June 27, 2019
The Phillies announced they had officially signed the vast majority of their MLB draft picks from a few weeks ago Thursday, notably agreeing to terms with their first round pick Bryson Stott from UNLV. The shortstop will in all likelihood find his name among lists of the team's top prospects next season. And hopefully he'll follow in their footsteps.
Expect Bryson Stott to follow the same path that Adam Haseley and Alec Bohm did in their first pro seasons. He'll start with some GCL action, then Williamsport, maybe Lakewood by the end.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) June 27, 2019
There is a lot to look forward to, as the 21-year-old slashed .356/.486/.599 with 32 extra base hits (10 of them homers), 36 RBI, 55 walks, and 16 stolen bases this past season.
As the Phillies fight and claw their way out of the hole they dug with that awful recent stretch of seven straight losses, and 16 losses in 22 games, we'll take a look at some of the key prospects in their system who will factor into the future of the franchise — either as trade centerpieces should the Phillies buy in July, or as the next generation of home-grown stars.
Take a look as we've broken down the recent performances of the Phillies' top minor leaguers. Most of them are playing pretty well:
Alex Bohm, 3B, Reading
Bohm is the top prospect in the Phillies system and on a fast track to the major leagues. The first-round pick a year ago, Bohm jumped from Lakewood to Clearwater to Reading in three months. He's had a slow start to his Double-A career, with just three hits over his first five games, but he did blast a homer on Sunday. His rapid rise through the farm system makes him red hot. Expect him to find his swing and potentially get added to the 40-man roster before the end of the 2019 season.
Mickey Moniak, CF, Reading
Not to be outdone by his fellow Fightins' first rounder Bohm, Moniak has come into his own this season, hitting .297 over his last 10 games while boasting nine triples and 18 doubles through 71 games total. Moniak was the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, and his success will be key for the Phillies as they will eventually be in need of a mainstay in centerfield — in the likely event Odubel Herrera's career in Philly is over. Him succeeding would help validate one of the worst seasons in Phillies history.
Cornelius Randolph, LF, Reading
Randolph was the Phils's first-round pick the year before they took Moniak, and, like his teammate in the outfield, Randolph is finding his groove of late. He's hit .270 over his last 10 games, hitting safely in seven of those.
Adonis Medina, SP, Reading
A third top prospect in Double-A, Medina is the Phillies top pitching prospect and he's been pretty good of late. The 22-year-old righty has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his last seven starts. However, he's been unable to go deep into games, reaching the sixth inning only twice over that stretch. For his 2019 season, Medina is 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA.
Francisco Morales, SP, Lakewood
Morales is 19 and in A-ball, but my goodness has he been red hot recently. The big righty has allowed just nine runs over his last 34.1 innings, good for a 2.36 ERA in that span. In his most recent outing Wednesday, Morales allowed one run over five frames and five days before that he went four scoreless innings. A promotion may be in order soon.
Luis Garcia, SS, Lakewood
Garcia is an 18-year-old shortstop in Single-A, but held in high enough regard that he is among the Phillies top 10 prospects. He is improving, lifting his season batting average by 11 points over the last 10 games he's played. He had a three-hit game last Saturday and drove in four runs a few games before that.
Jhailyn Ortiz, RF, Clearwater
Just over a week ago, Clearwater's outfielder had eight RBI over two nights, in the midst of a stretch hitting .263. He has also hit five homers over his last 10 games, flashing the power the Phillies hope they can get from him on the regular. Expect the 20-year-old to eventually make the jump to Double-A before the season is over.
Arquimedes Gamboa, SS, Reading
Gamboa, 21, has been as ice cold as one can be in Double-A lately. He has just three hits in his last 10 games, 29 at bats. Even with six walks, Gamboa has just been an easy out of late.
JoJo Romero, SP, Reading
Romero allowed 10 hits and seven runs in his most recent start for the Fightins last week. He has an 8.30 ERA this season and can't seem to find the form that made him one of the Phillies' top 10 prospects before the season started. He began 2019 with the Iron Pigs but was demoted to Double-A in May, and has had little success since then.
Spencer Howard, SP, Clearwater
One of the top pitching arms in the Phils' system, Howard had a 2.25 ERA in four starts in clearwater with an insane 30 strikeouts to just four walks. He's been on the injury list with shoulder soreness since May.
Adam Haseley, CF, Phillies
Haseley hasn't had enough MLB time to be removed from the top prospect list. After hitting a game-winning RBI in his first week with the Phillies, Haseley was added to the injured list with a groin strain. The 23-year-old has two hits including a homer through two rehab starts in Double-A, and his return should be imminent.
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