2025 Phillies Mid-Season Top 30 Prospects

I wanted to make sure I got my pre-season prospects list for the Phillies out so I could at least reasonably get my mid-season list out in due order. This list has a few changes, specifically near the bottom, but there are some big climbers as well. This list is retroactive to the All-Star Break, and doesn't include new draftees seeing as the results of draft signings weren't finalized by the end of the break. I will have a separate section on these guys, as they're hard ranks at this stage anyway.

1. Andrew Painter
2. Aidan Miller
3. Mick Abel
4. Justin Crawford
5. Eduardo Tait
6. Aroon Escobar
7. Carson DeMartini
8. Otto Kemp
9. Keaton Anthony
10. Hendry Mendez
11. Gabriel Rincones Jr.
12. Jean Cabrera
13. Wen Hui Pan
14. Eiberson Castellano
15. Moisés Chace
16. Dante Nori
17. Devin Saltiban
18. Alex Binelas
19. Raylin Heredia
20. Mavis Graves
21. Griff Burkholder
22. Daniel Harper
23. José Rodríguez
24. Jaydenn Estanista
25. Charles King
26. Avery Owusu-Asiedu
27. Carson Taylor
28. John Spikerman
29. Tristan Garnett
30. Juan Amarante

No shock at the top here. Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller have both started rough on the season, but they're still the two guys I feel the best about being stars in the Majors down the line. I leaned Mick Abel over Justin Crawford at 3, but both are guys I also feel good about, just as less likely to reach the heights as Painter and Miller. Eduardo Tait, like Painter and Miller has had a meh season, but he's still quite young and still very skilled. Aroon Escobar and Carson DeMartini were guys who I needed to see more from coming into this season, and so far, they've delivered, but some higher success would move both up even more. Otto Kemp and Keaton Anthony have taken different tracks to get there, but both are former UDFAs bordering on MLB breakouts. Hendry Mendez jumps ahead of Gabriel Rincones Jr., but both are toolsy OF prospects closing in on the Majors. Jean Cabrera is a guy who I'm still a tad skeptical of the ceiling of, but his floor continues to rise. Tough seasons for Wen Hui Pan, Eiberson Castellano, and Moisés Chace from a health perspective have dimmed their prospects, but each possess impressive stuff that could eventually help the bullpen. Dante Nori and Devin Saltiban, too have slipped off of unimpressive seasons, but both are still terribly toolsy.

Things get a bit more murky at this point. Alex Binelas occupies the Keaton Anthony spot from the start of the season's list as an interesting boom-or-bust tweener type that could pop with some refinement of his game. Raylin Heredia is a bit of a divisive prospect, but if he can stay healthy, he has the upside to be a good CF. Mavis Graves and Griff Burkholder have both had miserable seasons, but they still have to be in this tier due to their upside.

At this point, there's a lot of "meh" and "who knows" for me. Daniel Harper leads this tier as perhaps the best near-term true RP prospect for the team. Jaydenn Estanista's always been a fascination of mine, and he's pitched well until a recent roadbump at Reading. Charles King's numbers as a starter are meh, though he's done better recently. I do believe the stuff is very intriguing as a RP though. Avery Owusu-Asiedu's been one of the bigger surprises in the system this season. He has a skillset that lends to a utility role. Winning the battle royale for the final spot is Juan Amarante, who beats out a group mostly of RP types. Amarante likely ends up there as well, but has started as well. However, look for a guy like Ramon Marquez to perhaps sneak into this spot eventually. He's a popular sleeper type at the very bottom of the system.

Amongst draftees, there are more than a few that can fit into these rankings, even if their current spots are kinda TBD for me. Amongst the draftees, 5 would probably make my list: Gage Wood, Cade Obermueller, Matthew Fisher, Sean Youngerman, and Cody Bowker, with Gabe Craig being one of the first guys out.

2025 Phillies Top 30 Prospects

I've been sitting on my Top 30 Phillies Prospects list for this year for a bit, but I'm working on getting my mid-season one done, so I have to get this out now if I want it out. Here's the list:Andrew Painter

1. Andrew Painter
2. Aidan Miller
3. Justin Crawford
4. Eduardo Tait
5. Seth Johnson
6. Gabriel Rincones Jr.
7. Moisés Chace
8. Wen Hui Pan
9. Eiberson Castellano
10. Jean Cabrera
11. Otto Kemp
12. Mavis Graves
13. Mick Abel
14. Dante Nori
15. Devin Saltiban
16. Griff Burkholder
17. Keaton Anthony
18. Andrew Walling
19. Casey Steward
20. Daniel Harper
21. Matt Kroon
22. Max Lazar
23. José Rodríguez
24. Michael Mercado
25. Estibenzon Jimenez
26. Tommy McCollum
27. Tristan Garnett
28. Christian McGowan
29. Aroon Escobar
30. Rafael Lantigua

