2021 Organization Report: Philadelphia Phillies

(Photo: Spencer Howard, RHP)

To familiarize yourself with the process of creating this 2021 prospect lists in the times of COVID-19, be sure to read our 2021 Organization Report Pandemic Primer. As stated there, we draw heavily on our 2020 Org Reports. For additional reports and future schedule, see our 2021 Organization Reports home page. 

 

2021 Organization Report: Philadelphia Phillies

Rank	Player Name	POS	20 level	Grade	ETA
1	Spencer Howard	RHP	MLB	9C	2020
2	Mick Abel	RHP	--	9E	2024
3	Bryson Stott	SS	ALT	8C	2022
4	Francisco Morales	RHP	--	9C	2023
5	Adonis Medina	RHP	MLB	8C	2020
6	Mickey Moniak	OF	MLB	7B	2020
7	Johan Rojas	OF	--	8E	2023
8	Casey Martin	SS	--	8E	2022
9	Símón Muzziotti	OF	--	8C	2022
10	Rafael Marchán	C	MLB	8C	2020
11	Luis García	SS	--	8E	2023
12	Nick Maton	IF	ALT	7C	2021
13	Yhoswar Garcia	OF	--	8E	2024
14	Damon Jones	LHP	ALT	7C	2021
15	JoJo Romero	LHP	MLB	7B	2020

New players to the Top 15 in bold • Grades moved up in green; grades moved down in red
"20 level" is highest assignment in 2020; "ALT" = alternate site; " - " = no assignment​

 

Last year's list:
2020 Phillies Org Report

 

2020 Losses/Graduations:

Alec Bohm (3B; #2 in 2020) finished third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting after a mid-August promotion led to an impressive .338/.400/.481 slash line. He's hit-over-power right now, and impressed in 2020 with his plate approach and ability to use the whole field. 

Kendall Simmons (2B; #14 in 2020) is pop-first 2B/3B with enough questions about his hit tool to just drop him off the list due to the new additions. Athleticism a plus and glove is solid, so could be a multi-position infielder with power. With more consistent contact, the 20-year-old who has yet to play full-season ball could re-emerge on this list in years ahead.

Connor Seabold (RHP; #15 in 2020) is likely a back-end starter as he has no go-to out pitch, but commands a FB/SL/CU arsenal well and makes good adjustments. He was traded to the Red Sox in the Brandon Workman deal and did not appear in an MLB game.

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2021 Additions: 

#3 Mick Abel (RHP; 6-5, 195) was considered the top high school pitcher in the 2020 draft and has an advanced fastball (92-95) and slider combination, and good feel for his change-up. He locates his arsenal well and has a projectable starting pitcher's frame. The raw ingredients are in place for at least a #2-like starter, and though the pandemic kept him from a full high school season, his current polish could move him along in the system quickly. Abel is likely begin 2021 in extended spring training but could get a taste of full-season ball by year's end. 

#8 Casey Martin (SS; 5-11, 175; R/R) was one of the toolsiest major-college players in the 2020 draft, but lasted until Round 3 due to his inconsistent career at Arkansas. At his best, he's shown power, speed and ability to stay at shortstop, but a down sophomore season in 2019 in which his swing-and-miss tendencies steadily worsened led to lot of uncertainty coming into 2020. How he adjusts to pro ball will be crucial; right now he's in a boom-or-bust category because if he can fix the contact issues he could be a significant player for fantasy-friendly numbers. But on the other hand old lists are littered with toolsy prospects who flame out because they strike out too frequently. The fact that he debuts at #8 this year also is an indictment of the lack of depth in the Phillies current system.

#13 Yhoswar Garcia (OF, 6-1, 155; R/R) was the team's top signing from the latest international class, and much like fellow teenager Abel, is still years away from contributing. But his plus-level speed and defense in centerfield, along with a hit tool worth tracking, helps him to crack this list. While he's athletic, projectable and obviously will need to put on weight and strength as he matures, his power may not ever be a big factor in his profile. 

 

2021 Grade Changes:

JoJo Romero’s (LHP) grade moved from a 7C to a 7B due to his bump in velocity (now 94-96) upon moving to the bullpen, which began in the 2019 Arizona Fall League. His skills (21% K%; 70% FpK%; 14.1 SwK%; 134 BPV) played much better than results (7.59 ERA/1.41 WHIP) in his MLB debut. The grade change assumes with the success he had in the bullpen—where he stuff became much more dynamic—that he doesn’t move back into the rotation. In turn, Romero now looks to be at least a league-average reliever with strong strikeout rates, with some potential to move into a more prominent role over time.

 

Additional Notes

After a lot of hype, Spencer Howard’s debut was both disappointing (5.92 ERA/1.64 WHIP in 24 IP) and mildly concerning (missed two weeks due to a shoulder strain, similar to his 2019 injury). But scouts still believe in his four-pitch mix and ability to get both-handed hitters out, with possibly #2-type stuff … Both OF Mickey Moniak and C Rafael Marchán were only promoted after a rash of MLB injuries and a roster crunch. Both showed a few flashes, but it's likely Moniak returns for more AAA seasoning, as he still tracks towards a second-division center fielder lacking a big fantasy return, and Marchan probably heads to AA to continue to get experience with upper level pitching—both catching it and hitting it. Whether Marchan eventually carves out a starting role depends on his average being high enough to offset the little power he has … With Bohm falling off the list and many lower-level position players suffering a lost season, Phillies system seeks an impact-level prospect bat; it's pitching-heavy at the top of the list.

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