4 Phillies prospects selected to Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game
After being voted in, the prospects will try to put on memorable performances during Sunday's game.
A few stars of the future for the Philadelphia Phillies will suit up Sunday and participate in the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game.
MLB announced the participants Friday, and four prospects for the Phillies made the cut: outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr., right-handed pitcher Christian McGowan, second baseman Oliver Dunn and right-handed pitcher Andrew Baker.
Joining those four on the roster is Marty Malloy, who manages the Scottsdale Scorpions in the AFL after leading the Clearwater Threshers for the Phillies.
Congratulations to Andrew Baker, Christian McGowan, Oliver Dunn, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and Marty Malloy on being named @MLBazFallLeague All-Stars!
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) November 4, 2023
More: https://t.co/3bqk1Ktf7T pic.twitter.com/GImVdmfq9t
Christian McGowan
In the announcement, it was noted that McGowan won't participate in the event after being voted in by AFL staff, farm directors, and MLB.com writers.
The Phillies drafted the righty in the seventh round of the 2021 draft, and he was coming off of Tommy John surgery in 2022. Across four levels in 2023, he had a 3.86 ERA with 10 walks and 28 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.
The 23-year-old has appeared in four games in the AFL, going 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA. The 14th-ranked prospect in the system has a WHIP of 1.647, giving up seven walks and 21 hits across 17 innings.
Later in the week I’m gonna get another look at #Phillies RHP Christian McGowan, who broke off this nasty breaker in his first outing. pic.twitter.com/Sds0J08JNv
— Josh Norris 🐻 (@jnorris427) October 9, 2023
Oliver Dunn
Dunn, an unranked prospect in the team's farm system, was coming off a 21-home run campaign for Double-A Reading, where he hit .271 with 78 RBI, 16 stolen bases, 82 walks, and 139 strikeouts in 119 games.
According to Jim Callis, Jonathan Mayo, and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com, Dunn led the whole Phillies organization with his 148 wRC+ in the regular season, and he hasn’t disappointed in the Arizona Fall League since his arrival.
Down in the Arizona Fall League, Oliver Dunn had 2 hits in a game, including a home run 👏 pic.twitter.com/bvAA2GKfsY
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) October 14, 2023
The 26-year-old, originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the 11th round of the 2019 draft, has excelled in the AFL this season. He has hit .362/.470/.652 with six doubles, four triples, and two home runs in 83 plate appearances across 18 games. The left-handed hitter has also worked 14 walks and stolen 12 bases without getting caught.
It's not all about offense and speed, though. Dunn, who got his first career walk-off during the AFL, has been flashing his defensive skills too:
#Phillies Oliver Dunn with a great diving stop to get #Rockies Sterlin Thompson. pic.twitter.com/Oh7Ttnb08e
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) November 3, 2023
NEXT: Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Andrew Baker
Gabriel Rincones Jr.
Rincones is the highest-ranked prospect for the team in the AFL. Coming in at No. 9, the Phillies' third-round pick in 2022 has put his skills on display in Arizona.
Before the AFL, he split time between High-A Jersey Shore and Single-A Clearwater, batting .248 with 15 home runs, 60 RBI, 32 stolen bases, 61 walks, and 134 strikeouts in 120 games.
In the AFL, the left-handed-hitting outfielder has slashed .295/.427/.462 with two home runs, 13 RBI, and 14 stolen bases in 21 games. The 22-year-old, who has played both right and left field, was also chosen to participate in the AFL Home Run Derby. While Rincones' power has been more restrained in the league, he hit 15 long balls in the minors in 2023 and 19 with Florida Atlantic University in 2022.
Gabriel Rincones Jr. hit this baseball “where there are no fielders” according to his teammates! #AFL23 pic.twitter.com/CWFxRcbxxl
— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) October 18, 2023
When speaking with Dykstra of MLB.com, Rincones talked about this approach at the plate during the Arizona Fall League: "For me, that's going back to staying within myself and not letting those external factors, like the ego, get in the way of me hitting. Whatever the game gives me, I have to take. If a home run's in the cards, let's go, but if not, then take what you got."
Andrew Baker
Baker rounds out the Phillies' showing in the Fall Stars Game. The right-handed relief pitcher, who was selected in the 11th round of the 2021 draft, has been lights-out in the Arizona Fall League. Unranked in the farm system, Baker is giving the Phillies organization and fans hope that relief help in the big leagues is right around the corner.
Andrew Baker is a top 100 talent that no one talks about because of Andrew Painter, Mick Abel, and Griff McGary.
— Philly Nation (@Philly__Nation) February 26, 2023
Phillies farm is loaded pic.twitter.com/DH2f5L4wct
This all comes after Baker had a year to forget in Double-A Reading. He posted an 8.12 ERA with 35 hits surrendered, six home runs given up, 48 walks issued, and 64 strikeouts in 41 innings. That gave him an abysmal 2.024 WHIP.
The 23-year-old has turned it around since arriving in Arizona, though. In seven games, the right-handed reliever has given up zero runs in seven innings of work, surrendering one hit and six walks to go with his 13 strikeouts. He's managing a rate of 16.7 strikeouts per nine innings.
Callis, Mayo and Dykstra of MLB.com wrote the following about Baker and his ability to both strike out and walk a lot of batters: "Baker misses bats, and the strike zone, fairly consistently. He has a fastball that touches the upper-90s and a nasty low-80s slider that have helped him strike out 13.1 per nine in his career so far, but he's also walked 7.9 per nine."
With four selections, Philadelphia had the most representatives from any team in the National League once the votes were tallied, a good sign for the farm system and the future of the ballclub in general.
To catch the Phillies prospects in action, tune in to MLB Network at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday for the Arizona Fall League Fall Stars Game.
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