4 minor leaguers who will be major contributors for the Phillies in 2024

Dave Dombrowski recently said that he’s focused on the complementary players at this point with the Phillies roster and not so much on star chasing. The bulk of the roster, and especially the everyday players are pretty much set in stone.

But the best teams in the league, the teams that excel in the regular season and go deep into the playoffs, are the teams with deep roster depth. That includes a thriving and contributing farm system.

Year after year, organizations call down to their Double- and Triple-A teams for reinforcements and those players need to step up for the big league team to succeed. You can see it the most with consistently successful organizations like the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, and now the Baltimore Orioles. Teams that seemingly always have a minor league player to be called upon and deliver in the brightest of moments.

With few exceptions, the Phillies haven’t had much success from their minor league system in recent years. But the last couple of years has seen prospects rise in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 ranks and make some noise that they're ready to contribute. Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld have already reiterated the importance of having less expensive complementary players like Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Brandon Marsh, and Cristopher Sánchez because of the many high-priced star players already on the team.

Who from the Phillies farm system will step up and be that guy in 2024? There are a number of players from the 40-man roster, Triple-A, and even Double-A, who will almost definitely be given a shot at some point this season.

Let’s look at some of those players and what they can offer the big-league team.

Mick Abel, RHP

Dave Dombrowski had some high praise for Mick Abel, which gave fans a glimpse of his potential plan for the 22-year-old. He revealed how much of a special pitcher he thinks Abel is and what he could be at the major league level, saying that though he doesn’t see him breaking camp with the big league club, he sees him joining the team at some point in the middle of the season.

With Andrew Painter down for the year after having Tommy John surgery, Abel is the top prospect in the organization for 2024. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, he is a power pitcher with a 55/65 grade fastball that sits 95-97 mph and a plus breaking ball that he uses as his out pitch.

The Phillies are very high on Abel’s talent and see him as a top-end starter for them for a long time, so they won’t rush him to the majors this year if he isn’t ready but the growth he showed last year proves that he is right on the cusp.

The front office will keep a close eye on Abel’s control and command at the start of the season to give them an inclination as to where he is in his development. As the right-hander has progressed through the minor leagues, his biggest weakness has been his tendency to give up walks at a high rate and lose the strike zone at times.

There's a lot of anticipation for when Abel will make his debut, and when he does, he has the opportunity to change the trajectory of the franchise.

Weston Wilson, OF

Weston Wilson, the 29-year-old minor league veteran, was the breakout player for the Triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in 2023. For the season, Wilson slashed .259/.335/.775 with 31 home runs and 32 stolen bases, joining the 30/30 club. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll see the right-hander performed exceptionally well against left-handed pitchers, hitting .322/.398/.989.

Again, a major need for the Phillies lineup is some pop and consistency from the right side of the plate. Wilson is an above-average defender and has the ability to play all over the diamond, making him even that much more valuable to the major league team. He has shown he can be a top contributor on a winning team when given consistent at-bats.

However, in seven seasons in professional baseball, he has only played in eight games at the MLB level. In those eight games, he has hit for an average of .313 with six walks and five strikeouts. Giving him a chance to prove he is a major league talent can end up being a big time win for a team like the Phillies, who are trying to find low-cost contributors.

Don’t be surprised to see him up in the bigs quickly if Jake Cave continues to struggle against major league pitching in 2024.

Scott Kingery, UTIL

Scott Kingery, the once highly touted prospect, made news last month when the Phillies declined his $13 million option. He remains within the Phillies organization and under team control but was removed from the 40-man roster and reverted back to the original minor league deal he signed when he was drafted.

Kingery was once seen as the next big contributor and signed a long-term contract in 2018, which was at the time unprecedented for Phillies prospects. Needless to say, it hasn't worked out as initially anticipated. But to Kingery's credit, he has continued to work hard to get back to the major leagues.

In Spring Training this past season, he made a major case to break camp with the team when he hit .340/.415/.862, but the team opted to go in a different direction. Unfortunately, Kingery got off to a slow start at Triple-A, batting .244 and striking out at a significant rate.

Working with the coaches on a new approach, in 117 games he struck out 135 times and walked just 48 times. When Kingery received his long-term deal in 2018 he was known for his knack of getting on base, but after making changes to his swing, he hasn’t been able to find that spark.

Kingery can be a contributor for the Phillies with his defensive versatility. He has played every outfield position, along with second base, shortstop, and third base. Having someone who can play six of the nine positions is valuable in itself, and getting on base consistently would be a cherry on top.