Phuture Phillies 2016 Reader Top 30

2016 Reader Top 30,

Aaron Brown was selected the Phuture Phillies 2016 Reader Poll’s 30th ranked prospect. In a dead heat Brown and Lucas Williams each received 30% of the 273 votes cast.  Brown edged Williams by one vote, 82-81.  There was a big drop-off after that to Edubray Ramos with 33 votes (12%).  No one else received more than 10 votes.

Aaron Brown was the Phillies 3rd round pick in the 2014 Amateur Draft as a junior out of Pepperdine University.  He had been drafted by Pittsburgh in the 17th round of the 2011 draft before opting to attend college.

At university, Brown had been an accomplished pitcher as well as an outfielder.  The Phillies drafted him as an outfielder.  He began his professional career in low A Williamsport.

Brown posted a .256/.301/.356/.656 for the Crosscutters with 3 HR in 193 plate appearances.  He was promoted to Lakewood for the last two weeks of the 2014 season and posted a .309/.339/.473/.812 in 14 games, 59 PA.

Brown played the full 2015 season with Advanced A Clearwater.  He manned center field and covered ground with little regard for his body.  He made two acrobatic catches while crashing at full speed into the center field wall.  His reckless abandon is reminiscent of Aaron Rowand.  In fact he missed multiple games twice during the first half of the season due to injuries sustained diving for balls.

Brown’s fielding excellence didn’t extend to the plate early in the season.  As late as May 14th his slash was .109/.256/.354.  He also showed little plate discipline early in the season.  Brown starting showing better patience at the plate and began a steady climb to a slash of .257/.324/.406/.730.  He hit .274 during that stretch and hit 10 of his 11 HRs.

I found Aaron Brown to be an exciting player to watch.  He is an extremely capable center fielder.  He logged 52 starts there before Carlos Tocci arrived.  After that he got 42 starts in right and 8 in left.  Comparing Brown to Tocci is like comparing Red Delicious apples to Golden Delicious apples.  Brown attacks balls, Tocci glides to them.  They both cover a lot of ground, but I can’t remember Tocci retreating to catch a ball at or near the wall.  As Brown became more selective at the plate, he quickly closed any offensive gap that may have existed.  He’s built better, is stronger, and has power that Tocci doesn’t show yet. Brown will probably continue to advance through the organization with Tocci nipping at his heels.

mlbf_40705083_th_45

2016 Reader Top 30

  1. J.P. Crawford
  2. Nick Williams
  3. Jake Thompson
  4. Mark Appel
  5. “C” Randolph
  6. Roman Quinn
  7. Jorge Alfaro
  8. Franklyn Kilome
  9. Andrew Knapp
  10. Zach Eflin
  11. Rhys Hoskins
  12. Scott Kingery
  13. Ricardo Pinto
  14. Dylan Cozens
  15. Carlos Tocci
  16. Tyler Goeddel
  17. Adonis Medina
  18. Jimmy Cordero
  19. Thomas Eshelman
  20. Malquin Canelo
  21. Ben Lively
  22. Nick Pivetta
  23. Jhailyn Ortiz
  24. Deivy Grullon
  25. Darnell Sweeney
  26. Alberto Tirado
  27. Tom Windle
  28. Jose Pujols
  29. Victor Arano
  30. Aaron Brown

I guess we’ll do sleepers and break outs next.  I’ll put that together over the weekend and collect your prognostications next week.

 

15 thoughts on “Phuture Phillies 2016 Reader Top 30”

  2. I would like to reiterate the thanks. Jim you do a wonderful job with this site. I am very thankful of all the hard work that you do with this site.

    Like

  3. Some guys start slow during the season and then catch fire later on. I watch them early and then lose interest in them as the season progresses. I guess I say, they rose to their level of incompetence so nothing to see here. Brown is one of those guys for me. I thought he’d break out and he started slow… really slow. I lost interest and moved on to other prospects who I deemed as having big years. Jim’s mention of Rowland has me taking a different look. He’s a guy that Phillie fans would love. Crashing walls down and diving for every ball. It may not be good for his health but it’s great for getting the love of a city. I haven’t set up my depth chart yet for prospects so I haven’t slotted Brown into Reading or back in Clearwater. I guess I need to do that up and down the organization. It will all change but it’s fun to do anyway.

    Like

    1. With all due respect, if you are judging prospects based on small sample size stats at the beginning of the year in a new league, then…you really aren’t analyzing prospects right.
      1. Don’t scout the stat line.
      2. Small sample stats are irrelevant – good or bad.
      3. Batting average, specifically in small samples is COMPLETELY irrelevant. Especially in the minor leagues.

      Like

  6. As always Jim, your hard work is very much appreciated. I am on this site often and am grateful for the enjoyment I get from it. I look forward to sleepers and break out players, and can’t wait to see ST progress.

    Like

  7. Thanks Jim, that was fun as always, lots of interesting ideas exchanged. (Though some were more “interesting” than others!)

    Like

    1. Jim,

      Let me add my thanks and congratulations. What you do with this site — your good will, common sense, analysis, information and quality writing — is beyond phenomenal. Finding PhuturePhillies was one of the best things that happened last year.

      This Top 30 was the first go round for me, and a thoroughly enjoyable and informative experience.

      As a relatively new Floridian, I attended some Spring Training and minor league games last year. That locale and PhuturePhillies has given me a new avocation as a minor league/player development fan. And that would not have happened without your absolutely great work.

      Thanks again.

      Like

  8. I reiterate the thanks that others have expressed.

    Was actually nice to be able to argue players who are actually prospects all the way to #30 vs. previous years where once you got to 15-20 it became unnecessary to put up much of a fuss.

    Like

  10. Thanks Jim for all your work. The act of voting on the top thirty was a big help in getting me through the dog days of winter.

    Like

  11. Thanks Jim!!!!!!!!!! Not sure you saw my comment about a week ago but I’ll be down next week. Planning on going to the Astros game on Thursday. Shoot me your cell number by email again and I’ll buy you dinner Wednesday if you’d like. At least meet up sometime on Wednesday or Thursday at the complex and I’ll by you a drink at a spot of your choice.

    Like

Comments are closed.