Comments on: Pitching prospects…

By: Jeff

Jeff — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 23:30:57 +0000

Drabek
Outman
Carpenter

By: Art D.

Art D. — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 19:55:32 +0000

Looking at ALL the pitchers in our system, but excluding the VSL and DSL (where lurks several more pitching prospects), my take on the whole system is as follows, but commentary that it is a to see so many lefty pitchers scattered among them, because IMO lefty pitcherrs are a premium in the MLs.
So:
M. Matos, RHP; Scott Michinson RHP (arm recovered?; always liked this guy who had great command and an effective fb, but out onm DL: too long; comeback uncertain);C. Rhoads, RHP; Jake Diekman, LHP; Drew Naylor, RHP; C. Chapman, RHP; W. Harris, LHP; J. Rocchio, RHP; S. Escalonis, LHP; D, Byrd, RHP; e. Garcia, RHP; C. Monasrios, RHP; K. Drabek, RHP; B. Pfinsgraff, RHP; A. Bastardo, LHP; R. Hill, RHP: R. Swindel, LHP; A. Carpenter, RHP; J. Outman, LHP; P. Overholt, RHP; C. Carrasco, RHP; W. Savage, RHP; D. Brauer, LHP; M. Maloney, LHP; F. Castro, LHP; J. Happ; J. Bisenius, RHP.

Of course most of them have labored at High A or lower w some, but few, at the AA and AAA level. But some more should be moving up more to at least AA during the remainder of the season. Add Savery, LHP, who should sign w/in several days.

IMO, a VERY promising group based on their results even in such a short time gone in the season. Good for the drafters in Philly. Now, does Spencer play OF or is he going to be groomed as a LEFTY pitcher??

By: Seth

Seth — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:51:32 +0000

I’d put Happ behind Carrasco… He’s a lefty, he’s close, and he just needs to improve his command a bit to become a valuable rotation piece.

None of the other more polished guys really pique my interest, so after that I’ll go Drabek then, ohhhh, Bastardo based on age/potential.

By: The Guru

The Guru — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 02:29:47 +0000

Carrasco #1 by a mile, Drabek #2 based on potential, Happ #3 based on readiness.

By: phuturephillies

phuturephillies — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 21:04:23 +0000

Hey Walt, gotta disagree.

You know what the Phillies really have in their system? Junk. Can’t anyone see this? You have to remove the red rose-colored shades first. Look at Boston’s pitching prospects: Buchholz, Bowden, Masterson, Johnson, Clay. Even look at the Yankees: Hughes, Chamberlain, Kennedy, Horne. Look at the Red Sox hitters: Ellsbury, Lowrie, Anderson. Both these teams did all this in the last 2-3 years. All these players are PREMIUM prospects, and not junk. They are in demand in trade talks. I don’t see one Phillies prospect in demand; hence Gillick keeps saying he’s ‘trying’. Ya gotta compare to other team’s farm systems to see things 20/20.

Buchholz is a grade A prospect, but he wasn’t prior to this year. He was a pretty good pitching prospect, but he wasn’t in the Top 25 of baseball discussion like he is now. Prospects tend to show a great deal of variance from year to year and can see their stock rise and fall drastically…that’s why they are prospects. Masterson, Clay and Johnson were high draft picks (Masterson was a bonus baby) and should be pitching well. Ellsbury is a legit prospect, Lowrie is a AAAA player. Lars Anderson is legit.

The Phillies do not spend like Boston and New York in the draft. That point is fair, and I’ve made it over and over again. But, pitching depth is a strength of our farm system, and the overall state of the system looks better now than it did 2 years ago, and that’s something considering we graduated one of the best pitching prospects in baseball in Hamels last year. The guys we have might not be flashy, they may not be BA darlings, but sites like that, just like the national media, tend to favor the large exposure teams like Boston and New York. I’d just look at the results before completely casting aside everything in our system. Carrasco isn’t junk, and there are plenty of others who aren’t junk either.