BA Top 20: SAL list includes Jesse Biddle

Biddle, Jesse, Top Prospect Lists

BA’s Top 20 lists continue with the SAL today, and in a somewhat surprising move, only Jesse Biddle was included at #6. I looked at the list, and the league was fairly deep this year, but I guess I expected another name or two. BA notes his fastball was consistently 87-91, though we’ve read that it topped out higher than that, and they note his curveball and changeup were both solid. For a northeastern US high school kid jumping to the SAL in his first season, Biddle met and exceeded expectations, and I can make an argument putting him ahead of Christian Yelich, who came in at 5th, but its a solid ranking for him in his first season.

Of note, our old friend Domingo Santana ranked 18th on the list. His upside is tremendous, but he has a long way to go.

So far we have

GCL: (1) – Ethan Stewart, LHP (16th)
NYPL: (2) – Maikel Franco, 3B (4th), Aaron Altherr, OF (20th)
SAL: (1) – Jesse Biddle, LHP (6th)

54 thoughts on “BA Top 20: SAL list includes Jesse Biddle”

  1. With a handful more starts under his belt we may have been looking at Lisalberto as one of the SAL’s selections

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  2. It would have been nice to see Rupp or Buchanan or Claypool. I guess their ages threw them off the list. I agree with Steve that Bonilla would have received a lot more attention if he started a few more games. But he logged 106 innings and was the closer for a while. He did it all this year.

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  3. Looking over the Blueclaws. I don’t know what criteria BA has but I’d exclude anyone under 200 PAs or 40 IP. That leaves out Altherr, Alonso and Austin Wright. Lisalberto Bonilla is clearly the next best prospect IMO, but I can see leaving him off the league top 20. Zack Collier is probably 4th and I wouldn’t be too anxious about listing a player on a drug suspension on the list. Cameron Rupp after that.

    Clearwater is certainly going to be our glamour group.

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        1. Allentown as anonymous for this post —
          This is true, but with the totally putrid numbers he put up at Lakewood, why would Altherr merit even the remotest consideration for an additional top 20 in the SAL.

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    1. You’re seriously arguing against the inclusion of an 18 year old shortstop with an .859 OPS because of a .961 fielding percentage and batting average? Do me a favor. Please furnish a list of Sally League shortstops with better fielding percentages. I’m certain it’s substantial. After that, list the 18 year olds with better OPS’s. I’m sure it’s such a big list that it will take all afternoon, so we’ll be patient.

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    2. Are you an idiot? Machado is a future major league SS with the possibility of 25+ HR power. Last time I checked that is a superstar and he is only 19. You can’t look at stats too much in these leagues as the tools to succeed in low-A are not the same needed when you get to the big leagues.

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    3. This is an obvious troll – I mean, it has to be, doesn’t it? The simultaneous rejection of meaningful statistical analysis AND traditional baseball scouting, based upon two of the least predictive raw stats – fielding% and battign average. Bad enough, but to top it off the BA and fielding % were not even that bad in this case.

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      3. I’m with LarryM on this one. I had a long response crafted earlier today and then just decided not to give him the satisfaction because nobody can actually believe that.

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  6. I am not familiar with any of the other teams’ prospects in the SAL, but I would not have expected any other Blue Claws to be in the Top 20. Post Santana, there appeared to me to be Biddle and a bunch of mid level talent on the BC’s. Hopefully the Phils could have a breakout from one or two others like Bonilla, Buchanan, Claypool, Collier or Rupp, but I would be more surprised if there is than if there is not.
    If things continue at this prospect pace, I do not think we as fans will have to worry about Rube trading away our prospects, because there will be few with high ceiling appeal available to send to a trade partner. We better hope the 2010 and 2011 classes have some proverbial home runs in them.

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    1. Huh?

      By all appearances, our system is looking pretty good with these rankings so far. Get your head out of your ass.

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      1. Wow, so much for being able to freely express an opinion without a malicious personal attack. Last I checked, that was one of the things that a “comment” list is intended to facilitate. Despite your baseless attack on me as a person, I will ask you to name the “top level” prospects in the organization. I do not mean the best prospects in our system, but instead those that are at the top in baseball. I challenge you to come up with those that compare with the prospect status held by Dom Brown, Michael Taylor, C. Carrasco, Drabek, D’Arnaud, Gose, Santana, Knapp, Villar, Cosart, Singleton etc. To be clear, I am talking about prospect status not results after leaving the Phillies’ organization. So far I can think of May and Biddle. Galvis made strides. The Org. has some nice relievers. Pettibone and and Colvin have a chance but Colvin took a step back. Valle has upside but also slid in the second half. Other position players in A or above? Please convince me of the greatness and depth in the prospect list in A and above. Another disclaimer, I am in favor of the trades already made and believe that Rube has done the right thing thus far.
        I think the Org. best hopes are for the 2010 and 2011 classes to step forward but they are unknowns at this point.

