The untouchables: 4 top prospects Phillies definitely need to keep off the trade block

Orion Kerkering, RP, No. 7 prospect

Let's start with the phenom who made his MLB debut right at the end of the season with the big league club Orion Kerkering.

Despite being just a fifth-round draft pick of the Phillies from the recent 2022 MLB Draft, Kerkering has already taken great strides in his growth and development over the past two years. In fact, he has had perhaps one of the greatest ascensions in team history. In his 2023 season, he made it through four minor league levels and ultimately went right into the majors and subsequently into the playoffs for good measure.

How was he able to accomplish such a feat?

Relying primarily on a devastating sweeping slider and his deceptive delivery has brought him great success. In his 2023 minor league season, he compiled an impressive 1.51 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP, giving up only nine earned runs all year with 79 punchouts in just 53 2/3 innings pitched. He even fared well and didn't look out of place with the Phillies in the playoffs until things unraveled a bit for him during the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Nevertheless, Kerkering showed great promise and aims to be part of the big league bullpen for the 2024 season. With his skills and talent level, he could potentially even be the heir to the Phillies’ closer role in the near future with the way he exudes confidence and composure.

With the Phillies losing their 2023 closer to free agency, they may already have their future solution in place. The key now is to make sure they don’t deal him away and see him become an All-Star reliever elsewhere.

Justin Crawford, OF, No. 3 prospect

Currently ranked within the top three of the Phillies’ top MLB prospects, Justin Crawford has the makings to become a formidable five-tool player, just like his four-time All-Star father, Carl.

The fact that he is also currently the organization’s top-ranked positional prospect despite having only played as high as High-A level speaks volumes of his abilities and potential. His obvious strengths are his lightning speed, coming in with a grade of 70, exceptional defense and arm, with a grade of 60, and solid contact-hitting skills.

Even with his weakness being mainly his power, many believe that it will come over time when his body fills out, and he tightens up his swing during the growth and development of his game.

For the 2023 season, Crawford split time between Single-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore, in which he compiled a stellar .332 average, .859 OPS, along with 71 runs scored, 22 doubles, eight triples, three home runs, 64 RBI and a whopping 47 stolen bases in 55 attempts in just 87 games played. He will likely begin the 2024 season in High-A or Double-A, depending on where the Phillies see him as the best fit.

The Phillies team as a whole struggled immensely with their defense this past season, in particular the outfield. In 2023, the Phillies ranked 26th in the league with -30 DRS, with their outfield totaling -20 DRS if it wasn’t for Johan Rojas raising the bar with his 15 DRS in just two and a half months of playing time.

However, that team weakness could soon be a thing of the past, with the potential of having the elite defensive combination of Rojas and Crawford manning their outfield in the near future. With the possibility of Crawford becoming a key contributor in all aspects of the game, the Phillies would be wise to hold on to him no matter the circumstances, as he could turn out even better than his parental predecessor.

Mick Abel, SP, No. 2 prospect

For the former first-round pick of the Phillies from the 2020 MLB Draft, Mick Abel is perhaps the next best thing behind Andrew Painter in terms of the team’s top pitching prospects. With a pitching arsenal very similar to Painter's, with a mid-80s wicked slider to go along with a devastating fastball constantly in the mid to high-90s, it has helped pave his way to success in the past three years in the Phillies’ minor league system.

This past season, Abel pitched primarily for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils, where he posted a respectable 5-5 record with a  4.14 ERA and 1.24 WHIP, along with 126 strikeouts in just 108 2/3 innings pitched in 22 starts. His solid work even earned him a late-season promotion to Triple-A in which he made a start for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs prior to the end of the season.

Overall, Abel has compiled a 4.09 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with 328 strikeouts in 266 1/3 innings of work in his minor league career.

Abel likely will start the 2024 season with the IronPigs, but a strong Spring Training could put him on the forefront of a big league call-up sometime over the course of the season.

With the ability to form a dynamic duo at the front end of the rotation with Painter in the near future, the Phillies should keep Abel in their grasp to ensure it comes to fruition. That way, their young guns will be able to complement the star veterans of Nola and Zack Wheeler, who are already in place, to make the Phillies a strong, long-term contender.

Andrew Painter, SP, No.1 prospect

The former first-round pick right out of high school by the Phillies from the 2021 MLB Draft, right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter is perhaps one of the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.

Armed with a blistering 70-grade fastball and a 60-grade slider, along with tremendous command and control with his pitches, Painter blazed through three minor league levels during the 2022 season. He posted a combined ERA of 1.56, WHIP of 0.887 and 155 strikeouts in just 103 2/3 innings pitched. It was truly an amazing feat as he did it all at just the young age of 19, making him the top-ranked prospect in the organization according to MLB Pipeline in the process.

More impressively, it was believed that Painter actually had an inside shot of making the Phillies’ 2023 Opening Day roster until he was befallen by an elbow UCL injury that resulted in season-ending Tommy John surgery in the end. As a result, Painter likely won’t be back in action until the 2025 season.

Despite the Phillies being currently in win-now mode, they shouldn't even think about including Painter in any trade talks, given his enormous talent and potential. He represents the Phillies’ best homegrown pitching talent since Nola and will no doubt be a force on their pitching staff for many years to come.

In addition, his value could be hindered by his current injury status, so it makes no sense for the Phillies to move him when they might not end up getting anything of quality back. As a result, the key for the Phillies now is to be patient with Painter so that they can reap the benefits once he's back to full health.

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