2017 Phuture Phillies Top Prospects Poll

Top Prospect Lists

It’s time for Phuture Phillies first post season prospect poll.  This is your chance to rank the organization’s prospects and see whether your thoughts are similar or different from the Phuture Phillies community.  I encourage everyone to submit a list.  The more data I receive, the more reflective of a collective consensus will be the outcome.

To date, I have received just one list.  You can submit yours to prospectpoll@yahoo.com.

So, rank the prospects from #1 to as many as you like.  Base your ranking on the player’s present value to the organization, their major league potential, their professional ceiling, their age at their current level, or whatever criteria you feel is important.

I will use a weighted system dependent on how deep I decide to make the list.  By that I mean if I decide on a  –

  • top 10, then #1 gets 10 points, #2 gets 9 points, …
  • top 20, then #1 gets 20 points, #2 gets 19 points, …
  • top 25, then #1 gets 25 points, #2 gets 24 points, …
  • top 30, then #1 gets 30 points, #2 gets 29 points, …

If a substantial number of you turn in a top 50, I will curse you under my breath, and #1 will get 50 points, #2 will get 49 points, …

The “rules” are the same as for the annual Top 30 where I follow baseball’s standards for prospect lists which states –

“To be eligible for a list, a player must have rookie eligibility. To qualify for rookie status, a player must not have exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues, or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the 25-player limit period, excluding time on the disabled list or in military service.”

“The rankings follow the guidelines laid out by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement in terms of who falls under the international pool money rules: Players who are at least 23 years old and played in leagues deemed to be professional (Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Cuba) are not eligible.”

I encourage you to NOT include players who exceeded their rookie limits.  If you don’t know who they are or forget, don’t sweat it.  I’ll score them in the rankings but just not list them in the final ranking.  Players who have exceeded their rookie limits this season include –

  • Nick Williams, time and PA
  • Andrew Knapp, time and PA
  • Mark Leiter, IP
  • Hoby Milner, time
  • Brock Stassi, time
  • Jesen Therrien, time
  • Ben Lively, IP
  • Ricardo Pinto, time
  • Cameron Perkins, time
  • Rhys Hoskins, PA
  • Jorge Alfaro MAY exceed his rookie/prospect limits by the end of the season.

You might also want to keep in mind that guys who signed in 2011 and who aren’t on the Forty, become free agents.  Players who signed in 2011 include (but are not limited to) –

  • Adam Morgan, Yacksel Rios, Alberto Tirado, and Roman Quinn all on the Forty;
  • Jesen Therrien who is on the 60-Day DL; and
  • Colton Murray, Logan Moore, Harold Martinez, Brock Stassi, Herlis Rodriguez, Ranfi Casimiro, Angelo Mora, Mitch Walding, Carlos Tocci, and Jiandido Tromp.

This may not affect your end of season ranking, but it’s information I had laying around.

57 thoughts on “2017 Phuture Phillies Top Prospects Poll”

  1. Sent. Here is my top 20 for discussion.

    I’m excluding Alfaro, he would fall somewhere in the top 5 otherwise.

    1. Sixto
    2. Kingery
    3. Crawford
    4. Kilome
    5. Haseley
    6. Moniak
    7. Medina
    8. Randolph
    9. JJ Romero
    10. R Suarez
    11. Quinn
    12. Cozens
    13. Mills
    14. Ortiz
    15. Brito
    16. Tocci
    17. S Howard
    18. Gowdy
    19. E Alvarez
    20. Fanti

    1. And I think you could swap Fanti / S Dominguez / Drew Anderson at that 20 spot. From 13 – 20 it’s very much subjective in my opinion.

    3. I like the top ten overall. My one major difference is that Ortiz is much higher on my list. Dude had a wRC+ of 185 as an 18-year-old in the NYPL, second best in the league.

