3 under-the-radar Phillies prospects whose names fans need to learn
With minor league seasons ending, there are some lesser-known Phillies prospect names fans should store away for the future.
With the MLB season heading into the final month, minor league seasons are getting close to ending, so it seems like a good time to check in to see how some of the Philadelphia Phillies' prospects have performed this season.
We're not looking at the names everyone already knows, however. There has been plenty written about Phillies top prospects (subscription required) Aidan Miller (Phillies No. 1), Justin Crawford (No. 3) and Starlyn Caba (No. 4) this season. We've also heard a lot about the struggles and the recent encouraging turnaround of Mick Abel (No. 6).
3 under-the-radar Phillies prospects whose names fans need to learn
Instead of those big names, we're looking at some more under-the-radar names that fans may not be as familiar with but who are starting to make a name for themself with their play this season. That's not to say that the youngsters will pan out and be MLB stars, let alone make the majors, but they're names to store away in the back of your mind for down the road.
Aroon Escobar, 2B
Aroon Escobar has been causing a stir in his first season in North America. Playing in the Florida Complex League for the first time, the 19-year-old infielder tore through Rookie ball pitching. The Phillies No. 14 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, even earned a spot on Baseball America's Top 20 FCL prospects at No. 11.
Escobar batted .338/.495/.481 in 24 games with the FCL Phillies, hitting three home runs and stealing nine bases. He showed off his impressive eye and discipline at the plate, walking 21 times while striking out on just 10 occasions.
He projects as a second baseman, or maybe third, according to his Pipeline scouting report. He doesn't possess a standout tool, but does enough across the board to be an interesting, albeit a far away prospect.
Jean Cabrera, RHP
Jean Cabrera was one of the trio of Phillies pitching prospects who drastically improved their stock earlier this season. The other two, George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri, were both dealt at the trade deadline, leaving the right-hander Cabrera as the lone one standing.
Cabrera, 22, wasn't even ranked in the Phillies Top 30 by MLB Pipeline at the beginning of the season but jumped all the way to No. 13 in the midseason update. Baseball America is even more bullish on the young Venezuelan, ranking him No. 8.
According to Pipeline's scouting report, Cabrera has big stuff. He throws a 94-95 mph two-seamer and a 98 mph four-seamer, with a changeup and a big 82-85 mph sweeper that can freeze hitters.
He began 2024 pitching in High-A, his first taste of that level. It's safe to say that it went well. Cabrera pitched to a 3.39 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over 14 starts with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. He struck out an incredible 91 batters in 77 innings, which was good for the second-highest strikeout total in the Florida State League at the time behind only Aldegheri.
Jean Cabrera's locked in 🔐
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) July 5, 2024
The @Phillies prospect twirls six hitless innings and strikes out 10, the third time he notches double-digit punchouts in a game for the @BlueClaws: pic.twitter.com/VqScPL5hqp
Following his promotion to Double-A in early July, Cabrera has struggled to find the same success against more advanced hitters. He has a 4.85 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings across six games (five starts). While prospects struggling with a new level isn't new, we'll have to wait to see if he starts to figure out Double-A this season.
Wen-Hui Pan, RHP
Signed by the Phillies out of Taiwan at the beginning of the 2023 international signing period, right-handed pitcher Wen-Hui Pan has impressed in his limited professional career thus far. MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 20 in the Phillies top prospects, while Baseball America ranks him No. 16 in its most recent update. He was ranked No. 13 by Pipeline earlier this season, but a broken pinky finger delayed his start and dropped him down the rankings.
Pan, 21, debuted last season with the Single-A Clearwater Threshers and dominated in his 57 2/3 innings. He posted a 2.81 ERA and 36.2 percent strikeout rate in the Florida State League.
He got back into game action in late June this year with a rehab assignment that took him through the Florida Complex League (just for one inning) and Single-A again. In his 7 1/3 innings with the Threshers this season, Pan pitched to a 3.68 ERA with a 38.7 percent strikeout rate before getting the call to Double-A.
No. 13 @Phillies prospect Wen-Hui Pan punched out 4 batters through 2 innings with his fastball touching 99 mph in his first Minor League rehab start with the Threshers last night 👀 pic.twitter.com/bSMHmMwgMW
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) June 29, 2024
Since arriving in Jersey Shore on July 20, Pan has had even better results with the BlueClaws. In 11 appearances, he has a 1.50 ERA and 1.00 WHIP while striking out 27.4 percent of the batters he has faced.
According to his MLB Pipeline scouting report, the Phillies were looking at stretching Pan out with an eye to a starting role, but so far, he hasn't thrown more than two innings at a time this season. Both Pipeline and Baseball America think that he'll be ditching his changeup and curveball moving forward and working on his slider to pair with his 65- to 70-grade high-90s fastball and nasty 60-grade splitter. The Phillies feel his splitter is the best change of pace offering in the system (subscription required), according to Baseball America.
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