Reader Top 30; #10

2010 Reader Top 30

In the closest voting I’ve seen so far in the Reader Top 30, Jarred Cosart edges out Scott Mathieson by 2 votes, 128 to 126, with Antonio Bastardo coming in 3rd at 117 votes. It should be interesting to see how the last spot in the top 10 goes. It was recommended that Yohan Flande be added to the voting for 10, so it shall be done. Please remember, if you vote OTHER, you have to actually say who you voted for. Its easier for me if you type “Other – voted for so and so” when it comes to me finding the actual other votes. That’s how I’m going to determine who gets added to the new ballots. Check below for more

01. Domonic Brown, OF
02. Trevor May, RHP
03. Phillippe Aumont, RHP
04. Tyson Gillies, OF
05. Anthony Gose, OF
06. Domingo Santana, OF
07. Sebastian Valle, C
08. JC Ramirez, RHP
09. Jarred Cosart, RHP
10.

87 thoughts on “Reader Top 30; #10”

  2. Bastardo again. Scott Eyre just announed his retirement so Bastardo has a clear shot for a job unless the Phils sign another lefty like Biemel. I love Bastard’s arm and I think he could be very good down the road if he stays healthy.

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  3. Bastardo for the reasons discussed previously and ad nauseum. Mathieson is also a perfectly good pick here.

    As for James, man, I realize he’s supposed to be quite the athlete, but he hasn’t done a darn thing yet and he’s not as young as some of the other position players. In my book, he’s barely in the top 20, if that.

    As for names on the list, I’d put Mike Stutes on way before I’d add Flande. I think will be in the rotation by the end of 2011 – there’s more upside there than we’re giving him credit for. He shot up the system in 2008 and had to adjust in 2009, but word is that he’s got great breaking pitches and can touch the mid-90s with the FB. I like him a lot and he just hasn’t gotten the love he deserves on this site – it reminds me a little of how quickly we lost interest in Happ when he had his bad year in AAA. Mike Stutes can play – you’ll see.

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  4. Do you think they go with Escalona or Bastardo? I’m not sure that they’ve given up on Bastardo as a starter yet.

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  5. This is list is tough because there are still so many unknowns. I’d prefer to wait until we’ve had a chance to see a little more from guys like Cosart, Colvin and Shreve, who I like based on projection, but who the heck knows?

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  6. Went with Colvin. No injury history, starter with a good scouting report. I’m just not a fan of rating injury-prone relievers this highly.

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  7. went with mathieson here but it was a toss up with bastardo. i think that bastardo would be the classic case of having a possible starting pitcher getting his feet wet in the majors as a reliever for a yr then back to the rotation in the future. i am assuming many things with bastardo though. can he stay healthy? can he go back to starting? can he get mlb hitters out? obviously he has more value as a sp but it he turns out to be another jc romero i will be happy with it. by 2012 we could have a bullpen that consists of bastardo, mathieson, rosenburg, schwimmer, all at the same time. I wonder how much of that, if any is going through the brasses mind and if it will alter their thinking about re-signing the current mlb players whose contracts will be up soon. sorry for talking about the mlb players towards the end of this post. i think i will go with singleton after mathieson, bastardo go in the next few slots.

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  8. OTHER: Justin DeFratus. I really like 21-year-old DeFratus because of his control (3 year minor league career strikeout : walk ratio (7.9 : 1.7) , size (6′4″, 215 lb), fastball speed (up to 95 mph) and SONAR score (#1 in the Phillies system). I believe he will remain a starter and continue to increment his innings pitched. I read that DeFratus says he has such good control that that is why he lets up a few more hits than he would like. I expect him to learn to pitch out of the strike zone a bit more to increase his strike-outs and lower his batting average against. If SONAR means anything, its #1 rated Phillies pitching prospect needs to be in the top 10!

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  9. Jon Singleton.
    17 years old in GCL. Good OPS, great BB%, great K%. Depending on viewpoint, better numbers than Domingo Santana.

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  11. Hard to see Singleton’s numbers better than Santana, especially since he is a 1B and a year older.