      2. Mike – Ortiz would need to continue smashing at full season to get any real love, but I’m with you. And he doesn’t turn 19 until November. Great season for Ortiz

    4. I’m surprised not to see Eshelman in MLB’s Top 30 and I’m not sure if Warren made reference to MLB ranking when he did his ranking. Eshelman probably has the best command in all Phillies team and I’m actually surprised that he performed well in the high minors. I’m warm with Eshelman before but too see him perform in the higher level (and eventually winning the Paul Owens award) and literally knocking in the Phillies door this year changed my mind.

  3. I’m doing mine now and trying to keep it to 30. It’s practically impossible! The farm is so deep. I like so many guys…its really hard.

    1. I did my 30 and was just about to send it when I read the top 20 guys in a post above. I somehow missed 5 guys I wanted in my top 30. I couldn’t figure out who had to go. I could probably do top 40 and still miss a couple of guys who I think should be in the top 30.

  4. Really want to slot Domiguez, Suarez, and Tavares correctly. I really do not want to leave a Top20 prospect exposed in Rule5 and all these guys are eligible.
    Dominguez has best ‘stuff’ but was hurt and pitched at low level.
    Suarez stats as good as Romero and only a year older. With FB now above 90 he fits the control pitcher Phillies seem to target.
    Tavares finished at AAA, pitching well so I could easily see a team taking him as cheap 5th starter candidate.

    I have similar issue with bullpen guys, although I usually rank them much lower in polls since their trade value is usually so much lower.

  5. Here’s a dilemma that I have. I went through my statistical review mostly based on OPS and WHIP. I pulled the top guys out of those two lists. Then I started looking at guys with tools and skills and things that haven’t started to show up yet.

    Here’s the most glaring problem I’m having. Harold Arauz was #1 in WHIP. It was unbelievably low at .875. Nick Fanti was 2nd with .956. I got all the way through my top 30 and realized I didn’t slot Arauz. He only had 6 starts so I was going to lower him based on him being mostly a reliever. He had a the same WHIP as a reliever as a starter. My top 30 right now has 3 relievers at the end of it: Arano, McGarry and Hammer. Singer fell just outside of the top 30. Doesn’t Arauz deserve a much higher ranking than the 3 guys I included. I know that Arauz is not overpowering but as a 22 yo who has been successful through A+ and actually got in a game at Reading at the end of the year, he should be in the top 30. Shouldn’t he?

    1. You are so correct.
      Arauz is a strange case.
      His raw stuff plays out as average….but the results are plus.
      It cannot be all smoke and mirrors.
      He has plus command in the zone, indicative of his low BB/9 rate and low H/9…and that will give the WHIP a good reading.
      Will see how he does vs AA hitters.
      But can see your dilemma….is he a top 20/30 prospect with a high floor and low ceiling….since it would appear he does not have a high ceiling by his raw tools.

      1. I hope we’re still going to do the top 30 in December – February time frame. I’ll have some time to play guys off against each other.

        A guy who is another tough slot for me is Francisco Morales. Usually, a 17 yo in the GCL gets a passing glance and then I move on. His distance from the GCL to Philly is so astronomical that it might as well be like a trip to Pluto. But the kid was signed for a decent amount of money. He held his own and got better and better as the year progressed. He’s not in my top 30 right now but I think his potential is very high and if I was a guy who picked slots based on potential. he’d be very high. I’m not a guy who sees these guys very often or at all and I always liked the saying, Potential has never won a single game.

        1. @bellman – IMO, prospects is synonymous to “project or projection” in the baseball world, while in real world prospect means “potential”. that being said, when talking of prospect(s) we are basically trying to do a lookforward of what these prospects can be at some point in time. Age, raw tools and physical abilities gets move value than actual stats. that’s why we normally hear – “take the minor league stats like a grain of salt”.

          Arauz is outside my Top 30 while Taveras barely made it at #29 because he has done it at a higher level than Arauz. Eshelman ranks higher because of his plus plus command (which is a premium in pitching) despite of lack of pure stuff.

          Taveras and possibly Irvin (#26) are the only prospects my Top 30 without a projection plus tools/stuff.

        2. bellman1…on Morales….MLB are very high on him for a 17-year old…I think he and Sixto may be the highest they have projected for Phillies pitchers at such a young age. I cannot remember what they projected Sixto two years ago..but they have Morales at the 29th spot right now at 17.

