2023 NL Sleeper Prospects

As the 2023 MLB season approaches, we move closer to another season of exciting new names rising to The Show. However, not every exciting rookie comes up with big expectations. However, that does not mean these players won't become talents in the league as well. Therefore, let's look at some names from each team who could have strong rookie seasons that you may not expect to. As a note, I did this exercise last season, but because it's hard to find the right balance between likely success and obscurity, I created three categories of players for each team - "Know the Name", which notes players you may have (or should have) heard of, "Fast Risers", which are players rising rapidly through their respective clubs' systems, and "Deep Sleepers", which are players you've likely never heard of, or have forgotten about. Without further ado, here are your names for the NL:

Team	Know the Name	Fast Risers	Deep Sleepers
Atlanta Braves	Jared Shuster	Dylan Dodd	Brooks Wilson
Miami Marlins	C.J. Hinojosa	Anthony Maldonado	Eli Villalobos
New York Mets	Stephen Ridings	Grant Hartwig	Wyatt Young/Zach Muckenhirn
Washington Nationals	Blake Rutherford/Thad Ward	Zach Brzykcy	Hobbie Harris
Philadelphia Phillies	Noah Song	Noah Skirrow	Michael Plassmeyer
Milwaukee Brewers	Sal Frelick	Ryan Middendorf	Cam Robinson
St. Louis Cardinals	Jordan Walker	Matt Koperniak	Logan Sawyer
Chicago Cubs	Hayden Wesneski	Jeremiah Estrada	Nelson Maldonado
Pittsburgh Pirates	Endy Rodríguez/Cody Bolton/Kent Emanuel	Cameron Junker	Aaron Shackelford
Cincinnati Reds	Fernando Cruz	Christian Encarnacion-Strand	Henry Ramos
Arizona Diamondbacks	Scott McGough	Mitchell Stumpo	Roby Enriquez
Los Angeles Dodgers	Tyler Cyr	Gavin Stone	Trevor Bettencourt
San Francisco Giants	Brett Wisely/Colton Welker	Blake Sabol	Nick Duron/Clint Coulter
San Diego Padres	Jay Groome	Angel Felipe	Nick Hernandez
Colorado Rockies	Hunter Goodman	Gavin Hollowell	D.J. Peterson/Coco Montes/Eli Lingos

Atlanta Braves - The Braves were a hard team to pin names down for, as many of their best candidates for this list were dealt in offseason moves. Shuster and Dodd already look like good bets - both will make club's Opening Day roster. Keep an eye on Brooks Wilson though. He's still working his way back from a long-term injury, but he has a stellar track record in the Minors and had a monster season (15.1 K/9!) spent mostly at AA in 2021.

Miami Marlins - Maldonado and Villalobos are a pair of near-MLB-ready relievers. C.J. Hinojosa, meanwhile, has a clear path to playing time with a Miami club that traded away Miguel Rojas this offseason. The former top prospect in the Giants system has quietly hit quite well the past three affiliated seasons split between 3 systems.

New York Mets -  The Mets have some interesting young hitting talent on hand, but with an older pitching staff already dealing with injuries, some rookies could play key roles. Watch for Stephen Ridings, who is still dealing with an injury that cost him 2022, but had a monster 2021 season that included a tantalizing look in the Majors.

Washington Nationals - The rebuilding Nationals have already done a good job adding under-the-radar young talent.  Zach Brzykcy in particular looks like a name to watch for. An ex-UDFA, Brzykcy cut his way through the top 3 levels of the Minors last season.

Philadelphia Phillies - The AAA numbers aren't great, but Michael Plassmeyer played himself into a big depth role with the Phillies for 2023. A contact pitcher with a 4th round pedigree, Plassmeyer found new life last year after working with Lehigh Valley Pitching Coach César Ramos.

Milwaukee Brewers - Stalled out in rookie ball early in his professional career, Cam Robsinon look transformed in 2021, his first full season as a reliever. The Brewers have lost some bullpen depth in Taylor Rogers and Brad Boxberger in the offseason, meaning Robinson could factor into the mix with the Major League club early in the season.

