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.

2024 Phillies Prospect Rankings AA and A Levels

Next in the preseason prospect rankings we have the AA and A ball levels.

 

Andrew Painter+
Carlos De La Cruz
Ethan Wilson
Marcus Lee Sang
Tommy McCollum
Jordi Martinez
Cristian Hernandez
Konnor Ash
Max Lazar
Matt Osterberg
Triston Garnett
Casey Martin
Baron Radcliff

 

Andrew Painter and Carlos De La Cruz are the obvious #1 and #2 names on this list, but the next few are

interesting. Ethan Wilson had a miniature breakout in 2023 with Reading, while the young Marcus Lee Sang hit

a bit of a speed bump at the level after a strong start at Jersey Shore. Tommy McCollum had impressive 2023

seasons and have the stuff to see time in the Majors this season. Max Lazar was one of the names I was interested

in in Minor League free agency this offseason as a change-of-pace arm with starting experience.

 

Justin Crawford
Wen Hui Pan
Gabriel Rincones Jr.
Wesley Moore
Jack Dallas
Mitch Neunborn
Bryan Rincon
Kendall Simmons
Erubiel Armenta
Andrew Walling
Carlos Betancourt
Cade Fergus
Caleb Ricketts
Hendry Mendez
Robert Moore
Samuel Aldegheri
Jonh Henriquez
 

An interesting A+ list has a lot of interesting new names. Justin Crawford is an obvious #1 and Wen Hui Pan 

and Gabriel Rincones Jr. in the next two spots make sense as well. Wesley Moore is an interesting undrafted

hurler that is very deceptive, and early returns this season continue to show he can be a fast riser. Mitch

Neunborn, who turns 27 this year is an unconventional prospect who made his affiliated debut at A+ last year.

He's one of the more underrated names to watch in the system. A bunch more interesting names, particularly arms,

litter this list.

 

Aidan Miller
William Bergolla Jr.
Emaarion Boyd
Raylin Heredia
Nikau Pouaka-Grego+
Estibenzon Jimenez
Danny Wilkinson
Jordan Dissin
Zach Arnold
Brandon Beckel
Jaydenn Estanista
Jean Cabrera
Alex Rao
Eiberson Castellano
Alex McFarlane

A dominant Clearwater team naturally produces a good list, even with several names having made A+ or higher

later on in the 2023 Minors slate. 2023 1st rounder Aidan Miller looks every part of a future star, while youthful

and projectable names in Bergolla Jr, Boyd, and Heredia are worth following. Villanova alumnus Danny

Wilkinson dominated with 16.8 K/9, while Pottstown native Jordan Dissin held his own in his first full season in

the pros.

2024 MLB Sleeper Prospects - NL East

The NL East has been known for seeing big impact from rookies over the past several years, many from Atlanta. Expect some of the big names to play active roles again, but what about some more under the radar names? Here's one from each team.

Atlanta Braves - Brooks Wilson

Besides prospects of acclaim in Hurston Waldrep and maybe Drake Baldwin, it's hard to see the loaded Braves to see too much action from rookies this year. One other name that could sneak onto the roster at some point is Brooks Wilson, 28. Wilson's a name I've looked at in the past as a sleeper for Atlanta. He missed most of the past two seasons with injury, which makes him even more of a sleeper. He returned late with the same K stuff that he had before injury, including in the AFL.

Miami Marlins - Dane Myers

Dane Myers, 28, was a name I was looking at last year for a mention, but he ultimately missed the cut. While he's no longer the same level of sleeper, having some MLB action under his belt, his monster numbers last year saw him get some prospect love in spite of his advanced age. Myers, a former pitcher, obliterated AA, AAA, and eventually MLB pitching, with a .339/.417/.516 slash line at AAA standing out in particular. Myers narrowly missed the Marlins' OD roster after a monster spring - expect this demotion won't last long.

New York Mets - Nate Lavender

In the midst of a transitional year, the Mets will likely see several prospects play for them this season. Expect Nate Lavender to be one of the first. The 24 year old lefty is a bit of a crafty type, but he owns a 2.32 ERA as a pro and a 13.7 K/9, so that craft clearly works.

