Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Mick Abel look's like he's finally put it all together this season. After experiencing control issues during his first 25 career Triple-A starts, he watched his prospect status take a major hit in recent years. But Abel has done nothing but impress during his first eight starts of the 2025 minor league season, and that could be of great benefit to the Phillies front office during this summer's MLB trade deadline.
Recently named the Phillies' April Minor League Pitcher of the Month, the 23-year-old former first-round draft selection has seemingly taken his game to another level this season by posting a record of 5-2, with a 2.53 ERA, 51 strikeouts and an impressive 1.21 WHIP in 46 1/3 innings. A reduction in walks is certainly making a big difference for the hard-tossing right-hander.
Career resurgence aside, how Abel fits into the Phillies' long-term plans is anything but certain. But with the bullpen currently a work in-progress, Abel's name is starting to make plenty of sense as a contributor at some point this season.
Mick Abel rediscovering his mojo could give Phillies new trade deadline asset
The Phillies currently have a starting rotation that's ranked among the best in MLB in numerous statistical categories. With top pitching prospect Andrew Painter on schedule to make his debut this summer, it's beginning to look like Mick Abel will be the odd man out. But that's not exactly a bad thing either. With obvious needs in the bullpen and in center field, a prime opportunity for the Phillies to sell high on his recent success has entered into the equation.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recently fanned the flames regarding Abel's turnaround when he said that the team "wouldn't hesitate" to call him up if the team is presented with starting pitching needs. While there's probably a shred of truth to his comments, Dombrowski's praise may very well be the first public attempt to gauge the market for Abel in trade discussions.
Coming on the heels of recent trade rumors connecting the Phillies to St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, it comes as little surprise that Dombrowski could be using this as a prime opportunity to prop up Abel's value while it's at it's peak. With other top prospects like Andrew Painter and infielder Aidan Miller reportedly considered untouchable in trade talks, Abel, and other prospects like outfielder Justin Crawford and infielder Otto Kemp could be the team's biggest trade chips at this summer's deadline.