painter and Crawford now contributing at the major league level, the next wave of Phillies prospects is quietly beginning to take shape behind them.
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