St. Louis Cardinals - Walker has already made the Cardinals roster, while Sawyer was literally untouchable last season in independent ball (30 appearances, 0 ER). Brit Matt Koperniak, however, is a happy medium here between sleep-factor and likely results. An undrafted free agent out of Trinity College in Connecticut, Koperniak has a .298/.384/.444 career line in the Minors, and a .291/.365/.443 mark between AA and AAA last season.

Chicago Cubs -  Jeremiah Estrada only appeared in 18 games between 2017 and 2021 due to injuries, but a healthy version of the hurler showed why the Cubs tabbed him as a 6th rounder out if High School in 2017. Highlights included a 1.30 ERA on the farms with a 14.5 K/9 across 3 new levels of the talented righty, as well as look in the Majors late in the season.

Pittsburgh Pirates -  The Minors are loaded with power-hitting 1B - every system seems to have one. One imagines Aaron Shackelford won't hit enough for contact to survive in the Majors, but his power is no joke (56 HR in 264 Minors games).

Cincinnati Reds - Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Fernando Cruz are two of my favorite sleepers in the game. The former owns a career .317/.376/.588 line in the Minors, including 36 home runs in 144 games. I think he'll have a monster year. The later is a former position player as a prospect who was brilliant in his return to affiliated ball from Mexico last season, dominating the International League, with the Reds, and in the World Baseball Classic.

Arizona Diamondbacks - There's nothing like a sleeper prospect that people don't even realize is a prospect. That's 33 year-old Scott McGough, who had a cup of coffee with the Marlins in 2015 and has spent the last four seasons as a dominant bullpen force in the NPB. The hardware? 3 All-Star nods and a starring role as the closer for the 2021 Japan Series winning Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Los Angeles Dodgers -  A long and arduous journey saw Tyler Cyr finally make the Majors last season, only to be cut loose by the Phillies after one outing (oh what a game that was!). He then linked up with the Athletics, where he actually pitched quite good. He was also strong at AAA last season, which could indicate he's finally putting it all together.

San Francisco Giants - I quite like both Nick Duron and Blake Sabol. The former saw the birefest of cups of coffee last season with the Phillies, but otherwise saw his dominant campaign unfold at AAA. Sabol, meanwhile, is locked into a spot with the Giants as a Rule 5 guy. A well-rounded hitter with power, contact ability and speed (shades of J.T. Realmuto), Sabol could become a special super-utility player in the Majors.

San Diego Padres - Having nearly fallen off the face of the Earth (or at least prospect radars) at one point, Jay Groome looks finally to be back on track. Groome was impressive in his first look at AAA last season, including in the hitting-happy PCL.

Colorado Rockies -  They say AA is a significant dividing line for most prospects, so it’s quite impressive that Gavin Hollowell skipped the A+ level after a limited 2021 season and was impressive at AA, with a 0.904 WHIP and a team-leading 16 saves as his best indicators.

2023 Phillies Prospect Rankings - Low-A

Boy, can it be hard to rank Low Minors prospects without a real scout's perspective! I learned this the hard way with my prospect rankings for the guys who topped out with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers (57-71) last season. Going through the names eligible for the Low-A list, I found 37 (!) guys worth ranking alone. As things stand, this list wraps around from the 3rd to the 4th page of my Google Docs file, the split occurring after entery 12, which actually felt like a good cut off point. Here are those names:

Justin Crawford$
Emaarion Boyd$
Estibenzon Jimenez^
Eiberson Castellano
Alex Rao$
Jared Wetherbee
Caleb Ricketts$
Alexeis Azuaje
Jordan Viars^
Alex McFarlane$
Tommy McCollum
Micah Ottenbreit

