As baseball's July 31 trading deadline looms right around the corner, I wanted to take a closer list at the top prospects in Philadelphia's farm system and put together an updated "Top-10" list.
The Phillies lost a number of prospects in the Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay trades and received essentially nothing in the Cliff Lee trade-debacle this past off-season, so it would appear that the proverbial cupboard is empty. Astonishingly, this isn't the case at all. Thanks to their draft philosophy of selecting athletes over baseball players and signing guys away from strong college commitments in later rounds, the Phillies have developed a number of players, many of them in Class-A baseball, who rank among the top prospects in the game.
Some of these players could figure into a potential trade this week that could push the Phillies into the postseason. Others, like Domonic Brown, could get called up sooner than later and inject some much-needed youth into a rapidly-aging roster. Either way, these players will shape the future of the organization in both the short and long term. Here's my updated 2010 ranking of Philadelphia's Top-10 prospects (statistics through June 25):
1.) Domonic Brown (Triple-A Lehigh Valley / Double-A Reading)
Drafted: Round 20 (607 overall pick) in 2006
Height: 6-5 Weight: 200 Age: 22 Bats: L Throws: L Position: RF
2010 Statistics: .325/.388/.585, 91GP, 64R, 109H, 20HR, 66RBI, 35BB, 71SO, 16SB
The top prospect in all of minor league baseball, Brown is a true 5-tool talent. Having watched him play in Lehigh Valley several times in the past month, Brown is as good of an athlete as you will ever see in baseball. A former Miami U. wide receiver recruit, everything he does is just so smooth (his swing path, running style, outfield play). With all the trade rumors swirling around free agent-to-be Jayson Werth, Brown's stay in the minors might be over within the week. His helicopter-like swing has started to produce serious power this season and he'll continue to improve in that category as he adds mass to his wire-thin frame. Nothing is stopping Brown from becoming a 30-30 player and future all-star.
2.) Jarred Cosart (Class-A Lakewood)
Drafted: Round 38 (1156 overall pick) in 2008
Height: 6-3 Weight: 180 Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R Position: RHP
2010 Statistics: 7-3(W-L), 3.79ERA, 14GP/14GS, 71.1IP, 60H, 30ER, 3HR, 16BB, 77K
Cosart was a raw, two-way high school standout from Texas when the Phillies drafted and converted him to pitcher. Currently, he is on the Disabled List with a strained right elbow (yikes) but it's not supposed to be serious and he's scheduled to pitch in a week. When healthy, Cosart has the best arm in the Phillies system and one of the better arms in all of minor league baseball. He sits at 94-96 as a starter and can dial it up to 98. His control has been spectacular this year, issuing just 16 walks in 71 innings. If he can bypass an arm injury, Cosart will sky-rocket through the system and profiles as a #1 or #2 starter down the road.
3.) Jonathan Singleton (Class-A Lakewood)
Drafted: Round 8 (257 overall pick) in 2009
Height: 6-2 Weight: 215 Age: 18 Bats: L Throws: L Position: 1B
2010 Statistics: .309/.418/.538, 66GP, 41R, 73H, 12HR, 57RBI, 42BB, 43SO, 6SB
Projected as a 1st or 2nd round pick going into his senior year of high school, Singleton dropped to the Phillies in round 8 of the 2009 draft after a poor senior season and perceived college commitment to Oregon. This should show you how little high school numbers really mean as Singleton has blossomed into an offensive force as an 18-year old in Class-A. Singleton has superior plate discipline, and even as he's cooled down after a red-hot start, he's maintained a 1:1 walk-strikeout ratio. Singleton could potentially reach Double-A as a 19-year old next year and profiles as a prototypical lefthanded firstbaseman who walks, hits and hits for power. Ryan Howard is a $125M roadblock, so hopefully he can learn to play LF down the line.
4.) Trevor May (Class-A Lakewood / Class-A Advanced Clearwater)
Drafted: Round 4 (136 overall pick) in 2008
Height: 6-5 Weight: 215 Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R Position: RHP
2010 Statistics: 7-6(W-L), 4.79ERA, 20GP/18GS, 92.0IP, 73H, 49ER, 9HR, 71BB, 118K
Built in the classic power-pitcher mold of Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling and Josh Johnson, May has every tool a scout looks for in an ideal pitching prospect. The big righthander throws an easy 95 and his strikeout rates in the minors have been prolific. Only control problems have held him back. In fact, May was demoted to Lakewood after posting a 5.01 ERA and issuing 61 walks in 70 innings at Clearwater. He's rebounded nicely at Lakewood, walking 10 and recording 28 strikeouts in 22 innings. If May ever figures it out he will turn the minors into his own personal playground. He's a boom or bust player with a #1 starter ceiling and spare-part in the bullpen floor.