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  12. Singleton hits for power while taking walks and not striking out. Santana strikes out over 1/3 of the time.

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  14. Voted Bastardo over Colvin then Mathieson. Bastardo is a sure major leaguer who could be a plus reliever this year. I really need to see more of Colvin, but he is potentially our best pitching prospect or certainly right behind May. Mathieson loses points because of the injuries.

    Next players to add would be Savery, Galvis, and Stutes IMO. Probably need as large a list as the software supports as we are about to hit a glut of players that are very close in rankings.

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  17. mike77–
    Strange response. I’ll grand you the K/BB, but strange to say Singleton hitsfor power, when that is probably his primary deficiency as a 1B. I could understand saying be patient, it will come. But it sure isn’t there now, with 2 HR in 100 AB and only a .440 slg. Singletons claim to fame, for now at least, is his obp. Santana is the rookie who has shown power, with 6 HR and a .508 slg.

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  18. Wish I had voted for Mathieson. After that I’d say Bastardo.

    And Hyatt deserves some top 20 consideration but I’d like to see him against better competition before deciding on that one.

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  20. Hyatt dominated the White and Red Sox farmhands in the two series of the Sally playoffs where he struck out 9 and gave up no runs and walked none in six innings of relief. Should zip past Clearwater and Reading by mid season and end up who knows where by September.

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  23. Looking at the names on the board, and fearing the choices will start to get thin, can i recommend vance worley?

    I know he was rated #10 at THT after the Halladay/Lee trade, so it seems like he should be on there at least as an option

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  24. Voted for Mathieson again…Agree with John that Worley should probably be in the discussion very soon. He held his own last year (4.53 FIP) after being double jumped to Reading. That’s a tough bump for a 21 year old and he handled it pretty well.

    I’m also pretty surprised that Julio Rodriguez hasn’t been mentioned at all. He’s the same age as Colvin and Cosart and had a strong 56 inning stint in the GCL. I know Cosart and Colvin have a bit more of a pedigree, but Rodriguez was an 8th round pick so it’s not like he came from nowhere. Can someone explain why Colvin and Cosart are considered better prospects? I’m not being sarcastic – I would really like to know.

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  25. Pat
    u r right Rodriguez is the forgotten man and Worley. A strong start by Worley may help move Aumont back to the pen where he belongs.

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  26. i believe cosart had shoulder injury last year. but came back real strong and dont like bastardo because he was hurt most of last year and never had a surgery. thats a lot of time on the dl

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  27. Allentown,
    John Sickels rates Jon Singleton 11th in the system, so I don’t think it is unreasonable for me to rank him 10th. Paraphrasing Sickels, ‘Singleton has strong power potential while showing a patient bat… Could rate ahead of Cosart and Bastardo …’
    It’s all opinion. Your opinion is that Singleton is not a power hitter. Maybe you are right and Sickels is wrong. Who knows?

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  29. Are there any infielders in the system or do they just catch the rolling balls upon them reaching the outfield?

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  30. The only infielder of note is Freddy Galvis. We’re sure his glove can make it to the big leagues but will he hit enough to put him on a big league roster? So far, I’m unsure of it. He’s still young and I think he can pack on a few pounds that will help him get the ball out of the infield. James mentioned that he was invited to the Phils camp. Sometimes these guys get a look at what it takes to make it through a ST preview.

    I voted for Bastardo.

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  31. Hyatt? makes the september call up? your kidding if not, I would like some of what you are smoking.

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  34. I vote Colvin, again. The upside should reach beyond what the others could reasonably be expected to reach with any projection any time soon.

    As far as infield, at around the AA level Galvis can be starting SS and Harold Garcia a semi-regular/starter at 2B. At low A this season, Jonathon Villar can be future starter, and Cesar Hernandez can work at defense at low A , and become future starter/semi-regular. Also numerous potential good bench reserves in the Middle Infield. At 3B , they can work on Mattair’s hitting for 3 years while Polanco mans the fort , and when he becomes top hitter it will go with his noteworthy fielding. Not a problem.