        3. based on what i hear, see and read, Morales has the make up and pure stuff that meets everyone’s expectation – and that’s at the age of 17. Morales is a dream projectable prospect in a talent evaluator’s eyes – almost a perfect combination of physicality, age and pure stuff. The lack of command of his pitches is not yet a red flag at the age of 17 considering it’s his 1st pro season.

          Morales is in my Top 15 and should be an easy Top 20 prospect.

    2. As somebody who used to make a living working on ways to measure behavior and attitudes, I ought to favor quantifiable and measurable standards, but as a baseball fan of many, many years (next year marks 70 years since I saw my first game when I was 5), I am not so sure. I know that we do not yet have the tools to measure certain qualities that I think are hallmarks of the pitcher’s craft. Command (which IMO also includes consistency) is one of them and composure is another.

      I don’t think Greg Maddox had overwhelming “stuff”, but his ability to put the ball exactly where he wanted it time after time made him the hall-of-famer he is. I am at a loss to figure out how to measure it.

      2. Most Phillies fans will quickly point out that Maddox was helped by a larger strike zone than his contemporaries. It may be sour grapes, but he got six inches off the plate that our pitchers didn’t get. I’m sure fans of other divisional foes would state the same.

  6. I sent in my 20, but completely forgot about Eshelman. Talk about user error! I think he should be on it.

  7. Here’s my list:

    PHILLIES PROSPECTS TOP 50
    ********************************
    1. Scott Kingery
    2. Sixto Sanchez
    3. JP Crawford
    4. Jorge Alfaro
    5. Roman Quinn
    6. Jhailyn Ortiz
    7. JoJo Romero
    8. Adonis Medina
    9. Mickey Moniak
    10. Adam Haesley
    11. Drew Anderson
    12. Thomas Eshelman
    13. Franklyn Kilome
    14. Cornelius Randolph
    15. Dylan Cozens
    16. Seranthony Dominguez
    17. Daniel Brito
    18. Arquimedes Gamboa
    19. Ranger Saurez
    20. Spencer Howard
    21. Kevin Gowdy
    22. Jonathan Guzman
    23. Victor Arano
    24. Carlos Tocci
    25. Brayan Gonzales
    26. Andrew Pullin
    27. Francisco Morales
    28. Kyle Young
    29. Jhordany Mezquita
    30. Jose Taveras
    31. Darick Hall
    32. Ben Peletier
    33. Elniery Garcia
    34. Bailey Falter
    35. Jesmuel Valentin
    36. Ethan Lindow
    37. Edgar Garcia
    38. Jakob Hernandez
    39. Cole Stobbe
    40. Connor Seabold
    41. Jose Gomez
    42. Simon Muzziotti
    43. Grant Dyer
    44. Nick Fanti
    45. Cole Irvin
    46. JD Hammer
    47. Jacob Waguespack
    48. Alberto Tirado
    49. Nick Maton
    50. McKenzie Mills
    next man up (once Jorge Alfaro graduates) … David Parkinson

    1. Hinkie…i cannot believe you have Darick Hall all the way down at 31!
      I will be interested in seeing how far you move him up at the mid-season poll.

    2. Like Hall, don’t love him. In a deep system, #31 was the highest I could rank him. How high do you have him ?

        1. Hall was my #30 at the trade deadline. I believe in his power and he’s LH. With some omission’s (due to graduation or being in the 40-man far too long – Hoskins, Alfaro, Quinn) and decline and non-performance (Cozens, Stobbe, El Garcia, Gowdy, etc), I’m actually surprised that Hall vaulted to #16 in my list.

          1. I had him at #27. Although I wanted to put him higher, having seen him personally a few times, I just couldn’t move others down. I justified it by thinking that I’ll wait to really bump him next year after he tackles more advanced pitching at higher levels and more at his age.

    3. Looks like a good list imo, but I feel like Mills deserves to be higher. I wonder if he’ll be overlooked a bit because he spent most of his time elsewhere. A 21 yo lefty with a lo-90s fastball and potential for a couple above average secondaries is pretty good.

