The Halfway Point

Other Stuff

Major League Baseball reached its arbitrary halfway point and the baseball world has come to a stop for MLB’s midseason All-Star game and all the other fluff they cram into the break. 

The Phillies reached the break with a 48-41 record, slightly better than last year.  They are hopelessly out of the division race but are only a half-game behind the Giants for the third wild card.  Enough on that.

All the stateside teams are off until Thursday.

Lehigh Valley finished their first half in fourth place with a 36-37 record and has started the second half in the second division with a 5-6 record.  Simon Muzziotti, Jake Cave, and Darick Hall all posted great numbers starting with batting averages above .320.  Andrew Bellatti posted a 1.20 ERA out of the bullpen and Jeremy Walker posted a 5-1 record and 3.45 ERA as a swingman.

Reading finished last in the first half with a 28-40 record and has started the second with a 5-6 record.  Matt Kroon and Johan Rojas lead the team with plus .300 averages, Carlos De La Cruz provides the power with 16 HRs, and Ethan Wilson has shown improvement with a .275 average and 11 HRs.  Dominic Pipkin and Orion Kerkering have just been promoted to bolster the pitching staff.  Griff McGarry (3.86) and Mick Abel (4.75) have posted reasonable numbers as starters but need to improve their command a little.

Jersey Shore finished the first half in third place with a 35-30 record and 3.5 games back but started the second half with a 6-9 record.  Kendall Simmons (.311/1.004) was having a strong season before heading to the IL.  Casey Martin was having a strong rebound season before being promoted to Reading.  Jordan Fowler (3.49 ERA) and Matt Osterberg (3.76) lead the rotation.  Orion Kerkering (1.77) and Tommy McCollum (2.61) led the bullpen.

Clearwater finished first in the first half with a 44-21 record and is in first place to start the second half with an 11-4 record.  Caleb Ricketts was promoted early with a .386/.977.  Justin Crawford leads the league with a .344 average.  Emaarion Boyd (41) and Crawford (35) are 1-2 in stolen bases.  Boyd is tied for fourth with a .401 OBP.  Crawford is tied for fourth with a .854 OPS.  Samuel Aldegheri (3.16), Alex McFarlane (3.72), Estibenzon Jimenez (3.80), and Gabriel Cotto (2.78) have led the rotation.  Kerkering (0.00, 4 saves), Jack Dallas (0.60, 7 saves), Wesley Moore (0.72), Pan Wen-Hui (2.09, 4 saves), and Andrew Walling (2.48, 4 saves) led the bullpen.

The FCL Phillies are 13-11 and in second place in their division.  Raylin Heredia (.383/1.123) is drawing the attention of visiting scouts and Dakota Kotowski (.324/1.155) has 9 HR.  Giuseppe Velasquez (1.72), Nate Karaffa (2.03), Daniel Mejia (2.38), and Saul Teran (3.29, 2 saves).

I have been fortunate to see a lot of talented, young players at the Complex this spring.  My good fortune continued into extended spring training, the Threshers’ season, and the FCL games.

Interesting players not mentioned above include Bryan Rincon, Gabriel Rincones, Felix Reyes, Leandro Rondon, William Bergolla, Ricardo Rosario, Cade Fergus, Micah Ottenbreit, Jonh Henriquez, Noah Song, Andrew Painter, Mavis Graves, Gustavo Sosa, et al.

Hopefully, I’ll be able to write about these guys as well as the incoming crop of draftees and NDFAs in the coming weeks.

An upcoming article will explain what you can expect in future coverage at Phuture Phillies.