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  35. i like this site alot but what other websites are you guys looking at for prospect info…just started getting into it last when i fell in love with Drabek…secure emough to admit mancrush..lol

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  36. I have Julio Rodriguez as 22 (DOB 1/5/1988). If that’s correct, he was a bit old for GCL.

    Second that we need to expand the voting list if possible. There’s two guys on it now that aren’t in my top 20. I would like to see one of Worley, Castro, or De Fratus added.

    After Bastardo, Colvin, Singleton, and Mathieson there really are just a bunch of toss ups. You could realisticly make an arguement for a guy to be ranked #20 or #40. We’ve got that kind of depth, and they’re all around the same level (C+ type) of prospect.

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  37. “At 3B , they can work on Mattair’s hitting for 3 years while Polanco mans the fort , and when he becomes top hitter it will go with his noteworthy fielding. Not a problem.”

    They can work with him on his hitting all they want but, right now, it doesn’t seem like he can hit in the high minors, let alone the majors. It’s not like developing an offensive lineman, there are some people (actually, a LOT of people) who, while physically gifted enough to be drafted, cannot hit good professional pitching and, if so, they have no place in professional baseball. It’s just that simple.

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  38. don’t get Jiwan James either… dude hasn’t done anything.

    I voted Bastardo. I think he can be an elite reliever if he gets control of his breaking pitch. Then Colvin. Mathieson is too much of an injury risk – though I really hope they give him a shot right out of the shoot this year.

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  39. Agreed that James has done nothing – it reminds me a lot of the D’Arby Myers talk a few years ago. James is currently just a twinkle in Ruben Amaro’s eye at this point. The difference with Mattair is that he does have a track record; a track record suggesting it is highly likely that he cannot hit well. Maybe that will change, but the odds are greatly against it.

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  40. mike77-
    There’s a big difference between power and power potential. Lots of Phillies prospects, from Hewitt, to Mattair, to Golson have been described as having power potential. What you and I were discussing was whether or not he had actually demonstrated power at present. Also, we were not debating whether or not Singleton is legit for top 15, which I would agree he is, but rather how he compared to Santana.

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  41. Voted for Galvis. Gold Glove quality fielder right now, AA ball at a pretty young age. If he had a bat, he’d be #2. Maybe he gets a bat, who knows…

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  42. Why do I keep voting Bastardo. Basically because I saw him pitch at Reading and he did extremely well. In more IP than Cosart has managed over two seasons, Bastardo turned in close to unbelievable numbers:
    1.75 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, more than 10 K/9IP and less than 2 BB/9IP. I think there is a lot of downgrading by people who saw him pitch a little for the big Phillies. As a 23-year old, the move up to the Phillies was probably a bit quick, but that shouldn’t cancel what he achieved in the minors. He also put up quite good numbers at AAA in Allentown, but in fewer IP.

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  43. Anyone who saw Bastardo’s first start at San Diego knows that there is a lot to be excited about with him. He has issues (limited pitch selection, history of should problems, etc. . . ), but he’s likely to be very useful in a ML bullpen at the worst and a 2 or 3 in good rotation at best. That’s a good prospect.

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  44. “I have Julio Rodriguez as 22 (DOB 1/5/1988). If that’s correct, he was a bit old for GCL.”

    Not correct. His DOB is 8/29/1990. That makes him 20.

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  45. I voted for Ryan Sasaki.

    Just kidding. I went with Bastardo again, though I am dismayed by Mathieson’s early lead. Did I jinx Bastardo with my staunch support last time?

    As for Austin Hyatt, he is only 8 months younger than Bastardo. He was too old for his level last year for us to make a real evaluation (unless one of you actually saw him lighting up the radar gun, which might be the case).