Crawford and Boyd were 2022 draftees out of high school. Crawford is an exciting prospect and the son of Carl Crawford (making him the second Phillies 1st rounder from the Crawford Family after J.P.!), while Boyd is a speedster who started his pro career on a heater (.361 AVG last season in 11 games). Jimenez and Castellano are a pair of guys signed out of Venezuela at a little older than the typical age who excelled last season in their stateside debuts (Jimenez was a little better, but Castellano jumped directly from the DSL to Clearwater). Rao, Wetherbee, and McCollum are a trio of relievers who have charted high strikeout rates, while McFarlane may end up in the bullpen in the future as well. Ricketts looks the part of a catcher with the all-around ability to be a strong Major Leaguer. Finally, Viars and Ottenbreit were 2021 draftees who dealt with injuries last season. Viars could be a breakout prospect this season, while Ottenbreit will hopefully return at some point this season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

Phillies Spring Training Stock Watch #3

The 2023 season is on the horizon, meaning teams will have to soon finalize their rosters. Where do players stand in positional races for the Phillies? Let’s take another look.

Jake Cave - Stock Up (12 G, 35 AB, 8 R, 15 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .429/.474/.800)

Cave was somewhat less impressive in the third week of Spring Training, but remains as a big plus so far.

Scott Kingery - Stock Up (13 G, 33 AB, 9 R, 13 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 BB, .476/.542/.619)

Kingery’s week was also less impressive.

Yunior Marté - Stock Up (7 G, 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 6 K)

Marté charted two more scoreless outings last week, and with Nick Nelson and Cristopher Sánchez dealing with injuries, he’s moving towards lock territory as the last RP in the bullpen.

Darick Hall - Stock Up (13 G, 41 AB, 7 R, 12 H, 1 2B, 5 HR, 9 RBI, 3 BB, .293/.341/.683)

Hall was less impressive last week, but he’s still had a strong Spring.

Kody Clemens - Stock Up (14 G, 32 AB, 5 R, 10 H, 1 2B, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, .313/.389/.625)

Clemens had another decent week, keeping pace in the utility battle.

McKinley Moore - Stock Up (7 G, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 R, 0 ER, 8 K)

Moore’s third week in camp was less impressive than his first two, but his overall production remains strong as he’s yet to allow an earned run in 6.2 innings.

Jeremy Walker - Stock Up (6 G, 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 5 K)

Walker excelled in 1.2 innings of work in his last outing. He started today and looked less impressive, but he might be moving closer to being a top depth option for the club as a multi-inning reliever or opener.

Dalton Guthrie - Stock Down (14 G, 35 AB, 8 H, 4 2B, 0/2 SB/CS, 0 BB, 8 K, .229/.250/.343)

Guthrie made up some ground last week as several others had poor weeks, but he’s still behind the pace in the utility battle.

Edmundo Sosa - Stock Up (12 G, 28 AB, 14 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 4 K, 3 HBP, .500/.600/.964)

Sosa had a slower week three, but he’s still tearing the cover off the ball this Spring.

Andrew Vasquez - Stock Down (7 G, 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 BB, 2 HBP, 1 BK, 3 WP, 6 R, 5 ER, 10 K)

A nightmare week saw Vasquez slip from well within the battle for a RP spot to fighting to survive again.

Griff McGarry - Stock Down (2 G, 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 ER, 3 K)

Bailey Falter - Stock Down (4 G, 11.1 IP, 16 H, 3 BB, 7 R, 5 ER, 1 WP, 9 K)

Falter’s production stabilized a bit after a solid 5-inning outing this past week, but the underlying indicators are still concerning. An alarming .327 opponent’s batting average and .889 OPS allowed show he’s not off to a stellar start.

Weston Wilson - Stock Up (15 G, 30 AB, 3 R, 8 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 12 K, .267/.353/.533)

The Phillies gave Wilson a longer look this past week, but unfortunately his numbers took a nosedive. Still, he put himself on the map early in Spring and stands to be a top injury-replacement option at Lehigh Valley.

Michael Plassmeyer - Stock Up (5 G, 11 IP, 9 H, 8 BB, 1 ER, 5 K)

Like Falter, Plassmeyer has struggled with his peripherals, especially lately. He would probably have dropped to a “push” at this point if not for Falter slipping a bit.