      He dominated with Hagerstown and was solid in his brief time in Clearwater; struck out 17 and walked none in three starts.

    4. Looks like Hinkie still believe in Cozens but no love for Hall. I believe in Hall’s and Pickett’s power and I have both moved up in my rankings. Irvin doesn’t get any love from any Phillies ranking I see, except probably mine. Gowdy suffered in my ranking because of the health issue that he needs to answer. Gowdy can be the high riser when he starts to pitch full time.

      The prospect I’m most excited with is Francisco Morales. He might eclipse Kilome and rank behind Sixto within the next 12 months – projectable body with good stuff at an early age. And yes, I’m starting to believe in Ranger too.

      1 Sanchez
      2 Kingery
      3 Crawford
      4 Moniak
      5 Kilome
      6 Haseley
      7 Medina
      8 Ortiz
      9 Randolph
      10 Eshelman
      11 Jojo Romero
      12 Anderson
      13 Dominguez
      14 Francisco Morales
      15 Suarez
      16 Hall
      17 Tocci
      18 Brito
      19 Arqui Gamboa
      20 Bryan Gonzalez
      21 Jon Guzman
      22 Gowdy
      23 Cozens
      24 Stobbe
      25 Howard
      26 Irvin
      27 Fanti
      28 Elniery Garcia
      29 Taveras
      30 Edgar Garcia
      31 Arano
      32 Young
      33 Mezquita
      34 Falter
      35 Lindow
      36 Pelletier
      37 Pullin
      38 Valentin
      39 Pickett
      40 Seabold
      41 Jose Gomez
      42 Muzziotti
      43 Hammer
      44 Mills
      45 Guthrie
      46 Stephen
      47 Llovera
      48 Davis
      49 Dyer
      50 Nieporte

    6. Without the injury issue, I’d have Quinn and Gowdy where you do. With all the lost time, just can’t do it. It hurt me to put Tirado where you did, but I did the same. He’s just not the same guy and he never did find control. My main reaction to your list was David Parkinson? I had to run to the stats sheets to find out who he is.

  8. I sent my top 30 to Jim. I have Young in my top 10. I love his size and the fact he’s left-handed. Being a lefty myself, I know the value of being a southpaw. I have Fanti pretty high also. Quinn dropped on my list because the only value I see for him is combining Altherr with him and making one full time player. They are both injury prone but maybe they can be injured at different times. Gowdy didn’t make my list because he just hasn’t pitched yet. But a lot of guys didn’t make my list. At one point I thought about putting the remaining names on a dart board and just throwing darts to pick my choices.

    1. Never thought about Aaron Altherr injury history until this year. Looking back.
      Not counting his 18 and 19 year old season out of HS since they get rest, plenty of instrcutions and teaching plus days off.
      But starting in his age 20 season.
      Age20—-LKW/WLM—games 112…30 not played
      Age21—-LKW—games 110…32 not played
      Age22—CLW—games 123—-19 not played
      Age23—CLW/Red—games 127—15 not played
      Age24—Red/LHV/Phil—complete
      Age25-2016—the broken wrist
      Not sure it is as alarming as Roman Quinn’s injury history.
      He had his share of muscle/tendon strains, and fractured bones happens to many players plus hamstrings, also, but do not think it is a real big problem..

      1. Kruk said it last night it would be nice too Altherr get 500 at bats . Altherr Really is going into his first full season next yr at 27 . Herrera was 22 , Williams 24 , Jp 23 , Hoskins 25 , time matters.Altherr at bats 137 ,198 this yr 334 that wrist injury wiped out 2 yrs of time . The hamstring about 200 at bats. He’s never had a 500 at season yet. The Phillies were a last place team so time don’t matter . Next on forward it matters ask Joc Peterson good teams you get hurt you get left behind.

        1. Well he has had 5/6 seasons with at least 450 PAs and more…up to 525 and 525 also….at the minor league level where they only play 142 games a year normally.
          So he has proven in the past that he could play close to full seasons…no one plays totally full season anymore….my guess less than 10% of all players.