    As for Jiwan James, while there are guys I like more, andyb made some nice points about his tools and his time away from baseball (which I did not know about). Also, baseball america rated him our system’s best athlete (http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2010/269125.html) which is saying something considering our front office’s propensity for drafting athletic guys. So he deserves a high rating from a “high upside” standpoint. Now as for the rate one should use to discount that upside…

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  46. Is everyone missing Austin Hyatt based on his stats he was the best reliever in the Phillies system last year and he is 24 ….ready for AA Reading . Certainly should make the top 15

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  47. D’Arby Myers was really overrated thanks to a high batting average in few at bats in the GCL. He didn’t hit for power or display plate discipline, so his performance was a bit of a mirage. I think James has produced a better batting line in his short appearances. He was actually highly touted after he signed. We know there’s some ability there, and the early batting returns are not DIScouraging, particularly after a long pro layoff. James could really be the breakout prospect of 2010, honestly.

    As far as power potential, I like to look at a statistic called Isolated Power. It simply subtracts batting average from slugging percentage. Albert Pujols had the highest ISO in the majors last year with .331. Luis Castillo the lowest with .043. The league average was .156. That should give you an idea of the range between great power and virtually none. This is instructive for a batter like Hewitt. His ISO last season was .178. So while his batting lines are terrible, there is quantitative evidence of his power.

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  48. Bastardo for number 10 (eventhough he should’ve been 7-8). I saw the game he threw against San Diego & he looked pretty solid . Honesty, it’s hard for me to put anyone in this top ten unless they’ve posted decent number’s in atleast High A.

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  49. To get a more accurate isolate power statistic, shouldn’t one subtract on base percentage (as opposed to batting average) from slugging percentage?

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  50. “To get a more accurate isolate power statistic, shouldn’t one subtract on base percentage (as opposed to batting average) from slugging percentage?”

    Not in this case. What On Base Percentage measures beyond batting average is walks, hit by pitch, etc. Those things are generally not obtained by power hitting (though sometimes as a result of it). Subtracting OBP penalizes a good patient hitter such as Chase Utley. Also, in the case of a hitter like Quintin Berry, you can actually end up with a negative statistic.

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  52. Wow! 1-8 I’m fine with, but Cosart at 9? We know just about nothing about this guy. Prospect ranking is a balancing of potential and mlb readiness, no? Can’t understand why anyone would balance Cosart’s upside higher than Bastardo’s or Mathieson’s readiness.

    On on that topic…Mathieson’s injury history should without a doubt put him one slot below Tony and his injury history.

    I will admit that I have not had time to read through all the comments, so don’t kill me if I’m beating a dead horse.

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  53. Jiwan James and Yohan Flande both just miss my current working version of my top 30. James could move up as high as 23 on my list if I can understand why I should put him ahead of Hewitt, Dugan, Collier, and Hudson (other guys with high ceilings, and very little pro experience to evaluate), but I’m very comfortable keeping Flande out of the top 30.

    Of the other prospects mentioned in this thread I like Galvis the most, having him at 15. He made it to AA at 19 and by all accounts is already a great fielder. Since he is so young and still learning to hit left-handed and be a switch hitter, I’ll give him a pass for a few years with the bat. I think his upside is to be like former Phillies all-star shortstop Larry Bowa, a contact hitter who neither strikes out nor walks, who can steal bases, bunt, hit and run, play in the majors due to his glove and most importantly continue to improve as a hitter all through his 20s. Bowa was 24 when he made his major league debut. So let’s give Galvis a couple years in Reading and a couple years at Lehigh Valley, before deciding that he cannot hit.

    I still like DeFratus the most at this spot in the voting, having him at 9 on my personal list (I agree with the top 7, in a slightly different order, and diverged at JC Ramirez). I’ve been talking about DeFratus since the voting for #8 and have continued to be disappointed to see James and Flande added to the ballot before him.

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  54. If Galvis’ upside is to be like Larry Bowa, he will not make it in today’s game as a starter. No team will start such a weak hitter and allow him to struggle for years, the way the Phillies allowed Bowa to do in the early to mid ’70s. If Galvis does not have starting potential, he should not be ranked in the top 20.