Key Dates

  • June 5, 2023: Opening Day for the FCL Phillies
  • June 5, 2023: Opening Day for the DSL Phillies Red
  • June 5, 2023: Opening Day for the 2022 DSL Champion, DSL Phillies White
  • June 22, 2023: End of the first half for High-A and Class-A
  • June 23, 2023: Beginning of the second half for High-A and Class-A
  • June 25, 2023: End of the first half for Triple-A and Double-A
  • June 28, 2023: Beginning of the second half for Triple-A and Double-A
  • July 7, 2023: inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic provides 50 HBCU Division-I baseball players with the opportunity to showcase their talent in Seattle
  • July 8, 2023: All-Star Futures Game in Seattle
  • July 9, 2023; 7:00 PM: Rule 4 Amateur Draft featuring rounds 1 and 2, the compensatory round(s), and the competitive balance rounds
  • July 10-11, 2023: Conclusion of rounds 3-20 of the Rule 4 Amateur Draft
  • July 11, 2023: MLB All-Star game
  • July 10-13, 2023: Major League All-Star break (no minor league games)
  • August 1, 2023: Deadline for drafted players to sign, except for players who have exhausted their college eligibility, 5:00 PM ET
  • August 1, 2023: Trade deadline
  • August 23, 2023: Little League Classic in Williamsport, PA – Phillies v. Nationals
  • September 10, 2023: Conclusion of the regular season for High-A and Class-A
  • September 12-14, 2023: Best of three Division Series for High-A and Class-A
  • September 16-18, 2023: Best of three Championship Series for High-A and Class-A
  • September 17, 2023: Conclusion of the regular season for Double-A
  • September 19-21, 2023: Best of three Division Series for Double-A
  • September 23-25, 2023: Best of three Championship Series for Double-A
  • September 24, 2023: Conclusion of the regular season for Triple-A
  • September 26, 2023: First-half winners host best of three LCS for Triple-A
  • September 30, 2023: Triple-A National Championship Game between the winners of the International and Pacific Coast Leagues (a single-game format) in Las Vegas
  • October 1, 2023: Last day of the regular season
  • October 3, 2023: Start of the playoffs
  • October TBA: Atart of the Arizona Fall League
  • November 4, 2023: Game 7 of the World Series (if needed)
  • November TBA: Last day for a club to make a qualifying offer to an eligible former player who became a free agent, the 5th day after World Series, 5 p.m. EST
  • November TBA: Last day for a player to accept a qualifying offer, 10th day after World Series, 5 p.m. EST
  • November 7-9, 2023: General Managers’ meetings, Scottsdale, AZ
  • November 17, 2023: Last day for teams to offer 2024 contracts to unsigned players on their 40-man rosters
  • December 4-7, 2023: Winter meetings, Nashville, TN
  • December 15, 2023: Close of the 2022-2023 international signing period, 5 p.m. EST
  • January 15, 2024: Opening of the 2023-2024 international signing period

 

 

 

23 thoughts on “The Halfway Point”

  1. So glad that this is back! We have to be thrilled with Justin Crawford. Still early, but so far he has been really good. I thought Muzziotti may be a cndidate for the Bigs, and he is a plus defensive CF, and hit well this year. And, my early thought was, when Harper plays 1st, and we get Schwarber out of LF to DH, that marsh could play LF, and Muzziotti could get a shot in CF. But, they seem to have taken my plan and sustituted Pache for Muzziotti. He and Rojas may be trade candidates if DD decides we need to make a move. But, I was hoping to see SM get a shot. Abel hasn’t been as good as I was hoping.

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    1. Muzziotti will only get his shot as a 4th OF. Pache is an elite defender in CF and Marsh is decent. Putting Pache in LF (and moving Schwarber to DH) will greatly help the OF defense. And Pache is ripping LH pitching right now. The Phillies need to give Pache more ABs to see if his progression is for real.

      There’s no place for Muzziotti on the Phillies. And I don’t think his value is as high as you think it is. He’s a throw in to get a rental reliever if Alvarado/Dominguez can’t come back quickly.

      If I’m an opposing GM, I’m trying to get Rojas, Boyd or Hao Yu Lee.

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      1. Pache is plus-plus CFer defensively….a notch better than Marsh IMO in CF…though Marsh is also very good out there. but getting Schwarber off his feet in LF serves everyone well.
        Pache was the 12th ranked prospect prior to the trade from the Braves to the As last year…so he was highly acllaimed by the scouts.
        I discount the time with the A’s…..he was stunned from the trade

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      2. Why wouldn’t you put Pache in CF and Marsh in LF? Pache is the better defensive CF, and I am a Marsh fan, but Pache is better defensively, and Marsh was a GG finalist, with the Angels, in LF.

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        1. Cave will be back to play LF against righties as soon as Harper starts playing 1B. Hall will get sent down. I’m still hoping they promote Kingery to take Harrison’s spot and let him play against lefties in LF.

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        2. Pache and Marsh are both CFs. Which ever one is moving to LF will be GG caliber. But I guess the Phillies want to keep Marsh in CF since he’s been there all year.

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  2. Raylin Heredia has torched the FCL and I’m wondering what he has to do to get a promotion. Jim, have you heard anything from visiting scouts about him?