Vimael Machín - Stock Up (7 G, 11 AB, 4 H, 1 2B, 3 RBI, .364/.417/.455)

Andrew Baker - Stock Down (3 G, 2 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 7 ER, 2 K)

Matt Strahm - Stock Up (4 G, 5 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K)

Strahm excelled in his first multi-inning outing last week, boosting his chances of working more innings early in the season.

Andrew Bellatti - Stock Up (7 G, 7 IP, 2 H, 5 BB, 0 ER, 9 K)

Additional Ups - Trey Cobb, Andrew Schultz, Aramis Garcia, John Hicks, Nick Podkul, Will Toffey

Additional Downs - Bryson Stott, Nick Castellanos, Jake Jewell, Louis Head, Ben Bowden, Billy Sullivan IV, Brian Marconi, Francisco Morales, Matt Seelinger

Notable Pushes - Connor Brogdon, Luis Ortiz, Josh Harrison, Erich Uelmen

Noteworthy Releases: Mark Appel

Noteworthy options: Símon Muzziotti, James McArthur

New injuries: Nick Nelson, Cristopher Sánchez, Garrett Stubbs, Rafael Marchan

Addendum: Noah Skirrow

Skirrow was stellar in his WBC debut this past week, firing 5 scoreless innings. He could be a darkhorse candidate for a starting spot.

Phillies Spring Training Stock Watch #2

As Spring Training rolls on, the 2023 MLB season continues to approach, and roster decisions will soon need to be made. Let’s take another check on some of the players in the Phillies chain and where they stand.

*Note: I have decided to add a color system to indicate the direction of the player’s stock. These colors correspond to “Stock Up” and “Stock Down” for players who previously sat in these categories, and “Stock Up” and “Stock Down” for players newly ranked as “Up” or “Down”.

Jake Cave - Stock Up (9 G, 24 AB, 7 R, 11 H, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, .458/.519/.958)
Another strong week (one that was perhaps even better than his first) has put Cave in position to take an Opening Day spot. His defense is his calling card, but if he can boost his hitting he can be a real player as a 4th outfielder.

Scott Kingery - Stock Up (9 G, 21 AB, 6 R, 10 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, 3 BB, .476/.542/.619)
Featured amongst a cluster of various players vying for reserve middle infield roles this past week, Kingery’s huge week two has him rapidly climbing the rankings. While the organization knows he’s a Spring Training warrior, they will likely give him every chance to make the roster given they are already paying him a nice guaranteed salary this season.

Dalton Guthrie - Stock Down (9 G, 23 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 0/1 SB/CS, 0 BB, 6 K, .130/.130/.174)
Guthrie’s atrocious spring continues. With Jake Cave and Kody Clemens succeeding so far in their Spring ABs, time may already be running out for Guthrie to make the roster.

Kody Clemens - Stock Up (10 G, 22 AB, 4 R, 7 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, .318/.348/.636)
Clemens was less impressive last week than he was in the first week of Spring Training, but considering Dalton Guthrie didn’t exactly have any better of a week, it’s hard to say he’s lost a step in the bench race.

Weston Wilson - Stock Up (10 G, 16 AB, 3 R, 7 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .438/.526/.938)
Wilson hasn’t been quite as impressive in the past week, but his overall production this Spring still remains eye-popping. With the lack of depth in the top levels of the Minors in both INF and OF, he’s putting himself in position to be an early-season promotion if an injury arises on the big club.

McKinley Moore - Stock Up (5 G, 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 0 ER, 7 K)
Moore charted 3 more outings this past week and was electric, avoiding the concession of a single hit or walk. The increased activity could suggest he’s in serious contention for an Opening Day spot.

Jeremy Walker - Stock Up (5 G, 4.1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 3 K)
Once an intriguing multi-inning relief prospect in the Braves system, injuries and ineffectiveness have since waylaid Walker. However, he’s looked rejuvenated so far in camp, so much so that his multi-inning abilities may make him an attractive option for the big club’s bullpen. If not, he could be one of the next men up in AAA.