  9. Love these lists. My Top 10 is:

    1.Sixto
    2.Crawford
    3.Kingery
    4.Haseley
    5.Medina
    6.Ortiz
    7.Moniak
    8.Kilome
    9.JoJo Romero
    10.(tie) Randolph and Eshleman

    I am bullish on Medina, I really think he has a chance to slot right behind Sixto as far as young pitching prospects to make the leap. Also think by this time next year Franciso Morales will be in the Top 10.

  11. Here is my list, I invite any comments anyone might have.

    1. Scott Kingery
    2. Sixto Sanchez
    3. JP Crawford
    4. Franklyn Kilome
    5. Adonis Medina
    6. Jhailyn Ortiz
    7. Adam Haseley
    8. Seranthony Dominguez
    9. Cornelius Randolph
    10. Mickey Moniak
    11. Thomas Eshelman
    12. JoJo Romero
    13. Darick Hall
    14. Drew Anderson
    15. Dylan Cozens
    16. Ranger Saurez
    17. Carlos Tocci
    18. Kyle Young
    19. Francisco Morales
    20. Daniel Brito
    21. Arquimedes Gamboa
    22. Roman Quinn
    23. Jonathan Guzman
    24. Victor Arano
    25. Spencer Howard
    26. Brayan Gonzales
    27. Nick Fanti
    28. Kevin Gowdy
    29. Jhordany Mezquita
    30. Jose Taveras
    31. Bailey Falter
    32. Ben Pelletier
    33. Elniery Garcia
    34. Jesmuel Valentin
    35. Cole Stobbe
    36. Ethan Lindow
    37. Edgar Garcia
    38. Jakob Hernandez
    39. Dalton Guthrie
    40. Connor Seabold
    41. Jose Gomez
    42. Simon Muzziotti
    43. Grant Dyer
    44. Andrew Pullin
    45. Cole Irvin
    46. JD Hammer
    47. Jacob Waguespack
    48. Quincy Nieporte
    49. Nick Maton
    50. McKenzie Mills

    1. wow, your list looks eerily similar to Hinkie and includes similar (as you wish) that i have. Darick Hall (#13) is where you break from Hinkie (#31).

      1) Cozens (both #s 15) – most rankings i saw soured on Cozens, #15 is the highest i will see Cozens. I’m actually sad then Cozens wasn’t called up but it said something about Cozens season.

      2) Arano (#23/#24), Hernandez (both #38), Dyer (both #43). I thought RPs don’t get that much love in the prospect ranking unless they have closer projection. A case can be made for Arano but I don’t see it with Hernandez jumping into #38.

      Dyer made my list (a hard choice over Hibbs) since I liked him since Day 1.

      1. KuKo … I believe Jacob Hernandez should be a starting pitcher. Hopefully, he gets a shot in Williamsport.

        2. @HInkie – if that’s the case, then his ceiling can be higher but that remains to be seen in 2018. Although Romus post gave me an impression of a potential high leverage arm. If Hernandez can keep his high swing and miss ability, I’ll take him whether he’s a starter or a pen arm.

      2. I used both of your lists as references when completing mine, so thank you both for the help and your hard work!

  12. Not a prospect but Nick Williams. Wow.
    26 Homers across two levels. He turned out to be one of the best players from that Trade!

  13. I got to say, I’m much lower on Kilome than most here. His strikeout and walk rates are very paltry this season, even at Clearwater where he wasn’t that young for the league. I’m much higher on Medina personally

  14. Here is mine

    1. Crawford
    2. Kingery
    3. Sixto
    4. Kilome
    5. Moniak
    6. Haseley
    7. Medina
    8. Seranthony D
    9. Ortiz
    10. Randolph
    11. Romero
    12. Eshelman
    13. Gamboa
    14. Morales
    15. Anderson
    16. B Gonzalez
    17. Brito
    18. Cozens
    19. Tocci
    20. Hall
    21. Guzman
    22. Fanti
    23. Suarez
    24. Gowdy
    25. S. Howard
    26. Irvin
    27. El Garcia
    28. Stobbe
    29. Pickett
    30. Seabold

  15. I know that he never played a game with the Phils but I am sure infielder Eliezer Alvarez is one of the best 50 Phillie prospects, sure of it. I am also big on Irvin and think he will be in the Phillie rotation before the end of 2018. In fact, he may become the first Phillie lefty to start a game since 2016, though they may either sign or trade for a lefty this off season.

