Biddle, Quinn top Baseball America's Phillies prospect rankings
Baseball America unveiled it's annual Top 10 prospects for the Phillies organizations and the list reflects the conventional wisdom about the Phillies system: heavy on pitching, light on position players, but not completely barren.
Biddle, Quinn top Baseball America's Phillies prospect rankings
Baseball America unveiled it's annual Top 10 prospects for the Phillies organizations.
This year's list:
1. Jesse Biddle, lhp
2. Roman Quinn, ss
3. Tommy Joseph, c
4. Jon Pettibone, rhp
5. Adam Morgan, lhp
6. Ethan Martin, rhp
7. Cody Asche, 3b
8. Maikel Franco, 3b
9. Darin Ruf, 1b/of
10. Carlos Tocci, of
The list reflects the conventional wisdom about the Phillies system: heavy on pitching, light on position players, but not completely barren. Ruf's inclusion shows just how much his stock has improved inside the scouting community, which once regarded him as little more than a career minor leaguer. Quinn, a soon-to-be 20-year-old short stop, probably has the most upside of anybody in the system. After hitting .281/.370/.408 with 30 steals at Williamsport in 2012, he could turn himself into one of the more talked-about prospects in the sport with a big 2013.
Joseph was the catcher acquired from the Giants in the Hunter Pence trade. The fact that Baseball America has him ranked third and does not have Sebastian Valle ranked at all is notable. That being said, Joseph still has some serious development to do at the plate before you can start penciling him in as a viable replacement for Carlos Ruiz.
Morgan and Pettibone are the two players on the list most likely to help the Phillies this season. Both are polished strike throwers who could get a look in the rotation once the inevitable line of injuries begins.
Martin was acquired in the Shane Victorino trade. The Phillies look at him as a starter, although there are some scouts who think he might end up in the bullpen. Franco and Tocci are both big on upside, although Franco did start to realize that upside last season with 14 home runs as a 19-year-old at Class A Lakewood.
Long story short, the Phillies do not have the kind of blue chippers that make scouts drool. Biddle could be a Top 100 guy once Baseball America releases that list of the best prospects in the game. Pettibone and Morgan are both viewed as mid-to-back-of-the-rotation guys. Asche has yet to convince scouts that he will develop the power or the defensive ability that would make him a blue-chipper at third base. Franco and Quinn both need another significant season before they are viewed as centerpiece prospects, while Tocci probably needs a couple.
Baseball America's article is here.
Why isn't Cesar Hernandez on this?— BumSatellite- BA's always trying to get ahead of themselves, and that high a ranking for Quinn is a good example...Speed to BURN, and a type who can get infield hits just by putting the ball in play...But he is FAR from being a SS defensively...Nevertheless, highend potential rules the day...Better list than last year (Biddle's the only repeat name from lasst season,this time), and keep an eye on Maikel Franco pushing the brass to make a decision about either him or Asche...a guy who has had just blossomed these past 12 months...Another teen to remember (besides CF Tocci) is Andrew Pullin, a corner outfielder/2B who Pat Gillick recruited out of HS this past Draft...Ahead of his years...Kenny Giles (stuff) and Kyle Simon (fluff) are relievers to remember, while the Justin Friend's and Michael Cisco's just get guys out with smarts...Hope Cesar Hernandez builds a nice chip on his shoulder...Larry Greene as well.— bearsfriend
- @bear....hey maybe we'll get lucky with Franco manning 3rd for years and Cody Asche as a .340 hitting corner outfielder one day? I agree with your assessment of the guys on the rest of your list too.— Mark1npt
- Good to hear, bear. What do you know about the Phillies' scouting department? Also - why did Arbuckle abruptly leave? And - are they looking at the data yet (the analytics popularized by Billy Bean)?— Copper34
- @copper......Arbuckle left because he didn't get the GM job and Amaro did. It certainly seems like the Phils ability to spot talent took a hit when he left, IMO. But we do have Ed Wade now and like him or not as a GM, he does seem to be able to spot talent. Alas, maybe Amaro is looking at the data, but the only "data" Manuel goes by is "how far can he hit it?"— Mark1npt
- Agree on all points...Arbuckle was huge with the Braves, huge with the Phils, and has improved the Royals' system. — bearsfriend
Like getting tapped as the NEXT oldest living person in the US, Biddle must have his bags packed for a trip to ????? After observing the extreme reluctance for the Phils to play Ruf in a position that was begging for an injection of youth last summer, I see the Phils minor league system for what it is..... a feeder system currently employed to keep this current run alive via major league trades. Having snagged Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay in their primes, I must say the modus operandi has worked very well. But there comes a point when the core group becomes irrelevant and old and some of those minor leaguers may be asked to play in the bigs here.
All the more, it makes you realize how special our core group of Howard, Utley, Rollins and Ruiz really are. They sure don't come along every year, do they? That's why I say enjoy the run and these players while we can...- The worst thing the Phillies can do this winter is surrender their high 1st round draft pick (#16) for a free agent like Swisher.— dasher
- No Phillies Top Ten Prospect List would be complete without Dylan Cozens on it. He was listed at 6'6" 225 lbs. on the Instructs roster. He is a five tool left-handed power hitter and is the right fielder of the future. Watched him launch a couple of long drives in the GCL and Instructs but a shot to right at the Blue Jays minor league complex in an Instructs game was most memorable. It would have made the second level at CBP. If you are going to spring training, he would be my first must see prospect to watch in the minor league camp at the Carpenter Complex.— Dull
- Unfortunately Dylan Cozens is limited to a three position player since he throws lefty....RF, LF or 1st. — Romus
- @Drat and dasher....agreed......sure is nice to pick in the middle of the round rather than at the end or have no pick at all as the Phils have, for to many drafts now. I think the FO realizes this and will be much more thrifty with our picks going forward. And in spite of trading away so many pieces, not a one has come back to haunt us yet, though that may be about to change with the Mutts getting D'arnaud to catch for them everyday. We'll be getting a good up close look at him many times a year for many years maybe? It is truly amazing to see this Top 10 in print and realize how much it changes from year to year. Also cool to think that maybe our #9 prospect may be our opening day LF! That would be pretty awesome and maybe give a little boost to the other guys on the list to where they believe in themselves a little more and propel themselves into being in the same position themselves very soon. It could benefit the whole organization and a lot quicker than the FO may realize. Maybe they'll have a change of heart or of corporate thinking and realize some kids just need to be given a chance. Sometimes as a parent we can be amazed at what our kids have inside just waiting to get out.— Mark1npt
- @Dull....thanks for the heads up, will do.— Mark1npt
- Unfortunately, the Phils top ten prospect list does not include a lot of projectable future All Stars. It's made up mostly of projectable back of the rotation pitchers, and serviceable but not star quality position players. Cesar Hernandez falls into that category and if you extended the list to the Phils top 20 prospects, he would probably fall on many lists in the 15-17 range.— Claudio Vernight
- BA likes "upside" and "tools" more than anything. But it's encouraging to see a list like that, and still have other guys that didn't make the list - Cozens,Greene,Hernandez, Shane Watson, Kelly Dugan had a nice year last year and could move quickly now. The system has depth, but lets hope they stay away from Swisher and losing that mid-1st round pick.— cdedrick05
- Agree with Dull. To me Dylan Cozens was a steal last year. He could develop into a monster.— EL Zorro