Washington Nationals - Tyler Schoff

The Nationals are another team that should see plenty of rookies play for them this year. Would anyone be shocked if all of Dylan Crews, Brady House, James Wood, Yohandy Morales, Trey Lipscomb, DJ Herz, and Darren Baker play for them this year. Here's another name worth keeping an eye on - 25 year old reliever Tyler Schoff. He's got an arsenal of 4-5 pitches with different break action and added velocity from last year. The former UDFA from Bryant should start at AAA, but his arsenal could see him as a big name in Washington's bullpen soon enough. You can read more on Schoff from the following article, where I pulled a lot of this info from.

https://www.romesentinel.com/sports/national/tyler-schoff-talks-about-spring-training/article_20fe0bdc-eae1-11ee-b8df-4b7c27df9264.html

Philadelphia Phillies - Wes Wilson

The irony of knowing a system well is it's hard to tell who is a sleeper anymore. The key I've determined is opportunity. Well, Wes Wilson, 29, may be the man who gets an opportunity. The Phillies have but one spot likely to be held by a rookie this season - Orion Kerkering's BP spot, and he's no sleeper anymore. But Wilson has played well enough in the past ~13 months to where he's a guy who could be the first (or at least one of the first) to take a spot if a position player goes down for the Phillies. He had a monster season at Lehigh that saw him go 30-30, as well as a short loom late in the regular season and a postseason roster spot for a time. The Phillies are no strangers to grizzled rookies (looking at you Chris Coste). Wilson could be the next 30-ish Phillies rookie to play a big role for the team.

2024 MLB Sleeper Prospects - NL West

Well gang, it's that time of year again. It's time for my misguided takes on which prospects might go boom this year. Am I ever right? No, not really, but boy am I gonna keep trying. I'm behind schedule again, so I just wrapped up my first division in advance of tonight's Korea Series Games. Let's get into it.

Los Angeles Angels - Taylor Rashi

Bit of a spicy slection to start us off here. Arizona has a few interesting hitting prospects in the pipeline, and expect Andrew Saalfrank to be a big factor out of the BP this year, but Taylor Rashi, 28, is an interesting name as well. He got a late start last year due to injury, but the former star at UC Irvine and in the Giants system was electric upon returning to action. He's got a 2.28 ERA and 13.1 K/9 at AA in his career, and should start this season at AAA.

Los Angeles Dodgers - Matt Gage

It's always hard to pick for the Dodgers because they generally lack needs and when needed fill them with highly ranked prospects. Matt Gage bucks the trend here. A veteran Minors toiler of 31, Gage has seen short stints with Toronto and Houston the past two seasons, acquitting himself quite well when called upon. He's not to sleepy as a member of the Dodgers 40-man, but he's certainly the most sneaky member of said roster.

San Francisco Giants - Spencer Bivens

There are guys you find and stick to when you follow indy and foreign leagues. The men who do both are some of baseball's biggest unicorns. Junior Guerra and Jason Simontacchi are two such unicorns, and baseball could add another in Spencer Bivens, long a baseball nomad until he finally found a home in the Giants system in 2022. Bivens isn't some toolsy future star, but one thing he is is one of baseball's greatest stories of perseverance. And that's gotta count for something. I recommend reading the following piece on Bivens, it's an interesting one.

https://theathletic.com/3898494/2022/11/15/san-francisco-giants-spencer-bivens/

San Diego Padres - Nick Hernandez, Jayvien Sandridge, and Robert Perez Jr.

There is always at least one team I can't pick one name for. Nick Hernandez, 29, is the safe pick to see MLB action this season, as his track record at AAA shows. Jayvien Sandridge took a curious path to the Padres, one that included playing pro ball, going to college, than returning to the pros with the Reds. The lefty has a cannon for an arm, recording 91 strike outs in 63 innings last year. If he can pare down the walks, he could see San Diego this year. Robert Pérez Jr., 23, is an interesting outfielder who broke out in 2022 at the A levels in the Seattle system before taking a step back at AA last year. He's a strong power threat who could help San Diego piece together their outfield this season.

Colorado Rockies - Brendan Hardy

The Rox have many interesting prospects in their system, but I went and locked in my pick quite quickly this year. Brendan Hardy, 24, was a 31st round upside play by the Mets in 2018, but was stuck in neutral as a prospect until 2022. Prior to that season, Hardy completely overhauled his mechanics, adding velocity, extension, and strong secondary action. The results? A 2.79 ERA and 14.3 K/9. He was even more dominant in 2023, leading to a look in the AFL. For more on Hardy, see the following post from Metsmerized.

https://metsmerizedonline.com/crucial-timing-brendan-hardys-rule-5-push/

2024 Phillies Offseason Plan

Arbitration:

• Retained:

• Bohm

• Suárez

• Sosa

• Non-tendered:

• Cave

• Covey

• Stubbs

Stubbs and Covey are fine values for their projected arb numbers, but Stubbs would probably be the C3 next season, so I’d just let him walk out of professional courtesy rather than make him sit at AAA at his age. Covey is cromulent but I think he’s ideally not a top 8 RP on a contender, and the team can use his roster spot in better ways.

