May 22, 2023

Phillies prospect watch: Mick Abel, Griff McGarry, Justin Crawford and others are red hot

A few of the biggest names in the Phillies' farm system continue to be on the rise.

By Evan Macy
PhillyVoice Staff

The Phillies continue to play sub .500 baseball and if they want to compete for another NL pennant, it seems pretty clear they're going to need to wheel and deal for some reinforcements.

With so few big league ready prospects right now, a lot of the players we are checking in on could be used as trade chips come July. A few could also make it to the majors if the Phillies are in need of a big shakeup or have injury issues.

Here's a brief look at the team's top 15 prospects (via MLB.com), and which of them are currently performing well — and poorly — down on the farm:

Who's hot

Mick Abel, SP, Reading (Prospect No. 2)

Abel bounced back nicely from what was possibly his worst start ever back on May 12, when he allowed a horrible nine runs in 3.2 innings. In his most recent start last weekend, he went five strong, allowing no runs and just two hits. His ERA currently stands at 4.50 but it's inflated by his one bad start. He allowed just one run per start in his previous four. A promotion to Triple-A could be in the cards over the next few weeks as the Phillies try and sort out their fifth starter situation.

Griff McGarry, SP, Reading (No. 3)

McGarry finally returned to action a few weeks ago in Double-A and he's slowly stretching out. He has yet to pitch into the fourth inning, but he's allowed just two runs in 5.2 total frames so far between Clearwater and Reading. He's another player to watch as the weather gets warmer and the team figures out how to create a playoff-contending rotation.

Justin Crawford, OF, Clearwater (No. 4)

The Phillies' most recent first-round pick has been light's out early into his career in Single-A. He's hitting .317 and had a game where he stole three bases on May 13. Crawford is just 19, and if he is able to make short work of Low-A ball he could be on the team's radar in a season or two.

Hao-Yu Lee, 2B, Jersey Shore (No. 5)

Lee is the franchise's only infield prospect inside the top 10 and he's had a solid few weeks with the bat over in Jersey. For four games between May 12 and May 16 he collected seven hits and three RBI. He's also on the young side at just 20 years old.

Gabriel Rincones Jr., OF, Clearwater (No. 7)

A new name to many Phillies fans, last year's third-round pick has had a solid start in Single-A, hitting .270 with a .413 on-base rate over his last 10 games. Interestingly, eight of the Phillies' top 15 prospects this year are outfielders — and with Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh all under contract for years to come, these may be future trade chips to keep an eye on.

Alex McFarlane, SP, Clearwater (No. 8)

He's another newcomer to the top prospect rankings as a fourth-round pick from 2022. He's been impressive to start in his pro career in Florida, posting a 3.29 ERA over seven starts. He will turn 22 in June.

Simon Muzziotti, OF, Lehigh Valley (No. 10)

There's not much more that this 24-year-old prospect can do to make his case for the majors. In Triple-A this season the left-handed outfielder has hit .365 with three homers and 22 RBI in his first 40 games. He also has 10 stolen bases. If a spot on the Phillies' active roster opens up, it seems likely the eight-year pro will get a chance in the majors.

Emaarion Boyd, OF, Clearwater (No. 12)

Boyd is just 19 but is lighting it up in Clearwater, hitting .345 over his last 10 games including seven stolen bases.

Rickardo Perez, C, FCL (No. 15)

The top catcher in the farm system is the 19-year-old Perez, who is hitting an eye-popping .349 for the Phillies Florida Complex League rookie ball team.

Who's not

Johan Rojas, OF, Reading (No. 6)

Rojas, on the year, is still hitting .275 for the Fightins', but over his last 10 games, he's in a mini-slump, hitting just .209 over that span. His power has also been on the shelf, with just three RBI and no homers in the last two weeks.

Carlos De Los Cruz, OF, Reading (No. 9)

Another Fightins' outfielder isn't hitting very well of late, with 23-year-old former international signee De Los Cruz hitting .186 since May 11. A hot start has him hitting .268 on the year in aggregate and he's due to bounce back.

Jordan Viars, OF, Clearwater (No. 13)

Viars is hitting only .175 this season, though he does have three homers in his 28 games. This is the start of the third season in Single-A for the 19-year old from Texas.

Ethan Wilson, OF, Reading (No. 14)

Make that three slumping outfielders in Reading, as Wilson joins the list with a .175 average over his last 10 starts. His six homers are the most on the team so far.