Yunior Marté - Stock Up (5 G, 5 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K)
Marté is a new entrant to the Stock Watch, with his sharp work earning him a strong starting berth. The sophomore pickup from the Giants could be a valuable piece out of the bullpen.

Edmundo Sosa - Stock Up (8 G, 19 AB, 10 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 8 RBI, 3 HBP, .526/.609/1.211)
Already a lock for the Opening Day roster, Sosa’s monster start to the Spring has him looking like the type of guy you don’t just want relegated to the bench. That in mind, it’s fair to believe he may be playing for a few extra starts a week this Spring.

Bailey Falter - Stock Down (3 G, 6.1 IP, 13 H, 2 BB, 6 R, 1 WP, 4 ER, 8 K)
Falter’s faced some poor luck with inherited runners scoring and bad defense behind him, but one stat stands out here: a .419 batting average against. That has to come down if he’s going to take back command of the fifth starter race.

Michael Plassmeyer - Stock Up (4 G, 7 IP, 6 H, 6 BB, 0 ER, 4 K)
Plassmeyer remains unscathed in the runs department through four spring outings, but his most recent outing saw him struggle mightily with his command and barely escape safely. His stock still remains up due to no one else really taking command of the SP5 spot.

Andrew Vasquez - Stock Up (5 G, 4.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 BK, 2 WP, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 K)
Vasquez was decidedly less impressive this past week, but it’s hard to argue he still hasn’t been largely solid so far in camp. It’s hard to see him making the Opening Day roster with Gregory Soto now seemingly at little risk of missing Opening Day, but he could still sneak his way in as the last guy out of the pen.

Símon Muzziotti - Stock Down (10 G, 19 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 1/0 SB/CS, 0 BB, 4 K, .158/.158/.211)
Like Guthrie, Muzziotti wasn’t quite as horrid this past week as he was the week prior, but he still mostly struggled.

Darick Hall - Stock Up (9 G, 26 AB, 6 R, 9 H, 1 2B, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, .346/.414/.846)
Another huge week in the books for Hall.

Jake Jewell - Stock Down (5 G, 4.1 IP, 11 H, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 11 R, 6 ER, 2 K)
Ben Bowden - Stock Down (4 G, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 BB, 4 ER, 4 K)
Time’s running out for these two hurlers, who both risk release.

Cristopher Sánchez - Stock Up (2 G, 2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K)
Sánchez’s action has been limited and he’s probably not stretched out enough at this point to be in play for a rotation spot, but he’s pitched better than Nick Nelson so far and has the ability to pitch multiple innings, which may give him a leg up on many others in the bullpen race.

Nick Nelson - Stock Down (2 G, 2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 3 K)
Almost certainly out of contention for a true starting berth having not been properly stretched out yet, Nelson’s rough second outing likely set him back in his quest to make the Opening Day roster, especially with other names lurking.

Griff McGarry - Stock Down (2 G, 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 5 ER, 3 K)
McGarry settled down a bit after his rough first outing, but if he was in contention for an Opening Day spot he’s still clearly behind the curve.

Will Toffey - Stock Up (10 G, 15 AB, 2 R, 5 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, .333/.353/.600)
Toffey earned a brief MLB promotion last season when Alec Bohm was ineligible to go to Toronto. He’s another name that should at least be in play for an early look this year, and his hot start to the Spring will help with that.

Bryson Stott - Stock Down (8 G, 25 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2/0 SB/CS, 5 K, .160/.192/.320)
Nick Castellanos - Stock Down (9 G, 23 AB, 2 H, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 11 K, .087/.276/.217)
The Phillies remain committed to both Stott and Castellanos, however you have to wonder if the early success of players such as Sosa and Cave could see them lose playing time during the season if their fortunes don’t improve soon.

Vimael Machín - Stock Up (7 G, 11 AB, 4 H, 1 2B, 3 RBI, .364/.417/.455)
Machín’s participation in Puerto Rico’s WBC chase probably puts him out of the running for an Opening Day spot, but like Wilson, a strong run in the tournament and good results upon his return could position Machín for an early-season promotion.

