Phillies top prospect tosses promising start in attempt to turn season around

The Philadelphia Phillies have a very good farm system that should produce some vital roster pieces in the future. One of those pieces is right-handed pitcher Mick Abel.

Phillies top prospect Mick Abel tosses promising start in attempt to turn season around

The 22-year-old is the Phillies’ No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline and currently pitches in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The 2020 first-round draft pick has had a rough season with the IronPigs in 2024. He owns a 3-7 record with a 6.53 ERA in 16 starts. Opposing hitters are batting .275 against Abel, and he’s allowed 54 walks in 73 innings pitched.

Abel and the Phillies organization hope that his last start against the Rochester Red Wings on July 24 was a turning point in his season.

The 6-foot-5 righty tossed five innings, only allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out five batters. This was the first time since Abel’s first start of the season on April 7 that he allowed one earned run or less in a game. He only pitched 1 2/3 innings in that outing.

Abel is a very talented pitcher, but he’s still trying to put it all together. He needs to work on his command to be able to be successful at the big league level as a potential piece in the Phillies starting rotation.

The Phillies have a strong starting rotation already with Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez signed for the foreseeable future. Not to mention Ranger Suárez is likely next in line for an extension, and Taijuan Walker is under contract through the 2026 season.

No. 1 prospect Andrew Painter is also looking to join the Phillies’ starting rotation once he’s healthy. The 21-year-old right-handed pitcher is recovering from Tommy John surgery last July.

Abel needs to build on his success from his previous start to keep his name in the conversation as a major league player in Philadelphia. It’s possible that he might begin his major league career in the bullpen given how crowded the Phillies starting rotation is. Regardless, Abel is still very young and has plenty of time to figure it all out.