    All of a sudden, the Phillies have an abundance of OFs in the minors that bear watching: Crawford, Heredia, Boyd, Wilson, Rojas. It’s a good problem to have.

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    1. Them, along with a few others like Muzziotti and Carlos De La Cruz could be trade assets under Dave Dombrowski’s watch.

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      1. Yes we clearly have many trade assets this year due to an apparently improved development process.
        Jim – thanks for coming back! I’d love to hear your thoughts if you see visible differences in the new development team. Obviously the results have been better but there could be various reasons for it. Thanks!

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  3. The top end pitching was great last season and it pretty much did a 180 this season. Painter has been hurt all year. Abel has stayed healthy and he’s still only 21 at AA but his walk rate has stubbornly stayed above 5. McGarry is getting back into game shape from his injury but his walk rate has skyrocketed to almost 7. Outside of Orion Kerkering (who has been spectacular), minor league pitching in the top 30 has been dicey for the Phillies.

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      1. Wen Hui Pan is only 20 and he’s already filled out physically. I’m curious why the Phillies haven’t at least tried to stretch him out to become a starter. His 3rd pitch is not good enough?

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    2. IMO, starter Sam Aldegheri and reliever Tommy MacCollum have kind of made themselves into prospects to keep an eye out for.
      I want to see how they fare against higher level hitters….and down in the DSL how RHP Pedro Peralta turns out, 16 years old with some life on his FB when he keeps it under control.

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      1. It will be interesting to see how the Phillies new top 30 shakes out.

        Aldegheri’s numbers at Clearwater have been great, but he’s been mostly under the radar and would like to know his scouting reports. He’s a LH pitcher so he could get away with less, but hopefully he’s in the 92-94 FB range at least.

        I’m more excited about Eduardo Tait in the DSL. He’s 16, catcher and ripping it. He should be going to the FCL next season if it continues.

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        1. Yes…Tait is raking and looks to be a very good prospect…plus he may be the youngest from that signing class.
          Phillies spent the bulk of their allocation on Caba ($3M), and he also is doing well, but Tait could be a steal, he was a bargain so to speak for $90K

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        2. Tait is potentially a great thing for the system. He’s from Panama where the Phillies are one of the bigger players. He was OPSing over 1 the other day as a catcher. For that league, as a 16 year old – that’s fantastic!

          No idea on receiving skills but they’ve had him DH a few times. Not sure if that’s just to get him ABs or an indictment on his abilities.

          Small sample size, but power isn’t one of those things you accident into. He’s my best surprise in the system.

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  5. I need to eat some crow on Mickey Moniak. Yes he is a platoon OF. Yes his walk rate is really low. And strikeout rate is high. But his first half OPS is .984 which is insane. His power came out of nowhere. Good for him. Hope he has a long career in the show.

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    1. Well at some point Phil Nevin will need to let him hit vs LHPers. His Krate vs RHPs alone is 32%. He will need to make adjustments if he can sustain his current OPS+ of 163.

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    2. His BABIP is .390……about 100 points higher than league average.

      It’s nice to see him do well, but it was time for a change of scenery in my opinion.

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  6. It still upsets me that MLB pretty much destroyed rookie ball. The Phillies had three teams now only one. It has really hurt young kids like Tonkel, Farmer, Collins and many more. They can’t get ABs and innings. Don’t know how a lot of these kids can develop. A high school kid should now go to college to develop unless he is a high pick with a substantial signing bonus.

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    1. As for development of the players hitting skills…..Phillies are one of about a dozen clubs that invested highly in the new AI tech Trajekt Arc ………..” a pitching device that can project an image of any MLB pitcher onto a screen and simulate that pitcher’s release point and arsenal of pitches.”…..they go for about $20K and I am sure they have a few at the Complex and probably also at the park in Philly. It probably gives the players the abilty to swing the bat more and sustain development.
      Maybe one reason this season we are seeing many more prospects hitting better than the last few years.
      Who knows!

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  7. Tait is potentially a great thing for the system. He’s from Panama where the Phillies are one of the bigger players. He was OPSing over 1 the other day as a catcher. For that league, as a 16 year old – that’s fantastic!

    No idea on receiving skills but they’ve had him DH a few times. Not sure if that’s just to get him ABs or an indictment on his abilities.

    Small sample size, but power isn’t one of those things you accident into. He’s my best surprise in the system.

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