MLB Pipeline recently came out with its list of the top hitting and pitching prospects in 2024 from every MLB organization. So which promising prospects came out on top for the Philadelphia Phillies?
Justin Crawford, Jean Cabrera named Phillies' best hitting and pitching prospects for 2024 by MLB Pipeline
In terms of the Phillies’ best-hitting prospect, we have a repeat winner, with Justin Crawford taking home the honor for the second year in a row. There's no doubt that Phillies No. 1 prospect Aidan Miller and his breakout minor league season likely gave Crawford a good run for his money in 2024. But it was Crawford, with his combination of hitting and speed on the basepaths, that came through in the end.
In 2024, the Phillies No. 3 prospect batted a stellar .313 with an .805 OPS, with 79 runs scored, 25 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, 61 RBI and 42 stolen bases in 110 games split between the Phillies High-A affiliate Jersey Shore BlueClaws and Double-A affiliate Reading Fightin Phils.
Earlier this month, Crawford also received the Paul Owens Award, which is given to the top hitting and pitching prospect each year within the Phillies’ organization. With the way Crawford has been progressing, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that he could be challenging for a spot on the Phillies’ big league roster in the not-so-distant future.
As for the Phillies’ top pitching prospect of 2024, had Samuel Aldegheri and George Klassen not been traded at the deadline to the Los Angeles Angels, one of them likely would have been the odds-on favorite. But with both of them out of the picture, the honor rested on the young shoulders of 23-year-old right-handed pitcher Jean Cabrera.
14K gold from (K)abrera 🏅
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) June 13, 2024
Jean Cabrera had another impressive outing to become only the 3rd MiLB pitcher to fan 14 batters in one game this season! pic.twitter.com/Kkj6mqmb26
Cabrera put together a strong 2024 season split between Jersey Shore and Reading, posting a 6-5 record with a 3.80 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. He minimized hard contact, giving up just six home runs all year, with 33 walks and 110 strikeouts in 106 2/3 innings over 20 appearances, including 19 starts.
MLB Pipeline also named Cabrera the Phillies’ breakout prospect of 2024. After starting the season unranked in the Phillies system, he made a huge jump to No. 13 by the end of the year.
With two promising top prospects gaining well-deserved recognition this past season, the Phillies' future appears to be bright. More importantly, with the Phillies’ ongoing search for outfield and pitching help, they may have their ideal internal solutions on the way in Crawford and Cabrera.