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Latin American minor-league Phillies position players to watch in 2017

Latin American Phillies to Watch Here are the top Latin American position players in the Phillies system to watch in 2017:

Jhailyn Ortiz, OF

Bonus: $4 million

Age on Opening Day: 18

Ortiz's bonus crushed the previous Phillies record ($1.2 million) for an international amateur. The Phillies bought power, which was evident during Ortiz's 47-game stint in the Gulf Coast League. The Dominican outfielder batted .231 and struck out too much, but his eight home runs ranked third in the league - and he was one of the league's youngest players.

Daniel Brito, SS

Bonus: $650,000

Age on Opening Day: 19

The Phillies are high on the Venezuelan's bat; he has displayed strong plate discipline with 56 walks against just 49 strikeouts in his first 472 professional plate appearances. "Brito's a big-league hitter," said Sal Agostinelli, the Phillies' director of international scouting. "He's going to hit. He's going to be a gap-to-gap guy."

Jose Pujols, OF

Bonus: $540,000

Age on Opening Day: 21

Pujols led the South Atlantic League in 2016 with 24 homers for low-A Lakewood. He also led in strikeouts with 179, 17 more than the next closest hitter. He was eligible for selection in this past Rule 5 draft, but he is such a raw prospect that teams passed. He'll head to high-A Clearwater in 2017.

Deivi Grullon, C

Bonus: $575,000

Age on Opening Day: 21

Progress has been slow for the Dominican catcher, who is hailed for his defensive acumen. It can be that way for young catchers; Carlos Ruiz did not reach triple A until he was 26. Grullon repeated low-A Lakewood in 2016. He improved his hitting across the board. Phillies officials say he is in better shape now, and he will be tested at high-A Clearwater in 2017.


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