Starting today, MLB Prospect will be posting an update on one organization each evening. With 30 organizations and roughly 30 days in a month, this will provide readers with a monthly update on all the prospects you need to know. A complete schedule of when each organization will be featured can be found here.
We will begin today with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Phillippe Aumont - Stats
Back in the starting rotation after two years of relief work with the Mariners, Aumont is consistently inconsistent. He's had starts that remind us of the prospect he is, but is also working on some new mechanics that cause bouts of wildness (hence the 7.1 BB/9 rate) and inconsistent velocity. Whether or not the Phillies view him as a starter down the road remains to be seen, but if nothing else, it's giving him a chance to pitch more innings and develop. That's the optimism trying to shine though his 6.85 ERA.
Quintin Berry - Stats
Berry's second go-round in Double-A is going worse than his first. A speedster whose eye at the plate has actually improved, Berry simply struggles to make contact way too much.
Domonic Brown - Stats
The crown jewel of the Phillies organization, and the player they wouldn't part with for Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay. Brown is making the Eastern League look silly with his .970 OPS and already has 9 HR's despite his previous career high of 14. That's the power developing that scouts talked about. He'll be in Triple-A by the end of the season and in RF in Philly next year.
Drew Carpenter - Stats
After losing a spring training battle for the 5th rotation spot to Kyle Kendrick, Carpenter returned to Triple-A and has put up a performance right along the lines of the rest of his minor league career - productive and competitive, but not awe-inspiring. He doesn't miss many bats or light up a radar gun, but he's reliable and would likely be one of the first names called if the Phillies need a spot start or rotation replacement from within.
Brody Colvin - Stats
Overall the numbers don't look good, but Colvin has shown some flashes of brilliance in certain starts. Still just 19, Colvin has loads of pitching ability and is still learning how to use it. His strikeout rates could be higher (7.3 K/9), but they're fine for now, and his control has been there too (3.5 BB/9). He just needs to make better pitches within the strike zone.
Jarred Cosart - Stats
Cosart is staking his claim to the role of top pitching prospect in the Phillies' system, and is doing so with the authority of a 3.12 ERA and 52 K's in 40 1/3 IP. He's surrendered just 29 hits over that time and walked just 8.
Yohan Flande - Stats
The biggest knocks on Flande are that he's been old for every level he's pitched, and that his success seems to be coming with unsustainable peripherals. For instance, Flande's 2.85 ERA this season, despite striking out only 3.8 batters per 9 innings. He's given up just 2 home runs in 60 innings, which would seem unsustainable until you see that it's right in line with his career rates. In order for Flande to remain successful, he will have to prove he can miss a few more bats at the upper levels, and keep his home run rates as low as they have been. It's not an easy task, but Flande has yet to prove he can't do it.
Freddy Galvis - Stats
Still a great fielder. Still can't hit. The Phillies knew this going in, but hoped his bat would develop enough to be serviceable. .225/.265/.253 in Double-A isn't what they had in mind.
Tyson Gillies - Stats
A move to a new organization and an assignment in a pitcher's league after a breakout season in a notorious hitter's league spell disaster. Gillies hasn't been that bad, but .247/.291/.351 is a far cry from his monster 2009 season. He's also spent some time on the DL with some nagging leg injuries, which are slowing down the very valuable speed aspect of his game. Far too early to give up on Gillies though.
Anthony Gose - Stats
Speedy left-hander whose 2010 season is right in line with his 2008 and 2009 campaigns. Slightly below-average plate discipline that would need plus hitting ability to be truly effective, except he's a .250 hitter (.256 this year to be exact). He strikes out too much to really use his speed effectively, and until he adjusts, he'll never be a truly effective player.
Troy Hanzawa - Stats
see Galvis, Freddy
Nick Hernandez - Stats
Hernandez has been a pleasant surprise out of the 12th round in last year's draft. The 6'4" lefty has had no problem with full-season ball and is sporting a 1.61 ERA and is giving up just 6.1 hits per 9 innings.
Anthony Hewitt - Stats
Tons of potential, but no ability to recognize pitches. That's been the book on Hewitt and 60 strikeouts in 180 at-bats hasn't done anything to change that. The Phillies keep promoting him, but Hewitt may need to slide back down to Short-Season ball and learn how to hit professional pitchers if he's ever going to be successful.
Jiwan James - Stats
Raw and still making the transition from pitcher to hitter, but may be the most talented of all the Phillies high-upside outfielders. James is playing center field everyday for Lakewood and has shown off some power 14 extra-base hits, but will need a ton of minor league AB's to refine his game.
Domingo Santana - Stats
Similar struggles to Hewitt, but Santana is only 17-years-old and really shouldn't be in the Sally League. The Phillies pushed him with a full-season assignment, but will likely send him to short-season ball once it begins. Santana is still very talented and has some natural baseball instincts (including plate discipline - 29 walks in 182 at-bats), but swings and misses way too much.
Joe Savery - Stats
Savery has ever lived up to his billing as a first-round draft pick, as his k-rates have dropped every year and he has been hit harder and harder at each level. His 4.41 ERA this season and 29 strike outs in 51 innings haven't led anyone to believe he's ever going to be a major league starter. A move to the bullpen could be in his future.
Michael Schwimer - Stats
Power relief arm that is once again striking out batters at a fantastic rate. His 11.5 K/9 this year is the lowest of his career, and that rate has declined steadily at each level, but it's still plenty of swings and misses to be effective.
Jonathan Singleton - Stats
Hop on the bandwagon while you still can, because it's pulling out. Singleton was delayed in extended spring training until recently, but once reporting to Lakewood, he's raked to the tune of .409/.481/.682, drawing comparisons to Ryan Howard without the strikeouts. While that's both premature and far-fetched, Singleton is a legitimate prospect as a hitter.
Sebastian Valle - Stats
Top catching prospect left in the organization after the trades of Travis D'Arnaud and Lou Marson, but Valle hasn't hit like it this year (.244/.293/.350) and now has a career line of .233/.303/.341 in 87 games in the Sally League.
Matthew Way - Stats
The numbers indicate that way should have better than a 4.34 ERA, and his 4.14 K/BB ratio is very good, but Way is also 23, so the Phillies would like to see a little dominance of Low-A ball than what they've seen.
Vance Worley - Stats
Repeat year for Worley in the EL, and this time through is going better, although his walk rates are up substantially. The former 3rd round pick doesn't miss too many bats, but is missing more than he was last year. He may not be a starter long-term, but he'll remain one for now, but he'll have to lower his 4.1 BB/9 rate.