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  55. mike77, You are grossly underestimating Larry Bowa. Are you aware that he selected to 5 All-Star games (3 times as a starter), won 2 Gold Gloves, and received MVP votes for 4 consecutive seasons, finishing as high as third in 1978? Do you really think the game has changed so much in 30 years that All-Stars and MVP candidates of the 70s and could not even start today?

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  56. Alan, you are making my point. If the purpose is to obtain a raw power statistic (as distinct from the ability to get on base), shouldn’t one substract on base from slugging? Perhaps there should be two ISO statistics, one to measure contributions other than getting on base, the other to measure contributions other than batting average.

    I still remember the days when a guy was a “good hitter” if he hit .280 and your typical left fielder looked as if he had been constructed from pipe cleaners. I am not longing for those days, mind you, I was one of the early Bill James followers.

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  57. Yes, Ken45, the game has changed that much. I don’t care who voted him to what, today, Larry Bowa would have a very difficult time getting on the field; at best, he’d be a utility guy. Some players would be great in any era (Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson . . . ), but, for others, the game truly evolves to the point where it passes them by. Shortstops like Larry Bowa are for bygone days, like 250 pound offensive tackles and slow, weak, permiter shooting power forwards. Today, if you’re Larry Bowa, if you’re lucky, you stick around for a few years like Eric Bruntlett.

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  58. I don’t think we can say how Bowa would do today. He certainly had enough glove and speed, but the bat might be questionable. However, just as we say the game has changed a lot for pitchers (lower mound, smaller strike zone, high tech bats, juiced ball, some smaller stadia) so that you no longer have 300+ IP starters and 25 game winners, those changes to the game might also have made Bowa a more effective hitter. Undeniable, you have a lot of physically larger middle IF than you did in Bowa’s day, and that will add to power. Equally undeniably, some of these guys were juiced, so the average power of your average middle IF is going to decline from its peak.

    Galvis has one problem that Bowa didn’t have — he isn’t especially fleet afoot.

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  59. ken45, I am not underestimating Larry Bowa. He was one of my favorite players as a kid. I’m just being realistic. Larry Bowa could not hit. He was nearly 30 before he had a season that would be considered acceptable in todays game.
    Galvis better get that OPS over .725 in the minors, if he wants a chance to show his glove on the major league level.
    Remember Ray Ordonez? That was only 10 years ago. He would not play on any team today.

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  60. To give Bowa a little credit, he had a few seasons where, offensively, he was okay. But he had many more seasons where he was just dreadful – a complete offensive black hole. Now, he did steal bases, but he didn’t get on base that much – he had a grand total of one season when he walked at least 40 times. Once! For a guy who had no other offensive skills to speak of. So, overall, I’m not buying the argument that Bowa would have gotten a lot of playing time today.

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  61. Ken45,
    I understand that you feel De Fratus should be in this spot but let me add this..
    He was put into the Lakewood pen because there wasn’t room for him in the rotation (until Cloyd was called up). Then when it came time to promote a guy (or two) they choose Rosenberg,Cloyd & Valasquez & not De Fratus.

    As I said before, this should be the spot for Bastardo. Should De Fratus deal at Clearwater this year, then I could see him cracking the top ten next year..

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  62. Don’t think Bowa would be a star but he could get some playing time on a bad team.. His career OPS of .620 is comparible to guys like Cesar Izturis(.629), Jack Wilson (.684), Chris Burke (.674)..

    Obviously none of those guys would be making All-star games today…

    As for Galvis, he needs to raise his numbers by 50 points to even get to Bowa’s level.

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  64. I have seen Galvis play a few times and while I don’t claim to be a scout here is what I have seen: his defense if top of the line. I have no doubt he could step onto the field at Citizens Bank Park and he would not be viewed as a liability. Batting is a while different story. He looked totally overmatched at Reading. I know he is only 19 and I expect his batting to improve but I don’t think he will develop into more than a servicable batter. He is tiny and I don’t think he has the frame to fill out too much more. He will always be a slap hitter. While he has good speed, he doesn’t appear to be a true stolen base threat. I like the guy and think he may make it to the big leagues, but I am doubtful it will be with the Phillies and I don’t think he will ever develop into an everday MLB shortstop. I have him around #20 when it comes to the Phillies list of top prospects.

