With April over, the first month of Minor League action is in the books. Thus, let’s look at some players in the Phillies system whose early work has improved their stock the most.
Gabriel Rincones Jr. - A hulking slugger who didn’t play after being drafted last year, Rincones has caught fire as the month has worn on. He now has four home runs in 20 games to go along with 13 stolen bases, 6 doubles, and 14 walks. If he continues to excel, expect to see him at Lakewood in the near future.
David Parkinson - It’s hard to think too highly of Parkinson as a prospect anymore after a disastrous pair of seasons, but the calculating lefty has looked rejuvenated so far for the Fightin’ Phils. Time will tell, but perhaps the year off was just what the doctor ordered here.
Ethan Wilson - It’s hard to take too much stock in a 9 game run, especially at Reading, but Wilson’s early success at the difficult-to-master level after prior struggles is encouraging. A .607 slugging percentage is a key stat here.
Hans Crouse - Crouse’s underlying stats are somewhat concerning, but a 2.31 ERA across 11.2 innings as a multi-inning relief threat are nice to see after a lost 2022.
Wen Hui Pan - The Taiwanese fireballer is off to a stellar start in his professional career at Clearwater, working to a miniscule 0.429 WHIP while mowing down 11 batters on strikes over 7 innings spread out over 3 outings so far. Quite polished for his age, expect the kid gloves to continue to come off on Pan over the next few months as he works into a starting role.
Nick Ward - An independent league get, Ward has shown off all of his tools so far this season, slashing .294/.464/.412 while going a perfect 7-7 on stolen base attempts.
Simón Muzziotti - After a slow Spring, Muzz has been amazing off the jump for Lehigh Valley, mashing .380/.390/.467 while playing strong defense across the outfield.
Noah Skirrow - Skirrow’s stuff isn’t electric, but he’s a strong pitch-to-contact pitcher who continued to succeed at Lehigh Valley. He could get a MLB look this season.
Oliver Dunn - Dunn staged a mini-breakout last season, but a .297/.408/.469 line in his return could show it was no fluke.
Orion Kerkering - A fireballer out of South Florida, Kerkering has yet to concede a run yet this season and pairs a 0.273 WHIP with a 16.0 K/9 rate.
Dalton Guthrie - It’s been more of the same for Guthrie, whose proving his success in 2022 was no fluke. He’s batting a strong .279/.380/.481.
Samuel Aldegheri - Aldegheri looks back in form after a lost 2022 season. In 15.2 innings, the Italian hurler has struck out 25 batters and allowed just 3 walks.
Mick Abel - It might not move the needle on where he’s ranked on top prospect lists, but a strong 4 game start at a hitter-friendly Reading is a great sign for the young Abel.
Wilfredo Flores - Injury concerns have slowed down this toolsy CF-turned-INF, but he’s off to a torrid 15-38 start in his first look at the A+ level.
Jhailyn Ortiz - It’s hard to take much out of just 10 games, but Ortiz has looked much better so far at Lehigh Valley than he did at Reading last season. His .278/.381/.500 slash numbers would be personal bests in full-season action.
Francisco Morales - Morales still carries an unfavorable 3.9 BB/9 rate, but that’s less than half of his number from last season, and his K/9 rate is around the same level as in 2022. Perhaps he’s finally cracked the code.
Jesús Cruz - Cruz has suffered from the same issue that plagued Morales in the past, but he has also walked less batters this season and also has maintained good strikeout numbers. Coupled with strong winter ball work, Cruz could indeed be figuring it out at last.
Jeremy Walker - Walker’s calling card is the ability to go multiple innings as a reliever. After a disastrous past three seasons, Walker’s limiting contact more than ever (7.4 H/9) - a good sign for his continued success.
Jordan Qsar - Qsar is an established Minor league power threat, but early returns at Lehigh Valley show better contact hitting and speed as well. He has 5 home runs and is 5-5 on steals in 22 games.
Esteban Quiroz - An established Minor League hitting threat, Quiroz had a down 2022, but has bounced back quite well so far, posting a .301/.463/.411 at Lehigh Valley, setting himself up to be one of the first names the Phillies could call if they suffer an infield injury.
Vito Friscia - Friscia’s missed time so far, but when he’s played he’s been quite good, slamming 3 blasts in 5 games.