Connor Brogdon - Stock Up (4 G, 4 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 K)
Brogdon yielded a home run to Yankees phenom Jasson Domínguez in his lone outing (one exacerbated by a two-base error by Clemens) last week, but that remains the only hit or walk he’s allowed this Spring.

Andrew Baker - Stock Down (3 G, 2 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 7 ER, 2 K)
Jeez, show us SOMETHING man!

Carlos De La Cruz - Stock Up (7 G, 9 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, .333/.400/.778)
De La Cruz is no threat to make the Opening Day roster, but his early success is no doubt opening eyes, and as one of the best near-MLB bats the Phillies system possesses, impressing in Spring could help him speed up his track to the Majors.

Matt Strahm - Stock Up (3 G, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 1 K)
Andrew Bellatti - Stock Up (5 G, 5 IP, 1 H, 5 BB, 0 ER, 5 K)
Neither Strahm nor Bellatti ever faced any real threat of not making the Opening Day roster, but both now could see new roles as situations change with the team as a whole. Strahm has been mentioned as a player that may be lengthened out a bit as the Phillies look to cover more innings with some injuries popping up, while Bellatti’s strong work could see him work his way into a more high-leverage role.

Additional Ups - Andrew Schultz, John Hicks, Trey Cobb, Aramis Garcia, Nick Podkul
Additional Downs - James McArthur, Louis Head, Billy Sullivan IV, Brian Marconi, Francisco Morales, Matt Seelinger, Rafael Marchan, Josh Harrison, Mark Appel
Notable Pushes - Luis Ortiz, Erich Uelmen, Mick Abel

Bubble players dealing with injuries - Andrew Painter, Noah Song
Painter looks to be out of the SP5 race as he’s been shut down due to a UCL sprain. Song, meanwhile, is dealing with back tightness and is likely not going to be ready for Opening Day. Song, of the two, is the most under pressure to make the Opening Day roster as a Rule 5 selection, but may have not started the season with the big club anyway due to a 15-day conditioning stint he would be granted upon activation from the Military List.

Phillies Spring Training Stock Watch #1

While the Phillies enter the 2023 season with most of their spots decided, several players could still take some of the last spots on the roster, and many Minors players in camp are fighting for playing time at Lehigh Valley or positioning themselves for early season promotions. Here are some of the most notable:

Weston Wilson - Stock Up (5 G, 7 AB, 2 R, 4 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .571/.667/1.571)

Wilson probably doesn’t have much of a shot still to make the team out of Spring Training, but his torrid start to the Spring has brought him from being just a name in the crowd to someone worth keeping at eye on as time goes on. A powerful super-utility type, Wilson, 28, failed to build on a strong AAA debut in 2021 with a disappointing 2022 that saw Milwaukee let him reach Minor League free agency, but he certainly hasn’t looked the part so far in Spring.

Jake Cave - Stock Up (5 G, 14 AB, 3 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, .429/.467/.857)

A busy offseason saw Cave land in Baltimore via waivers, then join the Phillies by the same method after a split-contract play by the Orioles failed. Known as a glove-first player, Cave’s ability to play CF lead to his claiming by the Phillies, but his torrid start at the plate in Spring Training could see him make the club’s 26-man roster.

Michael Plassmeyer - Stock Up (2 G, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 2 K)

As I am writing this Plassmeyer is dealing again, but even before today Plassmeyer had made a statement in just three innings. Coupled with a “meh” first start from Bailey Falter and Andrew Painter’s injury, he’s already boosted his stock quite a bit in the SP5 battle.

Kody Clemens - Stock Up (6 G, 14 AB, 3 R, 5 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .357/.400/.786)

The “other” piece in the Phillies offseason trade for Gregory Soto, Clemens was rumored to be a favorite for a bench role from the time the trade transpired, and after a strong start to Spring action he’s unequivocally 3rd in line for utility work on the infield behind Edmundo Sosa and Josh Harrison.