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  65. I too have seen Galvis play but am much more optimistic that he will improve his hitting. He is only 20 years old and I find it encouraging that he is being invited to the big league camp. Perhaps a little work with Charlie will trigger a breakout year. Believe me–his glove is special!

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  66. “Alan, you are making my point. If the purpose is to obtain a raw power statistic (as distinct from the ability to get on base), shouldn’t one substract on base from slugging? Perhaps there should be two ISO statistics, one to measure contributions other than getting on base, the other to measure contributions other than batting average.”

    The trick is that the stat is not looking to differentiate from getting on base. It’s meant to differentiate from hitting singles. If you took the Top 5 in ISO in the Phillies’ org this season, you’d have Howard, Ibanez, Werth, Utley, Andy Tracy. If you used OBP instead of batting average, Werth and Utley drop off the top 5. Since we’re measuring power, walks and HBP are irrelevant.

    Let’s do a quick experiment. The top five all time in ISO (Min. 3000 PAs) are Ruth, McGwire, Bonds, Howard, Pujols. Without adjusting for park/era, that sounds reasonable. Now let’s adjust the stat so it uses OBP. Now your top five are Juan Gonzalez, Ruth, Howard, Pujols and Albert Belle. Barry Bonds drops to 26th. It rewards free swingers and cuts down disciplined hitters, which is not what the statistic is trying to measure at all. It’s meant to differentiate between a hitter like Tony Gwynn and a hitter like Lee May.

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  68. Question – Is Aumont and Gillies really that good or are we hoping to make sting of losing Cliff Lee less?

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  69. completely off subject but the phillies have invited phillippe aumont,b.j. rosenberg,joe savery,ryan vogelsong,ehren wasserman,bill white, tuffy gosewisch, paul hoover, kevin nelson, dane sardinha,john suomi, ozzie chavez, freddy galvis, cody ransom, andy tracy,wilson valdez, tyson gillies, dewayne wise, chris duffy, and dominic brown all to spring training.

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  70. Define ‘that good’. I don’t think either is as good as Taylor or Drabek and they clearly slot after Brown. Other than Brown, we lack a gold-plated prospect, so Aumont and Gillies slot very close to the top, legitimately. Gillies seems a comparable prospect to Gose, although a level more advanced. Aumont is probably the equal of Carrasco, although less advanced. I think a lot of people have become overly excited about Rodriguez. He had a poor season last year. Yes, he has a good arm. That puts him in the same category as about a dozen Phillies pitchers — some like Mathieson and Bastardo are more advanced and have done better, guys like May and Sanchez who are about equally advanced and have done better, and others like Shreve, Cosart, Colvin who have better arms, but have done little to date.

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  71. Allentown I could not agree more. Probably your best post ever.
    I put Gose over Gillies because of his superior speed. The things that Gillies has over Gose CAN be learned.

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  73. Still like Bastardo much better than Mathieson:
    1) Has not had multiple surgeries
    2) Still could become a starter (in 2011 if he finishes this season healthy)
    3) I think has better chance to improve his off-speed stuff
    4) He’s a lefty, always seem more useful as players

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  75. Both supposedly score 80s on the scouting scale for speed.

    Other than that, you’d have to have them do a foot race.

    Gose is a better SB threat…from the statistics at least. Not that absolute speed=SB threat in all cases.

    Both are really fast and they’re probably the 2 fastest guys in the Org by a decent margin.

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  76. Gillies played in the High Desert last year. You don’t steal bases when a Little Leaguer could hit a home run in that park. Also he was with an AL organization. Stolen bases are overrated according to the self appointed God of Baseball Keith Law. Nice weapon for the Phillies though.
    It would be really nice if there was s fielding metric you could trust. Both guys value lies in their ability to close down the gaps. And I couldn’t tell you who was better at that, though you’d think Gose would have a better arm.
    Gillies is a year closer to the majors, and as Elvis (Costello) says, he is “this year’s model.” And that’s why he rates higher.

