The 2017 Phuture Phillies Reader Top 30 continues with some additional selections. In a very close vote, Jose Pujols was selected the #31 pick. He received 44 of 234 votes (19%). Victor Arano (39 votes, 17%) finished second. Daniel Brito (36 votes, 15%) finished third.
Jose Pujols was signed by the Phillies on July 2, 2012 as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic, almost three full months before his seventeenth birthday. He was Rule 5 eligible this past December and was not selected.
Pujols has been a slow mover through the organization. He started in the GCL in 2013 and has only advanced to single-A Lakewood after 4 seasons. His raw power finally developed into in-game power in 2016 when he hit 24 home runs. However, his power comes at a premium, a prolific strike out rate. His K% has been over 30% in three of his four seasons, including 32.6% in 2016. His lowest season was 28.3% in Williamsport in 2015.
I have long questioned everyone’s love for Pujols. I saw him in Clearwater a lot – four seasons of spring training, three seasons of extended spring training, almost two full GCL seasons, a couple Instructs. I never saw the potential others saw. I didn’t think he was particularly adept in right field either. I saw the back of his jersey on a lot of balls hit his way. In Lakewood last season, he committed 9 errors for a .961 Fld%.
But, Pujols IS coming off a 24 HR season. He collected 82 RBI. He walked in 8.0% of his 549 plate appearances. (He has always gotten more than his share of walks – 10.5%, 7.2%, 8.7%). He had 48 XBH (21 doubles, 3 triples in addition to the HRs). Plus he’s coming off his best slash – .241/.306/.440/.746 (bold = career highs). Hopefully, he can build on his success in Clearwater this season.
Poll to date –
- J.P. Crawford
- Jorge Alfaro
- Mickey Moniak
- Roman Quinn
- Nick Williams
- Franklyn Kilome
- Sixto Sanchez
- Rhys Hoskins
- Dylan Cozens
- “C” Randolph
- Scott Kingery
- Kevin Gowdy
- Harold Arauz
- Andrew Knapp
- Jhailyn Ortiz
- Adonis Medina
- Mark Appel
- Nick Pivetta
- Ben Lively
- Alberto Tirado
- Elniery Garcia
- Nick Fanti
- Cole Stobbe
- Drew Anderson
- Andrew Pullin
- Carlos Tocci
- Ricardo Pinto
- Jordan Kurokawa
- Thomas Eshelman
- Jesse Valentin
- Jose Pujols
Phuture Phillies 
At this point, Luke Leftwich for me. He really showed up in the South Atlantic League last year and is one of what is turning out to many intriguing yet distant arms in the org.
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On Pujols…I said it before and will say it again…Joe Jordan should think about putting him on the mound and see what his right arm can do from 60’6″ ..starting this fall in instructs..
His size and that explosive arm could be magic.
Can understand not everyone ends up as DeGrom, but if he still cannot hit RHPs and Ks at 30% in A ball in Clearwater and the FSL after this season…what is his projection going forward?
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24 bombs at lakewood is probably the only thing keeping your idea from happening, I wonder what he could do in Reading with that kinda pop
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thanks for keeping this going, there are so many interesting prospect left.
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I have a suggestion for future polls: keep all poll positions the same, rather than having a week of 4 one-day polls and a 3-day poll over Friday and the weekend. Just cut off the Friday polls at the same time as you do on other days.
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