Baseball Prospectus is a leader in the baseball analytics field, having played a significant role in introducing and educating many, including myself, on the use of advanced stats. Their analysis is top-tier, and their prospect coverage is among the best when it comes to publicly available data. Their annual top ten lists, along with the overall top prospect rankings, are always both informative and entertaining. Recently, they released their list of the top 101 prospects in MLB, with three Phillies players included:
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- Andrew Painter
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- Aidan Miller
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- Moises Chace
While it’s a solid showing for the Phillies, it’s also a bit underwhelming. Painter, once considered the best pitching prospect in baseball, has fallen behind, likely due to his lack of significant pitching action outside of the Arizona Fall League for two years. Still, there’s hope that he can become an ace once he’s fully healthy and adjusted to professional baseball. Miller continues to rise in the rankings and looks like the best chance for the Phillies to produce an impactful bat from their minor league system. Chace’s inclusion is a bit surprising but still a positive development, especially considering the trade with Baltimore that continues to look like a win for the Phillies.
It’s a bit disappointing not to see more prospects on the list, especially since Baseball Prospectus has never been overly high on someone like Justin Crawford. Mick Abel, on the other hand, is starting to appear more likely to be traded or eventually end up in a bullpen role. Beyond those two, there aren’t many others to get excited about at the moment.
However, there are some potential breakout candidates like Eduardo Tait, who could improve this year given that catchers typically develop more slowly. Gabriel Rincones may also start gaining more attention as a possible internal outfield option. Additionally, Griffin Burkholder could turn heads with a full season of professional play.
At least the player development system is starting to yield players who could contribute in the near future. If the team faces payroll constraints, they will need these minor league players to step up and provide roster flexibility.
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