As the 2023 MLB season approaches, so does another season of Minor League baseball. With this in mind, now is a great time to break down the state of the Phillies prospects. As was done last season, I will start at the rookie level. The change this year, however, is I am also going to include guys who topped out in the DSL last year. I already acknowledge that I really don't know a lot about any of these players at the rookie ball level and some of my rankings are approximate, but with some interesting performances in the DSL it stands to reason that incorporating some of these players would be appropriate. In regards to the FCL level, the Phillies side went an unimpressive 26-29 last year, but the DSL clubs both prospered. The White and Red teams finished 1st and 3rd, respectfully, in the San Pedro Division, with the former winning the DSL championship.
Regardless, the list I have made for the rookie levels features the following top 13:
William Bergolla Jr.
Rickardo Perez
Nikau Pouaka-Grego
Maxwel Hernandez
Gabriel Rincones Jr.$
Samuel Aldegheri\/
Jaydenn Estanista
Gavin Tonkel
Mavis Graves$
Braeden Fausnaught$
Jordan Dissin$
Diego Gonzalez
Lou Helmig
This list of course includes several draft picks from the past draft, but is led by several returning names. William Bergolla Jr. had a brilliant season led by a .380 average, which of course wasn't a shock given his pedigree. Rickardo Perez once again leads the GCL names followed again by Nikau Pouaka-Grego. Maxwel Hernandez was perhaps Bergolla's equal on the mound, leading the DSL in his professional debut with a minuscule 0.72 ERA last season. Gabriel Rincones Jr. was the team's 2nd pick last season. After not playing at any professional level after the draft, he's a name that we hopefully will get some more clarity on this year. Some new names in the crowd include Mavis Graves, Braeden Fausnaught, and Jordan Dissin. Graves is a bit of a project who has yet to make his professional debut - Fausnaught, by contrast, was the ace for a strong DII program at West Chester who saw a brief professional debut last season. Dissin was a 12th rounder out of JuCo ball who hit well in summer ball in 2021 and in a tiny FCL debut last season.
