June 10, 2019
Suddenly, the Phillies infirmary ward is making the team's minor league prospects very relevant.
Whether they get called up to actually contribute — like Adam Haseley (No. 3 prospect in system) and Ranger Suarez (No. 10) — or they wind up being trade centerpieces for the Phils as they add some help before July's trade deadline, not since the 2011 team have the Phillies top talents in the minors been so relevant.
We've already taken a look at some outfielders, bullpen arms and starters the Phillies could pull the on trigger right now. Below are some of the players who could pay for these upgrades.
Take a look as we've broken down the recent performances of the Phillies top minor leaguers.
Alex Bohm, 3B, Clearwater
When we last checked in on the Phillies' 2018 first rounder, he had just been promoted from Lakewood to Clearwater. It appears the Wichita State draftee is a quick learner and could be on the rise again sometime quite soon. Bohm is hitting .302 in Clearwater with 20 RBI in 34 games this season. He has power, with six homers and 17 doubles at both levels this season. There's a path, for sure, for Bohm to be with the Phillies in big league camp next spring.
Mickey Moniak, CF, Reading
Philly's 2016 first-overall pick may finally be getting himself into gear. Having watched former Double-A outfield teammate Adam Haseley get the call to the majors last week, Moniak hit .306 over his last 10 games to raise his season average to .259. Moniak is not on the 40-man roster and will probably need to show he can withstand Triple-A pitching before he is considered for the major leagues, but it is not out of the realm of possibility that the 21-year-old ends his season in Lehigh Valley, and on the Phils' 40-man roster (and perhaps included in September call-ups).
Adonis Medina, SP, Reading
Medina, the Phillies' top arm, threw six scoreless innings for the Fightins on Friday. He has a 3.44 ERA this year and 4-2 record in 10 starts. The 22-year-old starter likely won't make the leap directly from Double-A to the majors, but seeing Media climb to Lehigh Valley before season's end could land him a spring training invite and a chance at a rotation spot in 2020.
Francisco Morales, SP, Lakewood
Morales is 19, so we need to grade him on a curve as he learns his trade in Single-A. He's allowed three runs or fewer in his last seven starts — but just one of those progressed into the fifth inning. He has 62 strikeouts to just 18 walks and a 4.70 ERA in 12 games as both a starter and reliever.
Arquimedes Gamboa, SS, Reading
He's 21 and one of the Phillies top 12 or so prospects, but he's showing he may not have the bat skills Philadelphia was hoping for. Gamboa is manning shortstop in Reading and hitting at only .194 this season. However, we are placing him on our hot list out of relative considerations. He has hit. 244 over his last 10 games to improve his batting average by 26 points.
JoJo Romero, SP, Lehigh Valley
With the Phillies' pitching staff in so much flux, Romero has gotten some opportunities despite some shortcomings in the stat sheet. The 22-year-old lefty has started 11 games this year, first for Reading and then for Lehigh Valley. The results have been lacking, as he's 2-5 with an 8.88 ERA this season. As one of the organization's top three pitching prospects, the hope is he can work his way into being a big league contributor sometime soon — but for that to happen he will need to lower his putrid 2.25 WHIP and .358 batting average against in Triple-A.
Luis Garcia, SS, Lakewood
Garcia is still a teenager, and at 18 he is adjusting to pro baseball the best he can. Unfortunately for the Dominican shortstop, his bat has been slow to get to speed. Over Garcia's last 10 games, he's had just three hits in his last 36 plate appearances. As the summer arrives, he'll try and show he is worthy of being Philly's fourth-rated prospect.
Cornelius Randolph, LF, Reading
Randolph, now 22, is struggling to live up to his first-round (2015) status. He is hitting just .200 over his last 10 games for the Fightin's, and .2019 for the year. With the Phillies desperate for outfield help, the Georgia native has never had a better opportunity to impress the Phillies front office.
Jhailyn Ortiz, RF, Clearwater
Ortiz is a top 10 prospect who is off to a slow start in his pro baseball career. At 20, he is in his fourth year of Single-A, and hitting just .207. He's still young, and had a .302 average in Williamsport two seasons ago, so perhaps he is just adjusting to a higher level of competition.
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 7-day 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. Both he and the Phils hope he will return as an everyday outfielder for the team after a brief stint on the IL.
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