With the dust settled after the MLB Draft and the trade deadline, MLB Pipeline has finally given us an update of the Philadelphia Phillies Top 30 prospect rankings.
There was plenty of movement up and down the rankings, with traded prospects departing and incoming prospects joining the ranks of the organization's best young talent. The biggest eye-opening movement, however, was between two of the Phillies' already-established top prospects.
Long-time Philadelphia Phillies No. 1 prospect, right-hander Andrew Painter, has finally seen his status as top dog usurped by another young talent. Honestly, it's shocking to see a new name at the top of the rankings, but the new No. 1 isn't a surprise.
Aidan Miller dethrones Andrew Painter as Phillies’ No. 1 prospect in MLB Pipeline update
Shortstop Aidan Miller, still just 20 years old, has supplanted Painter as the Phillies' No. 1 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline's midseason update.
Painter (MLB No. 34) held on to the No. 1 ranking for a long time despite being out of action for most of 2023 and all of this season as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. That's how good the industry thinks he'll be once he's fully healthy again.
While we're over here salivating for his debut in 2025, the 2021 first-round, 13th-overall pick didn't drop far — he's now ranked No. 2.
His replacement, Miller (MLB No. 29), is more than deserving of the new No. 1 ranking.
Early in the season, Miller's blistering start in Single-A appeared to make his ascension to No. 1 status inevitable. He hit .324 with a .977 OPS in his first 27 games before batting .146 with a .645 OPS in his final 12, indicating that perhaps the organization had directed him to focus on a particular skill or approach at the plate without worrying about results.
Overall, the 2023 first-rounder slashed .275/.401/.483 with five home runs and 10 stolen bases in his 39 games with the Clearwater Threshers before getting a promotion to High-A.
After a slow start with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Miller has begun to figure out the new level. He batted .169/.280/.268 through his first 19 games, but since July 4 he's batting .242/.333/.379 in 23 games.
#Phillies No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller collected eight hits, including a pair of triples, and four RBIs in the series against Wilmington.@USAFRecruiting #AimHigh pic.twitter.com/LNXN9zhVEm
— Jersey Shore BlueClaws (@BlueClaws) August 13, 2024
His last seven games show an even larger improvement, with a .290/.313/.419 slash line. He now has two home runs and nine stolen bases through 42 games in High-A.
Miller's recent success was enough to convince evaluators to have him leapfrog the idle Painter for the remainder of the season. However, with Painter beginning to throw off a mound, he should be back in action for 2025 and will give Miller a run for his money as the No. 1 Phillies prospect.