In this article we will take a midseason look at the DSL Phillies in 2008.  This year’s team is another young team like last year’s division champions, though it is also arguably less talented.  There are no standout young offensive players like Sebastian Valle and Leandro Castro that have emerged, though an improving pitching staff has kept the team in contention.  After a poor 12-23 start, the Phillies have won 10 of their last 12 to improve their record to 22-25, 4th place and 8 games behind the Mariners who are leading the Santo Domingo North division.

We have still not seen any information on any players the Phillies have signed in 2008 from Latin America.  Their budget reportedly increased this year to about $1.5 million from maybe $800,000 total last year.  Unfortunately this budget still places the Phillies in the lower half of the majors in terms of spending.  This may be seen in the lack of offensive prospects on the team.  Offensive prospects tend to develop a little earlier than pitching prospects.

The rest of this post will look at the hitters and pitchers that have shown the most in the early part of the season, with extra attention to the younger players who are undoubtedly the better prospects.  As always, these are statistical observations only, as first hand scouting reports are difficult to come by.

Hitters

The most heralded hitting prospect, Caros Valenzuela (age 17, SS), has also been the biggest disappointment.  Valenzuela is hitting .174 with 1 HR and 14 RBI (12 SB, .492 OPS).  He is a smaller SS at 5’11” 170, so he may not have the power some were thinking when he was signed last year for a reported $200,000.  Another 17-year-old SS, Jonathan Villan, has played a little better, hitting .231 with 1 HR and 15 RBI (19 SB, .641 OPS).

Two 18-year-old outfielders are holdovers from last year’s squad.  Miguel Alvarez is a speedy CF who is hitting a light .290 (1 HR, 16 RBI, 22 SB, .679 OPS).  Rudney Balentien (LF, Curacao) has a little more power, but is hitting only .230 ( 8 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 13 SB, .680 OPS).  The biggest offensive threat from the younger players has been Geancarlo Mendez (18, listed as SS but playing 1B, 2B, 3B).  Mendez is hitting .291 with 1 HR and 21 RBI (12 SB, 24 BB, .415 OBP, .763 OPS).

The best OPS on the team is from 19-year-old 2B Cesar Tejada.  Tejada is a walk machine with 30 BB so far to go with a .276 average giving him a .475 OPB (.808 OPS).  Other slightly older players worth noting are C Pedro Aguilar (Panama, .239 average, .613 OPS) and 3B Luis Paulino (.272 average, 21 RBI, .698 OPS).  There is very little offense in general, however, as the team is hitting .234 with only 8 HR in 45 games.

Pitchers

The better prospects lie with the young pitching staff.  The top arm on the team is 18-year-old RHP Juan Sosa.  In his second season, Sosa has improved his strikeout rate after a promising 2007.  He is 2-1 with a 1.60 ERA and decent peripheral stats (45 IP, 37 H, 22 BB, 54 K).  The other top arm is a little older pitcher, 20-year-old Pedro Carpio (4-4, 3.10 ERA, 61 IP, 49 H, 21 BB, 60 K).  Carpio is in his 3rd season and his lack of a promotion to GCL last year most likely signals he is a lesser prospect.

Once again we look to the younger players getting playing time as most likely being decent prospects.  Daniel De La Cruz is young and projectible (age 17, RHP, 6’3″, 175).  He has compiled a 2-2 record with a 2.54 ERA (39 IP, 27 H, 20 BB, 41 K).  The other Phillies signing that made Baseball America last year was 18-year-old RHP Gabriel Arias.  Arias has not started but has received consistent innings as the team’s sometime closer (3-2, 3.19 ERA, 3 saves, 31.1 IP, 20 H, 10 BB, 26 K).

Several other younger players are struggling with regular playing time.  The fact that they are playing (and getting starts) may indicate that they are prospects.  Sergio Mendez is the youngest player on the team at age 16 and has struggled with his command (1-1, 5.51 ERA, 16.2 IP, 17 H, 14 BB, 13 K).  Felix Cespedes is a 17-year-old who is also very projectible at 6.3″ and 180 pounds.  Like Mendez, Cespedes has struggled (1-1, 5.18 ERA, 24.2 IP, 27 H, 9 BB, 17 K).  Finally, Marcos Coca is another younger arm to watch (age 18, 6’3″, 156).  Coca has had a little more success going 0-3 but posting a 3.08 ERA (38 IP, 29 H, 17 BB, 31 K).

Finally there are several older pitchers worth mentioning.  Dario Alvarez is a LHP (age 19) who is still mastering his control, but does miss bats (2-1, 3.00 ERA, 39.1 IP, 29 H, 21 BB, 33 K).  Siulman Lebron is a 21-year-old RHP who is on the back end of the rotation (2-3, 5.46 ERA, 34/6 K/BB ratio).  Finally, Antonio Florentino has resurfaced after a so-so GCL debut last year.  While Florentino has a 3.68 ERA, his prospect status is dimming at age 21, even if he is rehabbing an injury.

It is encouraging that the team’s overall performance has improved as the season has gone on.  Sosa looks like a real prospect on the mound while several other pitchers (De La Cruz, Arias, Coca) have shown enough where they might merit a promotion next year to GCL.  Unfortunately it looks like the team’s biggest investment (Valenzuela) may be a bust, though as always, a 17-year-old prospect should be given more time to put it all together.