As has usually been the case, I generally lean towards more MLB ready players and higher floor players, even if that's something I've moved away from some. The top 16 were fairly obvious, and itw as a bit more confusing from there. The top 4 were far from surprising, but I did have Seth Johnson at 5, because my belief was his floor as a good RP was quite high, though the results so far this year suggest that may not have been true. Gabriel Rincones Jr. is an intriguing all-around prospect, and, Moisés Chace, Wen Hui Pan, Eiberson Castellano, all have big-league stuff that should see them up eventually. Jean Cabrera was a little lower because he's always been more a floor guy than ceiling. Otto Kemp was a hard rank at the beginning of the year, but his production last year was enough to get him in the middle of this tier. Mavis Graves landed in above Mick Abel, whose slide ended here after an awful 2024. Graves is more a floor guy as well, but there's reason to believe he could elevate that, while Abel's so far made some of the changes that should see him higher on the list in the next version. Dante Nori, Devin Saltiban, Griff Burkholder all sat in the next group, and I gave Nori the edge because of his floor in the OF.

The next group is a fall-off from the first one, and very fungible. Keaton Anthony is the most ineteresting, and would slot in higher were he not of an odd archetype as a contact-first 1B. Casey Steward is an interesting name I clocked in Spring Training (I tend to try not to take too much out of ST, granted, but his stuff was electric) who seems like he could be a great RP or maybe even a SP. Max Lazar was a guy I quite liked last year, but his struggles late had me wondering if he could really be anything more than a fungible RP. The rest of the 30 is composed generally of pitchers who I sit a little higher on that most, and of course Aroon Escobar, who was low on my list simply because I needed to see more (and I have indeed seen more so far).

The Definitive Flyers Trade Deadline Tierlist

The 2025 NHL Trade Deadline is almost here, and because the Flyers still haven't done anything yet, I have time to post the tierlist of guys I think they should trade still!

Yeah, it doesn't shock me I'm not employed by the Flyers with a list like this, but I do genuinely believe they should be trading everyone in the top 2 rows if they're serious about rebuilding, and ideally the next row as well in the offseason. But they won't. Of course. Well, hopefully they do something...

2024 Phillies Pre-Season Prospect Rankings - Rookie Levels

I neglected to finish my Phillies pre-season prospect lists, so here are my lists for the rookie levels and of unassigned players:

FCL:

1. Devin Saltiban
2. TJayy Walton
3. Junior Marin
4. Mavis Graves
5. Avery Owusu-Asiedu
6. Kehden Hettiger
7. Pierce Bennett
8. Enruque Segura
9. Yemal Flores
10. Micah Ottenbreit

DSL:

1. Eduardo Tait
2. Starlyn Caba
3. Maxwel Hernandez
4. Angel Liranzo
5. Jaeden Calderon

Unassigned:

1. George Klassen
2. Luke Russo
3. Lachlan Wells
4. Jalvin Arias
5. Jake Eddington
6. Ethan Chenault
7. Charles King
8. Marty Gair

The top names on each list here stand out. Devin Saltiban was the Phillies 2nd pick last year and has serious physical tools that saw him draw comparisons to Hawai'i baseball and Phillies legend Shane Victorino. Eduardo Tait had a monster season in the DSL and doesn't turn 18 until August of 2024. He's already well-rounded as both a hitter and catcher. Additionally, Starlyn Caba, who actually outranks Tait on most lists, is a two-way threat as well, playing as an infielder. George Klassen is a project hurler who struggles with walks, but has some of the best stuff out there when he's on.

2024 MLB Sleeper Prospects - AL West

Here's a list of some of the prospects I have been looking at from the AL West.

 

Los Angeles Angels - Tyler Thomas

Tyler Thomas, 28, is a former prospect of note who joins the Angels via the David Fletcher swap after Atlanta picked him in the MiLB portion of the Rule Five Draft. An independent ball pickup by the Mets last season, Thomas was dominant at AA, posting a 0.706 WHIP. 

Houston Astros - Jacob DeLabio

Jacob DeLabio, a former undrafted free agent, posted a 1.15 ERA last season. His walk rate remains high, but he's limited damage quite well as a pro so far.

Oakland Athletics - Armando Alvarez

Armando Alvarez, 30 in July, has played a lot of pro ball. He's a former 17th rounder by the Yankees that spent last year mostly at AAA Sacramento. It was his 3rd season at the level at an advanced age, granted, but he hit an eye-popping .313/.383/.569 at the level. Alvarez just got his first MLB look, and Oakland can use to see if they have a late-blooming gem in him down the stretch.