Dalton Guthrie - Stock Down (5 G, 14 AB, 1 H, 0/1 SB/CS, .091/.091/.091)

An eye for an eye, a soul for a soul. Clemens and Guthrie are naturally intertwined as they are likely battling for the same roster spot, and Clemens’s rise is as much about Guthrie’s fall as it is his own performance. Guthrie can certainly still pass Clemens back for a bench spot, but the massive gap that’s already formed between their two battling lines shows that hill will be a tough one to climb.

Andrew Vasquez - Stock Up (3 G, 3 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 K)

Just fighting to survive on the 40- and 26-man rosters thanks to his out-of-options status, journeyman waiver-claim Vasquez has made a statement thus far in camp, mowing down batters with ease. He still faces an uphill battle to make the Opening Day roster, but so far he’s aced every test.

Símon Muzziotti - Stock Down (5 G, 11 AB, 1 H, 1/0 SB/CS, .091/.091/.091)

Muzziotti could take an Opening Day roster spot as a reserve OF or even take starts from someone like Nick Castellanos, but his woeful start to the Spring means time could already be running out for him to grab that role.

Darick Hall - Stock Up (5 G, 12 AB, 3 R, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3 BB, .333/.467/.667)

Hall’s early success in camp has further tightened his grip on a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster (and, most likely, a starting berth at DH or 1B).

Connor Brogdon - Stock Up (3 G, 3 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 4 K)

Brogdon entered camp very likely to make the Opening Day roster, but his optionability and past inconsistency makes him still liable to be sent down. However, a perfect start to the Spring has given him even more of a grip on a bullpen spot.

Griff McGarry - Stock Down (1 G, .1 IP, 2 H, 3 BB, 5 ER, 1 K)

McGarry’s got the stuff to be a great MLB player, but his Spring debut showed just how far he has to go with his command.

Nick Nelson - Push (1 G, 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 1 K)

Nelson is in contention for a starting spot, but has only thrown one inning so far.

Scott Kingery - Stock Up (5 G, 10 AB, 1 R, 4 H, 1 RBI, 1/0 SB/CS, 3 BB, .400/.538/.400)

Vimael Machín - Stock Up (6 G, 10 AB, 3 H, 1 2B, 2 RBI, .300/.300/.400)

Will Toffey - Stock Up (6 G, 10 AB, 1 R, 3 H, 1 2B, .300/.300/.400)

Kingery, Machín, and Toffey face more or less the same long odds to make the Opening Day roster, but all three have performed well so far, particularly Kingery.

Ben Bowden - Stock Down (3 G, 2.2 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 ER, 3 K)

Bowden was never much of a threat to make the team, but he could be at risk of release thanks to his disastrous start to the Spring and the glut of pitcher’s currently lined up to pitch for AAA Lehigh Valley.

 

Jake Jewell -  Stock Down (3 G, 2.2 IP, 7 H, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 K)

Jewell's in the same boat as Bowden after a disastrous appearance yesterday. 

McKinley Moore - Stock Up (2 G, 2 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 3 K)

It’s hard to take much from small pitching samples at this point in the spring, but Moore, who will likely start at AAA, has looked good so far. It’s very unlikely he cracks the Opening Day roster, but it’s not impossible and if nothing else he can position himself for an early promotion with more strong outings.

Andrew Baker - Stock Down (2 G, 2 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 4 ER, 2 K)

Like McGarry, Baker’s early work shows he’s farther away from the Majors than might have otherwise been expected.

John Hicks - Stock Up (5 G, 11 AB, 1 R, 4 H, 1 2B, 1/0 SB/CS, .364/.364/.455)

Combining power and speed at catcher, Hicks is the sort of catcher the Phillies like. He’s probably not in play for an Opening Day spot, but he could move up the depth chart at C and 1B with a strong Spring, or perhaps entice another club to trade for him (a la Austin Wynns last year).

Addendum - Noah Song

Song was still in the Navy when camp started, and while we can’t draw any real conclusions as to where he stands so far, he must be mentioned at least this once because he is now a factor in the pitching picture.