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        1. At this point, I am not too worried about it. I suggest going and looking at some of the comments after the Oswalt trade (and the Halladay trade, and the Blanton trade…and the Eyre trade for crying out loud!). Many said at that point that the team would have no other prospects to trade. Guess what…still trading and still a strong team.

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        2. For the record, if top in baseball is the criteria, off your list Cosart, Singleton, Brown and Drabek were probably the only “top in baseball” guys there. Carrasco, maybe, but Gose, Santana, Villar were guys with serious plate disciple concerns, but fantastic tools. Taylor was a very good prospect, but not a top prospect in all of baseball. Knapp was a raw pitcher with a long way to go as a cold weather guy.

          Two top tier prospects (May and Biddle) is actually fine as most teams have 2 or 3 guys you might consider top prospects. It would be nice to have a power bat, but there’s time for guys like L. Greene or Martinez or Altherr to develop and fill that hole.

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          1. I think Taylor, Knapp were top 100 and so might have D’Arnaud and Gose. Taylor might well have been top 50. For some period of time my fuzzy recollection is that the mini-pack of Taylor, Drabek and Brown were neck and neck in the top 30-40. I know both D’Arnaud and Gose are top 100 now and perhaps top 50, but at the very least were on the cusp and expected to be at their present status while in the Phils’ Organization. They are by no means a surprise and had high prospect potential and value beyond 99% of the present prospect core.

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            1. I searched BA Top 100’s from 2008 on and saw no Knapp, no D’Arnaud (as a Phillies prospect, though he was at the end of the lsit after we traded him, so he would have been if he were here), no Gose, no Taylor (as a Phillies prospect, though he was 29 his first year as an Athletic, so clearly he would have been if we didn’t trade him, so I’ll grant that one), Knapp made the list a year after the Phillies traded him, but never when he was a Phillies prospect.

              Drabek, Taylor and Brown were neck and neck in the upper 20’s to ~40, but at that point only Brown was still in the Org.

              Ruben trades guys when they are highly rated (Marson, Carrasco and Donald were all solidly top 100 when traded for Lee) some don’t develop, some do. The Pence trade is the only one I am somewhat bummed over. I suppose without those trades we’d have a top 2 or 3 system, but our Rotation would probably be Hamels, Blanton, Carrasco, Worley, Kendrick. So I can live with the trades.

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    2. Perhaps you may have a point—but are you going by the numbers….4 selections out of a possible 60 total slots in three low-A leagues that have almost 50% of the MLB affliations?

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  7. I was over at Minor League Ball yesterday and they were trying to predict the the Top 5 from the SAL. When I suggested Biddle should be in the discussion I was told he’s not Top 10 and they told me AJ Cole (#11) and Tyler Matzek (#17) are both in front of him.

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      1. Not necessarily I would say that all of the guys ahead of him are Top 20 (with exception of Yellich who might be Top 30). I would say Biddle is somewhere between 45-60.

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    1. Last year which is definitely was a down year compared to this year had Singleton #1, Colvin #4, Cosart #7, May #11, and Valle #19.

      Looking at this years list I see Singleton on par with Biddle and all the rest fairly far down the list, so I don’t see too much problem with the lack of prospects on this list

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  9. I’m not sure where to post this. Does anyone have any info on what’s going on at the instructional league? How do all our young SS prospects look? Is our 2nd rd pick in CF or at SS? What I’m most interested in is whether Greene Jr is working in LF or at 1B. I’m going to guess LF but I’d love to hear from anyone that’s been down there recently.

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  11. Keep drinking the Koolaid! Machado will not stay at SS. Slow! And I have seen him play for about 5 years! Never played SS on any Summer Teams in South Florida. He was at 3rd or RF. Did you see him at the Futures? Looked very uncomfortable and loves to pull the ball. Marketing is a wonderful thing!

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    1. BA’s Callis says same thing—seems to think Os will go with Schoop or Givens at ss. Machado is bigger stronger then those two and projects at a power position.

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      1. …….though remember what the experts said about Cal Ripken back in ’82—because of his size he would eventually be at third….how did that work out!

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        1. Well he did eventually end up at third… just it took 15 years to happen haha.