Seattle Mariners - Isiah Gilliam/Cody Bolton

A pair of post-hype prospects, Gilliam and Bolton are different types of picks here. The former isn't on the 40, but could push his way onto it with continued power production. The latter is a potential multi-inning weapon for the contending Mariners.

Texas Rangers - Reid Birlingmair

Reid Birlingmair, a former Athletics prospect, is a product of what might be the Mid-West's premier baseball side, the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks. A strong run at the end of last year between A+ and AA should put Birlingmair, 27, on the radar for a MLB look this year.

2024 MLB Sleeper Prospects - NL Central

Here's my sleeper prospect selections for the NL Central.

Milwaukee Brewers - Shane Smith

I think the Brewers have many sneaky-good prospects in their system, but Shane Smith, a former undrafted free agent out of Wake Forest, really stands out. The Brewers, especially dealing with injuries, could use Smith in the near future. He finished with a WHIP under 1 last year and a 13.0 K/9, and a 1.27 ERA between the A+ and AA levels.

 

St. Louis Cardinals - Jacob Bosiokovic

The Craidnals brought in a bunch of indy ballers this offseason, one being a returning name in Jacob Bosiokovic, 30. He pitched for Memphis in 2022, and is a converted infielder. The Cardinals have already brought up a few relievers this season for looks - Bosiokovic could get the next one.

Chicago Cubs - Zac Leigh

Zac Leigh, a late rounder out of Texas State, is another pitcher that gets a lot of strike outs. Truthfully, I didn't look at any Cubs players until now, so this isn't a proper pick.

Pittsburgh Pirates - Ryder Ryan

Ryder Ryan's a journeyman RP who debuted briefly for Seattle last season. I caught onto him at the 2021 Olympics, and his strong AAA track record makes me think he can translate his success to the Majors.

 

Cincinnati Reds - Peyton Gray/Blake Dunn

Okay, I'm cheating a bit two of my Reds shortlist have already made the Majors, so it's probably skewing my choices here (though I try my best when I make these picks late to avoid that). So here's my compromise. Peyton Gray ended up starting the season on the 60-day IL, but wasn't placed on it immediately, so I'm going with Blake Dunn, a power speed threat with 53 Sb and 23 HR last season between AA and AAA. It's, needless to say, no shock to me to see him up already.

2024 MLB Sleeper Prospects - AL East

I'm continuing my sleeper prospect series with the AL East today.

Blue Jays - Hagen Danner

A legitimate two-way prospect coming out of high school, Hagen Danner didn't pan out as a catcher, but started moving rapidly though the system as a reliever. He posted a 12.8 K/9 across three Minors levels, with most of that production coming at AAA. Injuries have been a concern, but he's got a MLB calibre arsenal and could see action for the Blue Jays this season.

Baltimore Orioles - Keagan Gillies

The Orioles system is deep in position players and is now developing a good starter group, but overlooked in the system are the relievers. Keagan Gillies is a name worth watching. He posted a minuscule WHIP just over .8 last season between the A+ and AA levels with a 13.5 K/9 mark as well. With some pitching staff injuries plaguing the O's, Gillies is a guy who could play a role for them this season.

Tampa Bay Rays - Logan Driscoll

The Rays have a seriously woeful catching situation that already caused them to make one move this season, sending down projected starter René Pinto for Alex Jackson. Late-March pickup Ben Rortvedt has emerged as a surprising starter, but there's no guarantee he lasts with the club. Now more than ever, with Blake Hunt out of the system, expect another former Padres 2nd rounder to fill the void as Tampa's next man up - Logan Driscoll. Driscoll had a strong offensive season between the AA and AAA levels last season after a tough 2022, and overall has a good track record of production in the Minors. I'd bet he sees time with the Rays this season.

Boston Red Sox - Jamie Westbrook

I rushed this post today because I wanted to make sure it didn't look like hindsight bias when I posted my Red Sox pick, the journeyman Jamie Westbrook, 28. I've obviously been pounding the drum for this guy for some time, but it doesn't come as a shock to me that the Sox, with serious infield uncertainty, were the team to need him. If his production can translate, I could see him being an excellent super-utility guy for the team at the very worst.

New York Yankees - Jack Neely

The Yankees are off to a great start this season, but that doesn't mean they might not need reinforcements at some point this season. I could see Jack Neely being one of them. Neely has an arsenal that saw him post a 13.6 K/9 last season between the A+ and AA levels, while finishing with a WHIP under .9. That's a fantastic combination that could see him on a Major League mound in due order.