  16. My list. I did remove Cozens as that strikeout rate and his complete ineffectiveness against LHP do not inspire me to believe he will ever make it to the majors. I also may be higher on Haesley than most, but I expect his power to develop more in the next year.

    PHILLIES PROSPECTS TOP 20
    ********************************
    1. Scott Kingery
    2. Sixto Sanchez
    3. JP Crawford
    4. Adam Haesley
    5. Franklyn Kilome
    6. Mickey Moniak
    7. Jorge Alfaro
    8. JoJo Romero
    9. Adonis Medina
    10. Thomas Eshelman
    11. Cornelius Randolph
    12. Drew Anderson
    13. Jhailyn Ortiz
    14. Arquimedes Gamboa
    15. Roman Quinn
    16. Seranthony Dominguez
    17. Daniel Brito
    18. Spencer Howard
    19. Ranger Saurez
    20. Carlos Tocci

    1. My Top50 list…Top7 could be high impact players. I like the Top20 but I could see nearly all of the Top50 making the majors. Lots of tough decisions on upside vs. proximity in the system, as Pickett could be a power bat and Pinto could be decent middle reliever.

      1 Kingery
      2 Sanchez
      3 Crawford
      4 Quinn
      5 Haelsey
      6 Medina
      7 Ortiz
      8 Alfaro
      9 Kilome
      10 Eshelman
      11 Morales
      12 Irvin
      13 Romero
      14 Randolph
      15 Cozens
      16 Moniak
      17 Gamboa
      18 Anderson
      19 Suarez
      20 Dominguez
      21 Hall
      22 Fanti
      23 Falter
      24 Tocci
      25 Howard
      26 Brito
      27 Mills
      28 Young
      29 L.Garcia
      30 Gowdy
      31 Pullin
      32 El.Garcia
      33 Tavares
      34 Guthrie
      35 Valentin
      36 Alvarez
      37 Stobbe
      38 Mezquita
      39 Guzman
      40 Gomez
      41 Muzziotti
      42 Seabold
      43 Arano
      44 Pellitier
      45 B.Gonzalez
      46 Lindow
      47 Pickett
      48 Appel
      49 Pinto
      50 Requena

  17. I am not ready to put Crawford high on a list. No doubt, he was dazzling in the field — a natural athlete. But we don’t know, if he will become a solid contact hitter. Moving Franco or Galvis in the off season to make room for Crawford is premature and risky.

  18. IMHO, here’s my top 30. I had fun doing it. I could’ve moved some players around a spot or two, up or down. Still waiting on Brito to start hitting. I’m hoping for a break out season by Stobbe next year. Thanks for all of your postings. You all add a bit to help me through my day, and I really appreciate that. DILLY, DILLY!!!

    1. Scott Kingery

    2. Sixto Sanchez

    3. Mickey Moniak

    4. JP Crawford

    5. Adam Haseley 

    6. Adonis Medina

    7. Jhailyn Ortiz

    8. Franklyn Kilome

    9. JoJo Ramirez

    10. Ranger Suarez

    11. Cornelius Randolph

    12. Dylan Cozens

    13. Thomas Eshelman

    14. Roman Quinn

    15. Drew Anderson

    16. McKenzie Mills

    17. Nick Fanti 

    18. Darick Hall

    19. Seranthony Dominguez

    20. Kevin Gowdy

    21. Jose Taveras

    22. Daniel Brito (trusting the scouts are right)

    23. Jesmuel Valentin

    24. Elniery Garcia

    25. Carlos Tocci 

    26. Victor Arano

    27. Spencer Howard

    28. Kyle Young

    29. Eliezer Alvarez

    30. Cole Irvin

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