5.) Jiwan James (Class-A Lakewood)
Drafted: Round 22 (683 overall pick) in 2007
Height: 6-4 Weight: 180 Age: 21 Bats: S Throws: R Position: CF
2010 Statistics: .273/.321/.370, 97GP, 62R, 110H, 3HR, 47RBI, 27BB, 91SO, 25SB
James has a similar game, similar tools and similar numbers to Anthony Gose, but he's two years older than Gose and plays one level below him. So why on earth would I rank James two spots higher than Gose on this list? Simple - James has a higher ceiling. The Phillies drafted James as a pitcher, but after he developed an arm injury in 2008, they converted him to outfield. So essentially everything about hitting and fielding is fairly new to him, yet he's holding his own in Class-A. James is blistering fast, has a great arm and projects to hit for power as he fills out. The sky is the limit for him and the Phillies hope he develops like Domonic Brown - another raw baseball talent when he was drafted.
6.) Brody Colvin (Class-A Lakewood)
Drafted: Round 7 (227 overall pick) in 2009
Height: 6-3 Weight: 195 Age: 19 Bats: R Throws: R Position: RHP
2010 Statistics: 5-6(W-L), 3.50ERA, 19GP/19GS, 103.0IP, 96H, 40ER, 7HR, 32BB, 84K
A projected 1st round talent in high school, Colvin dropped to the 7th round because he was viewed as having a strong commitment to play college baseball at LSU. The Phillies snatched him up and bought him away from his college commitment. This is becoming a common theme for the Phillies as they have acquired top talents Dominic Brown, Jarred Cosart, Jonathan Singleton and Jiwan James under similar circumstances. Colvin sits at 91-94 and has seemingly found his way after a miserable start to the season. In his past 10 starts, Colvin has posted a 1.65 ERA in 60 innings. Colvin has the pure stuff to miss more bats than he currently does, so look for him to work on establishing his breaking ball in the future.
7.) Anthony Gose (Class-A Advanced Clearwater)
Drafted: Round 2 (51 overall pick) in 2008
Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Age: 19 Bats: L Throws: L Position: CF
2010 Statistics: .265/.326/.387, 101GP, 65R, 108H, 4HR, 20RBI, 31BB, 100SO, 36SB
Some have compared Gose's skill-set to Carl Crawford's, but I just don't see it. He's a marvel in centerfield and has true "80" speed on the 20-80 scouting scale but he is no Crawford at the plate. A former high school pitcher who topped out at 96, Gose has a cannon for an arm. In the majors, Gose will play Gold-Glove defense and steal 40-50 bases annually, but his batting average, power and on-base percentage will be below average. Think Doug Glanville at the plate and Corey Patterson in the field and on the basepaths.
8.) Jesse Biddle (Rookie Gulf Coast League)
Drafted: Round 1 (27 overall pick) in 2010
Height: 6-4 Weight: 225 Age: 18 Bats: L Throws: L Position: LHP
2010 Statistics: 0-1(W-L), 5.19ERA, 5GP/5GS, 17.1IP, 20H, 10ER, 2HR, 6BB, 21K
Biddle is living out every Philadelphian's dream - local high school kid (Germantown Friends HS) gets drafted by the team he grew up rooting for. The Phillies drafted Biddle in the 1st round after he posted a 9-2 record and 1.06 ERA with 140 strikeouts in just 59 1/3 innings as a senior. The big, chunky lefthander pitches at 88-93 and has been clocked as high as 96. He also features a slow 72-74 curveball. Biddle should maintain or increase his velocity as a professional and with improved control he will shoot to the top of future Phillies prospect rankings.
9.) Scott Mathieson (Triple-A Lehigh Valley)
Drafted: Round 17 (509 overall pick) in 2002
Height: 6-3 Weight: 190 Age: 26 Bats: R Throws: R Position: RHP
2010 Statistics: 3-3(W-L), 2.20ERA, 38GP/0GS, 45.0IP, 31H, 11ER, 5HR, 17BB, 58K 20SV
Mathieson has overcome numerous injuries, including Tommy John surgery in 2008, to re-establish his position as a top prospect in the Phillies farm system. Now viewed solely as a reliever, he sits at 94-96 and can reach back for 98. It's not really clear why Mathieson is still pitching in Triple-A. He's 26 and has nothing left to prove in the minors as he's currently overwhelming hitters at Lehigh Valley. The Phillies called him up very briefly this year and he stumbled, giving up 2 runs while recording just 2 outs in his one-and-only outing. Still, that's an extremely small sample size and he has a better arm than anyone in the Phillies pen outside of Ryan Madson.
10.) Sebastian Valle (Class-A Lakewood)
Signed: Amateur Free Agent (Mexico) in 2007
Height: 6-1 Weight: 170 Age: 20 Bats: R Throws: R Position: C
2010 Statistics: .257/.298/.398, 86GP, 32R, 84H, 9HR, 53RBI, 19BB, 76SO, 2SB
Never known for their international scouting, Valle is the best the Phillies have to offer outside North America & Puerto Rico. Valle's skill-set is similar to current Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit - average defensive skills with a below average bat and the ability to hit 10-20 homeruns. Carlos Ruiz is firmly entrenched as the starting catcher right now, but after trading away Travis d'Arnaud in the Halladay deal, the Phillies have poor depth at the position outside of Valle. He should progress through the minors one level at a time before establishing himself as a quality backup in the majors or perhaps even Ruiz's successor by 2014.
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