Options:

• None

Free agents:

Yoshinobu Yamamoto - 7 years

• 2024 - $25 million

• 2025 - $25 million

• 2026 - $25 million

• Opt-out

• 2027 - $25 million

• 2028 - $25 million

• 2029 - $25 million

• 2030 - $25 million

Look, the more I hear about what people think about what Yamamoto will get, the more I shake my head. There is no way the dude gets $30 million per, that’s simply crazy. However, seven years at $25 per would be a great contract for a guy his age coming over to the MLB, and the ability to opt out after three seasons would be a great selling point as well.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - 3 years

• 2024 - $14 million

• 2025 - $14 million

• 2026 - $14 million

I like the idea of adding a versatile bat that allows the Phillies to potentially start Johan Rojas in the minors, or to use as a super-sub. Gurriel is that guy, and he should be a productive bat in the realms of traditional and gap power, as well as average. He’s also a nice fielder in left.

Yuki Matsui - 3 years

2024 - $5 million

2025 - $5 million

2026 - $5 million

2027 - $7 million team option, $2 million team option

An elite closer in Japan, Matsui was offered a little under $11 million on a four year deal by Rakuten, so this deal gets him his MLB wish and gives him some extra money.

Brandon Woodruff - 2 years

2024 - $1 million (with incentives for IP)

2025 - $12 million

Okay, hear me out. Woodruff is probably getting non-tendered as he’s expected to miss the entire 2024 season with injuries. The payroll conscious Brewers probably don’t want to hold onto him given he’s set to be a free agent after the season. A buy low here puts the Phillies in an envious spot SP-wise in 2025, and if Woodruff comes back late in 2024 he could be a sneaky BP weapon.

Roberto Osuna - 1 year

• 2024 - $800,000

Like last offseason, I’d be interested in picking up Osuna on the cheap after another strong NPB season.

Trades:

Thyago Vieira for Jean Cabrera

Vieira is a boom-or-bust high-octane arm that makes sense to take a flier on. He was mostly quite good in Japan and returned to the US this past season for arguably his best season as a professional. He might be a cut candidate by Milwaukee, but if he isn’t, he might be acquirable for a low level prospect and can be a low-risk try-out option in the Spring.

James Karinchak for Baron Radcliff

Same principle here. Karinchak has more or less worn out his welcome in Cleveland and should be on the block. Cleveland needs a young power bat, and the Phillies should be willing to move the blocked Radcliff for an optionable arm that can be controlled through 2026.

SP1: Zack Wheeler

SP2: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

SP3: Ranger Suarez

SP4: Cristopher Sanchez

SP5: Taijuan Walker

RP: Jose Alvarado

RP: Yuki Matsui

RP: Roberto Osuna

RP: Seranthony Dominguez

RP: Jeff Hoffman

RP: Matt Strahm

RP: Gregory Soto

RP: Andrew Bellatti/James Karinchak/Thyago Vieira

C: JT Realmuto

1B: Bryce Harper

2B: Bryson Stott

SS: Trea Turner

3B: Alec Bohm

LF: Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

CF: Brandon Marsh

RF: Nick Castellanos

DH: Kyle Schwarber

Backup catcher: Rafael Marchan

Bench: Edmundo Sosa

Bench: Cristian Pache

Bench: Weston Wilson/Kody Clemens

Injured: Brandon Woodruff

So, this was a bit rushed, and really kinda ignores any payroll restrictions the Phillies might have. But other than maybe adding more optionable depth, I think this roster would be quite good and it’s not an overall unreasonable expectation for how it could look (even though I know they won’t sign Yamamoto, but one can dream, right?).

2023 Phillies Mid-Season Prospect Rankings - Upper Levels

And here are the remainder of my prospect rankings from the min point in the 2023 season.