          But second, Ripken did spend the majority of his minor league career at 3B and he split his Sept call up in ’81 between SS and 3B.

          So thats a pretty reasonable assessment for someone to have made back in ’82 given that the Orioles had seemingly prepped him to be a 3B in the minors.

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  12. His numbers at the same age/level are better than Freddy Galvis…both defensively and offensively. Are you saying that Galvis won’t be able to stay at SS either? Inquiring minds want to know!

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  13. Word on the new guys down at Instructionals is that they are awesome. Greene was hitting balls over the batter’s eye in early BP (now injured, not sure how or what); and Quinn is the fastest player anyone has seen in years — maybe ever. Assessment overall is that the Phillies really did some smart work this year. For those who poo-poo this, you gotta believe!

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    1. ‘phillwill’ along with OneChair Billy C. are our men on the scenes for reporting in Clearwater. Seems they busted their deadlines.

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  14. There are 14 teams in the SAL. When you consider that, having 1 prospect on the list isn’t a crime. Biddle is certainly ahead of both Matzek and AJ Cole at this point.

    The concentration of talent in the system last year was at Lakewood, this year it was at Clearwater, and I’m sure that will play out in the FSL list.

    In 2012, it may be the Eastern League Top 20.

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  15. Altherr hitting the skin off the ball down in Instructionals. Quinn still figuring out pitching and wood. Not to worry. Patience with hitters goes a long way. It’s hard to make the transition, esp out of high school.

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  16. Ben Badler at BA said that Gustavo Gonzalez is a better prospect than Tyler Greene.
    Can that be a reputable staement?

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    1. Well Gonzalez was good enough to command a 350K bonus when they thought he was a 16 year old. He wound up with only 10K due to being 18. He is still only one year older than Tyler Greene and he held his own in the GCL.
      Maybe defensively he is far superior to Tyler Greene.

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      1. It is 2 years difference (or 23 months actually). But the Phillies clearly like Gonzalez enough to bring him to instructional league and give him considerable playing time even when Greene was there. But I would really hope for a little better performance from a 20-year-old at GCL.

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  17. May and Biddle in the Hardball Times Top 100 prospects (usually a fantasy-focused ranking, from what I recall). I suspect they’ll show up on most of the lists as the MilB off-season goes forward, though I wouldn’t be shocked to see someone take a flyer on Galvis or even Franco towards the end of a top 100.

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    1. I think May is a lock. One of the best K pitchers in the minors, everyone is aware of him and watching. Biddle, I’m not so sure. Depends on who the competition is. But I’m thinking he is borderline, and needs to show top of league performance in A+ first. Galvis a very outside chance, I doubt he makes it. Franco, I can’t see at all. There are probably 50-100 guys like him who have shown outstanding talent in their first exposures without a lot of pre-fanfare or pedigree outside our organization. I think Valle makes it before Galvis or Franco. Higher profile guy who is seen as a rapidly improving defensive catcher with a good arm. Has hit for power in previous years. Hit for average much of last year. No one will take of points for a July/August decline. Catchers often wilt in late season hwile learning to condition in full-season for the first few years. And Florida is pretty humid, not a good hitters league.

      To me May, Biddle, and Valle, are our best three prospects, with Galvis coming on strong this year, but need another year to prove and improve again. But outside our organization and minor league fan base, I think people see May and Valle as our two big prospects and they’ll wait on Biddle.

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  18. The effect on the prospect list for the Phils due to the trading away of some real good ones is understandable. But IMO their 2011 draft class plus a few LA signings MAY prove to be their best draft class…perhaps equaling 2008’s or even better.

    A whole infield was enclosed within these signings plus a few interesting pitchers late pick signings like Cosart’s.

    These prospects should begin to make their presence felt during ’12..along with the further development of May and Biddle as the likeliest big prizes for the future starting staff. In two-three seasons on, both could find their initial MLB games in their resume maybe by mid-season.

    In ’12 the team should and IMO will go heavily for pitching and catching.

    Keeping on watching the LA players leagues is becoming more interesting with several of them coming on…

    Though the system has been hurt by trades, I’d expect the Phils’ excellent scouting staff to bring forth juicy fruit from their gardening through the states and LA and resurrect the valuation toward the top, again.

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  19. Other than Domingo Santana there should be pretty much no effect to recent Phillies trades and what prospects they have on any prospect list below A+.

    The reason why you don’t see as many prospects at these lower levels as you did 1/2/3 years ago is due to the 2009 and 2010 drafts.

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