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  77. Still like Mathieson better than Bastardo
    — Smarter pitcher
    — Stronger arm
    — Has shown he can overcome adversity and setbacks
    — Has better velocity and potential to increase lead in mph
    — Greater mound presence
    — Etc.
    Folks, don’t let age (um, all 25 years fool you) By baseball standards Scott is still a youthful arm. Injuries aside, he’s got a world of upside.
    Truthfully, I can’t believe we’re having this debate at No. 10.

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  78. Stolen bases are not over rated when they are your thing.
    Baseball cube rates Gose a little higher. At any rate they are too close to choose now,which was my point on previous post
    probably an unneccary duplication.
    Mathieson/Bastardo Bastardo/Mathieson cookies/donuts
    The same thing only different.

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  79. Gillies is the better player. Can do everything that Gose does plus he takes walks and does not strike out as much.
    Gose will have to show that he can make the adjustments that Gillies made last year. Gillies had a .430 OBP in Short season ball. He skipped a level (low A) and went straight to high A. Started the season , with one batting stance, then changed to a totally different and more efficient stance, and finished with a .430 OBP. Again!
    Gose has 80 speed and 80 arm, plus time on his side, but Gillies has 80 speed and 80 arm, plus huge results at a higher level .

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  80. Which six guys voted Yohan Flande as a better prospect than Antonio Bastardo? Where is the logic?

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  81. I did not vote Flande over Bastardo, but I think Baseball America had Flande higher rated than Flande. I may be mistaken. Can anyone confirm?

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  82. stolen bases are a great thing, but for them to really be worth it you have to do it at a high success rate, like over 75 percent of the time. otherwise you aer really hurting your team by making outs on the basepaths

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  83. I think Jiwan James may be faster than both Gillies and Gose!

    Perhaps the Phillies have shown some lack of confidence in DeFratus, and if so he is proving them wrong. On the other hand, perhaps they’ve just chosen to bring him along slowly, and his progress is proving them right. Either way, I think he is a slightly move valuable prospect than Mathieson and Bastardo, due to his age, control, and especially, his better health.

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  84. From what I’ve read Anthony Hewitt for sure, and Domingo Santana possibly need to be in that race for the fastest Phillies prospect.

    By the way, I have no doubt Bowa would be a major league starter, if not a star, today. He’d hit better because the overall pitching is worse (possibly because of strike zone and other non-talent related changes). One needs to compare adjusted OPB+, not raw OBP. A lot of old-timer players would tell you that the players of today could not play in their day, not vice versa as some on this site contend. Could Pedro Feliz be a regular 3B-man in a 24 team MLB? Personally, I believe the talent of the different eras are fairly similar.

    At any rate I see Galvis as having MLB SS starter upside. For those who don’t like the Bowa comp, how about Omar Vizquel? He is a career .640 OBP minor league hitter who is still making millions in the major leagues, mainly for his glove. I’m just picking all-stars, but there are a multitude of more ordinary major league starters better than Steve Jeltz who I can envision Galvis surpassing. Galvis still has a ways to go with the bat, but he is so young and playing at such a high level already, it would not surprise me at all to see him reach the major leagues and become a major league regular in the next 4-7 years.

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  85. If Galvis’ glove is as good as one of the 2 greatest defensive shortstops of All-time, then yes, he can hit for a .650 OPS and be a regular. If his glove is not one of the greatest of all time he may be able to be a utility infielder and hang on into his arbitration years.
    Glavis is not a top 15 prospect, because he does not hit enough to be a regular. Bowa would not be a star today. He would be John Mc Donald or Ceasar Izturis at best.

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  86. Bowa was not an allstar but did you ever try to run your car without “sparkplugs” . He always kept things from getting
    stale(Its a long season)
    btw that’s a gasoline powered car you nitpickers.

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  87. Bastardo will be a star out of the pen at the MLB level this year. So far in the Dominican playoffs after of 2.1 clean innings last night he has pitched 8.2 innings over 6 games in middle relief giving up one run and striking out 12.

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