MLB:
McKinley Moore^^
Cal Stevenson#

AAA:
Simón Muzziotti\/
Jakob Hernandez
Jeremy Walker
Jhailyn Ortiz^
Weston Wilson
Vito Friscia
Esteban Quiroz\/
Jordan Qsar
Will Toffey+

AA:
Andrew Painter+
Johan Rojas
Mick Abel
Orion Kerkering^^
Carlos De La Cruz
Ethan Wilson
Cristian Hernandez^
Oliver Dunn
Zach Haake#
Griff McGarry\/
Brett Schulze
Matt Kroon
Baron Radcliff^
Casey Martin

2023 Phillies Mid-Season Prospect Rankings - A Levels

I've been lazy and not posted most of my mid-season prospect rankings for the Phillies, so here are the rankings for Low-A and High-A, respectively:

Justin Crawford
Wen-Hui Pan
William Bergolla Jr.^^
Noah Song
Emaarion Boyd
Jordan Dissin^
Samuel Aldegheri^
Alex McFarlane
Estibenzon Jimenez
Nikau Pouaka-Grego+
Eiberson Castellano
Jaydenn Estanista^
Jonh Henriquez
Alex Rao

Gabriel Rincones Jr.^^
Christian McGowan+
Marcus Lee Sang
Hao-Yu Lee
Mitch Nuenborn#
Wesley Moore^^
Tommy McCollum^
Jack Dallas^
Caleb Ricketts^

Obviously some of these players have moved around or are no longer in the system now.

2023 Phillies Mid-Season Prospect Rankings - Rookie Levels

It's that time of year again - time for mid-season prospect rankings! As the MLB/Minors All-Star Break has occured, I have used this time to re-rank the Phillies prospects. Once again we start at the rookie levels, where the FCL Phillies hold a .5 game lead at 15-11 in the conplex league's North Division, while the two DSL affiliates once again are dominating the DSL's South Division. The reigning champions DSL Phillies White are 2nd in the DSL at 20-6, while the Red affiliate is 15-11. Here is a rundown of the top-10 prospects having topped out at these levels this season:

1. Raylin Heredia
2. Rickardo Perez+
3. Junior Marin#
4. Dakota Kotowski\/
5. Eduardo Tait
6. Starlyn Caba
7. Maxwel Hernandez
8. Enrique Segura
9. Micah Ottenbreit\/
10. Mavis Graves

Rickardo Perez has strangely not played yet this season due to a suspension, and to this end has gotten passed by Raylin Heredia, who has gone nuclear since moving up to the FCL, slashing .400/.480/.659 across 21 contests. The slugging percentage sets him apart from some of the other young position prospects whose power has yet to develop. Heredia has also produced 41 runs, stolen five bases, and hit five triples. Meanwhile, injuries have limited the newcomer Junior Marin to just 5 contests at the FCL, but the ex-Royals prospect showed quite well enough in the prior two seasons to be ranked highly regardless. Dakota Kotowski appears viewed by the origination as a organizational filler, but the ex-Miss State bopper has 9 home runs in 21 complex games, which can not be glossed over. Finally, keep an eye on the unheralded Eduardo Tait, who is just 16 but nevertheless has been one of the Red club's best hitters while also gunning down 44% of potential base-stealers. That performance jumps him past the higher-regarded Caba and Hernandez, who are also having strong seasons.

2023 AL Sleeper Prospects

And here is my list of sleepers for this season in the AL. Most of these were compiled months ago, but I got lazy and took some time completing the AL West. I cheated on most of these, whoops.

Toronto Blue Jays	Brandon Eisert/Yosver Zulueta	Jimmy Robbins	Hagen Danner/Jackson Rees
Baltimore Orioles	Ryan Watson	Noah Denoyer	Greg Cullen
Tampa Bay Rays	Kevin Kelly	N/A	Nick Dini
Boston Red Sox	Zack Kelly/Ronaldo Hernández	David Hamilton	Michael Gettys/Devlin Granberg
New York Yankees	Zach Greene/Austin Wells	Everson Pereira	Aaron McGarity/Matt Minnick/Andres Chaparro/Sean Boyle/Mickey Gasper
Cleveland Guardians	Cody Morris/Micah Pries	Andrew Misiaszek/Nick Mikolajchak	Jhon Romero
Kansas City Royals	Tanner Gentry/Brewer Hicklen	Logan Porter	Robbie Glendinning
Detroit Tigers	Freddy Pacheco/Mario Feliciano	Justyn-Henry Malloy/Reese Olson	Quincy Nieporte
Minnesota Twins	Edouard Julien	Matt Canterino/Brooks Lee	Alex Isola/Anthony Prato/Roy Morales
Chicago White Sox	Yolbert Sánchez	Nicholas Padilla	Johan Domínguez/Tyler Neslony
Los Angeles Angels	Logan O’Hoppe	Ben Joyce	Kolton Ingram
Houston Astros	Hunter Brown	Misael Tamarez	Joe Perez
Oakland Athletics	Yohel Pozo	Tyler Soderstrom	Chase Cohen
Seattle Mariners	Ryder Ryan	Isaiah Campbell	Dayeison Arias
Texas Rangers	Josh Jung	Lucas Jacobsen	Cole Ragans