Minor League Attributes for the 2016 Philadelphia Phillies?

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The 2014-15 season for the Philadelphia Phillies was everything but one to remember. The Phils finished in dead last with a record of 63 wins and 99 losses sporting a win percentage of .389. Not only did they finish in the cellar in the National League East, they sported the worst record in baseball to top it off. Not everything is bad for the Phillies though. Moving forward to the 2016-17 season, they have the first pick in the MLB Amateur Draft along with ten of the best prospects in their farm system.

The Phillies are projected to either select mitt popping left handed pitcher from the University of Florida, AJ Puk. Puk stands at 6’7 and weighs in at 225 pounds with a fastball topping out at an astounding 99 miles per hour along with a vicious slider in the low 80’s. Their backup pick is New Jersey native lefty Jason Groome who is only a junior in high school attending IMG Academy in Florida. Groome stands in at 6’6 220 pounds with a 94-97 mile per hour fastball and a variety of pitches including a changeup and curveball to add to his arsenal. He is committed to play at Vanderbilt University but will most likely attend the draft this year, instead.

Adding to the number one draft pick, the Phillies have a number of top prospects in their system to add to their 2016 season. Starting the list at number ten is center fielder, Carlos Tocci. Tocci had a breakout season in Lakewood everyone was expecting for the past three years. Although his strikeout to walk ratio went south and his average dipped close to .260. Tocci carries plus speed, arm, and defense in center field but his bat needs to wake up if he wants to compete in the majors. He holds the spot for the fifth best player 25 and under in the system but needs to gain more talent and experience to make it big and play over starter Odubel Herrera.

Number nine is right-hand pitcher Mark Appel. Appel, who was the first pick in the 2013 MLB Draft out of Stanford University, has a plus fastball and plus command, but his delivery os very easy to see, especially to an MLB hitter. The Astros, who drafted him to start with, messed with his delivery, pitches, and delivery and that made him unhappy. After being traded to the Phillies, his delivery is getting better and so are his pitches. The Phillies plan to let him grip it and rip it and hope he finds the command and velocity he had as a draftee a couple years back and become a number three starter.

Coming in at number eight is catcher, Jorge Alfaro. The Phils think that if Alfaro reaches his full potential, he is a sure fire hall of famer. Saying this, he is a bit of a mess behind the plate. He does not block, frame pitches, or call games very well. Despite an easy 80 grade arm, he possesses a 50-60 grade pop time due to his long arm motion. At the plate, he has a 60-80 raw power grade, but no real approach. He will most likely get another full season behind the plate, but will most likely moved to left field to work on his bat to get him on the horizon of being a major leaguer.

Coming in at number seven is right-hand pitcher, Franklyn Kilome. Kilome was the new hot Phillies prospect. He has a plus plus fastball that can grow in the next few years and a curve that turns to a slider depending on how he throws it. Kilome has yet to throw a full season but that makes him easier to grade. He has a upper 90’s fastball. Kilome’s floor is a back of the bullpen pitcher but his ceiling is a number two starter. He and Appel are very similar. Kilome has the movement and deception on his fastball but Appel has the control that Kilome needs to find.

Number six is catcher, Andrew Knapp. Struggling with a past Tommy John surgery, he’s tough to gauge. He’s no Barry Bonds of the catching world, but his power and average increased in Reading from the left side of the plate. He continues to improve his catching ability and has a plus arm to add to his potential. He frames pitches well so he will probably stay at catcher but his bat needs to get a little better if he wants to stay there. A little more work and he can be the everyday starter at Citizens Bank Park by summer 2017.

Number five is center fielder Roman Quinn. Having 80 plus speed is such a good tool to have and he has it along with plus defense in center that comes from his speed. He provides an average to above average bat due to the fact he can beat out slow rollers and bunts in the infield. His speed also helps him get extra base hits which is a big asset to have that speed at second to score on a follow up single. He’s also very dangerous on the base paths because his ability to steal bases is unreal. There is a flaw though. His leg injury he sustained a couple years ago could diminish his speed and make him injury prone. But if he stays healthy, he’ll have a successful career with All Star appearances in between.

Coming in at number four is left fielder, Cornelius Randolph. The 2015 first rounder wowed the baseball world after his first season in the minors matched that of JP Crawford, the Phillies top prospect. His 15.1 percent strikeout and walk ratio is attributed with his .140 ISO. He has the potential for a plus hitter. He’ll need to provide power and hitting skill because defense isn’t in his arsenal because he plays left, which is pretty far down the charts as a defensive position. He’s an above average runner but as he adds weight and muscle for power, his speed will diminish but that’s a trade he’s probably willing to make. Just ask Matt Holliday.\

Number three is right-hand pitcher, Jake Thompson. Thompson has bounced around in his first few years from the Tigers, to the Rangers, now the Phillies. His delivery is a little shaky and inconsistent leading to varying control and command on his pitches.Thompson has a mix of five pitches including a nasty two- seam fastball he throws in the upper 80’s to low 90’s, a four seamer that he gets in the low to mid 90’s, a curveball that loops into the zone to throw off hitters, a changeup that needs work and a devastating slider that comes in in the mid 80’s. The Phillies see Thompson as either a number two or three starter or if his slider doesn’t get any better, a dominant reliever.

Number two is outfielder Nick Williams. Williams is a great prospect with a plus arm, speed, power, and extra base hit potential. Plus, his sparkling center, left, and right field defense. Some areas need work, like his route reading, ability to throw to the right spots, and his approach at the plate. He possesses quick hands and can turn on baseballs, but he tends to swing at junk more often than not which holds his power back. He has an All Star ceiling and resembles Maikel Franco at the plate and Alex Gordon in the outfield.

Last but not least coming in at the top prospect spot for the Phillies in 2016 is shortstop, JP Crawford. Crawford is a silky smooth defender when fielding ground balls who needs to improve on his routine plays but he also makes impossible plays look routine. He has a tremendous arm that could fit in anywhere even if he couldn’t hit, but that’s not the case here. He has a mature approach like any veteran in the game. He’s a smart base runner and uses his plus speed to swipe bags and take extra bases on base hits. One flaw that everyone says about JP is that he is lazy when it comes to outs. If he pops or grounds out, he shows no hustle but that is the only downside to his game. He’s compared to a young Jimmy Rollins but with less pop than he had but JP has a better approach to the plate, so any OBP he has will offset his SLG. To put it into better words, he’s a future All Star in the works.