This year, we extended the Reader Top 30 out to 50 positions.  There has been some discussion among commenters whether the organization was strong enough to provide 50 prospects to such a list.  I would suggest that even though some of the players who made the top 50 are at best questionable that there are some talented, young players who didn’t make the list because we just aren’t familiar enough with the lowest levels within the organization.  I would further suggest that an older player designated a prospect in the 30-50 range is less of a prospect than a considerably younger player who didn’t make the list.  Players in their age 25 or age 26 season are really at the outer edge of being a prospect.  They should be much higher on the list to be considered a true prospect. That said, here are some observations about the Reader Top 30 (and, in keeping with previous year’s,  I’m only going to consider the Top 30).

The Reader Top 30  includes 14 drafted players, 9 players igned by our Latin American scouts, 1 player selected during the 2014 Rule 5 Draft, and 6 players acquired by trade.

Eleven of the prospects are from Latin America –

• the 9 we signed – Franco, Mecias, Grullon, Tocci, Kilome, Gonzalez, Pinto, Encarnacion, Pujols
• the Rule 5 selection – Herrera
• one of the players acquired through trade – Arano (Mexico through LAD)

Of the 19 non-Latin American players –

• 7 were drafted after their junior year of college – Nola (LSU), Lively (Central Florida), Windle (Minnesota), Imhof (Cal Poly), Brown (Pepperdine), Knapp (California), Perkins (Purdue)
• 11 were drafted out of high school – Crawford (CA), Quinn (FL), Eflin (FL), Biddle (PA), Dugan (CA), Cozens (AZ), Altherr (AZ), Green (CA), Sandberg (FL), Pullin (WA), Joseph (AZ)
• 1 attended the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (Gurabo, PR) and was drafted as an 18-year old – Valentin

When the 2014 season ended, the Top 30 prospects were assigned to the following levels –

• 1 with the Phillies – Franco
• 1 with Lehigh Valley – Perkins
• 5 with Reading – Nola, Biddle, Dugan, Altherr, Gonzalez
• 3 with Clearwater – Crawford, Quinn, Valentin
• 8 with Lakewood – Mecias, Imhof, Cozens, Tocci, Brown, Knapp, Green, Pullin
• 4 with Williamsport – Grullon, Sandberg, Pinto, Pujols
• 2 with GCL Phillies – Kilome, Encarnacion
• 1 in Rehab – Joseph
• 5 with Other Orgs – 2 in AA (Lively, Herrera), 2 in A+ (Eflin, Windle), 1 in A (Arano)

The oldest prospects are entering their age 24 season (Dugan, Perkins, Altherr)

The youngest prospects are entering their age 18 (Encarnacion) and age 19 seasons (Grullon and Pujols).  Carlos Tocci turns 20 in August, making this his age 20 season.

The longest tenured prospects joined the organization in –

• 2009 – Dugan and Altherr
• 2010 – Biddle and Franco
• 2011 – Gonzalez and Quinn
• 2012 – Mecias, Cozens, Tocci, Green, Pinto, Perkins, Pullin, Joseph
• 2013 – Crawford, Grullon, Knapp, Sandberg, Encarnacion, Pujols
• 2014 – Nola, Imhof, Brown, Kilome, Arano, Valentin
• 2015 – Eflin, Lively, Windle, Herrera

Pedigree, draft round (overall position) –

• 5 first round selections – Crawford (16), Nola (7), Eflin (33), Biddle (27), Valentin (51)
• 7 second rounders – Quinn (66), Dugan (75), Windle (56), Imhof (47), Cozens (77), Knapp (53), Joseph (55)
• 3 third rounders – Brown (81), Green (125), Sandberg (89)
• 1 fourth rounder – Lively (135)
• 1 fifth rounder – Pullin (188)
• 1 sixth rounder – Perkins (218)
• 1 ninth rounder – Altherr (287)

Three of the first round selections among the top prospects were drafted by the Phillies (2010, 2013, 2014), two were acquired via trade.

Five of the second round selections among the top prospects were drafted by the Phillies (2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), two were acquired via trade.

All three of the third round selections among the top prospects were drafted by the Phillies (2012, 2013, 2014).

The Phillies have made 12 draft selections in the first 3 rounds from 2012 thru 2014.  Eight of those 12 are among our Reader Top 30.  The other 4 –

• In 2012, The Phillies did not have a first round pick but had been awarded 2 Comp A picks.  These were used to select Shane Watson and Mitch Gueller, neither of whom made the 2015 Top 30.
• The Phillies had 2 second round picks in 2012.  With the second of these two picks they selected Alec Rash who opted not to sign.
• In 2013, the Phillies had 2 third round picks.  They used the second of these picks to select Jan Hernandez who did not make our Top 30.

At first, I was thrilled with the presence of so many top picks from the first 3 rounds of 2012, 2013, and 2014 in the Top 30.  However, my excitement was tempered when I looked deeper into those drafts.   Maybe in a year or two, we’ll be able to look back and see that the organization began to turn it around with these drafts.  Time will tell.

I had requested that voters submit their top 30 lists early in the process.  Here’s a comparison of that early submission vs. the day-by-day vote.

• E-mailed Top 30              Daily Top 30

1. J.P. Crawford                    J.P. Crawford
2. Aaron Nola                         Aaron Nola
3. Maikel Franco                   Maikel Franco
4. Roman Quinn                    Roman Quinn
5. Zach Eflin                            Zach Eflin
6. Jesse Biddle                      Jesse Biddle
7. Yoel Mecias                        Kelly Dugan
8. Kelly Dugan                       Ben Lively
9. Matt Imhof                         Tom Windle
10. Tom Windle                       Yoel Mecias
11. Deivi Grullon                     Deivi Grullon
12. Dylan Cozens                    Matt Imhof
13. Aaron Altherr                    Dylan Cozens
14. Carlos Tocci                      Carlos Tocci
15. Andrew Knapp                 Odubel Herrera
16. Zach Green                        Aaron Altherr
17. Cord Sandberg                 Aaron Brown
18. Jesmuel Valentin            Franklyn Kilome
19. Victor Arano                      Victor Arano
20. Franklyn Kilome              Andrew Knapp
21. Severino Gonzalez         Zach Green
22. Odubel Herrera               Severino Gonzalez
23. Aaron Brown                    Cord Sandberg
24. Nefi Ogando                     Jesmuel Valentin
25. Andrew Pullin                  Ricardo Pinto
26. Luis Encarnacion            Luis Encarnacion
27. Joely Rodriguez              Cameron Perkins
28. Elniery Garcia                  Jose Pujols
29. Jose Pujols                        Andrew Pullin
30. Willians Astudillo            Tommy Joseph

Most of the e-mailed top 30s were submitted before Ben Lively joined the organization.  Odubel Herrera was left off almost half of the e-mailed ballots.

The two top 30s were similar at the top and had a lot of the same prospects.  Notable differences were the inclusion of Nefi Ogando, Joely Rodriguez, Elniery Garcia and Willians Astudillo on the mailed-in top 30 and the inclusion of Lively, Riccardo Pinto, Cameron Perkins, and Tommy Joseph on the daily Top 30.