Another year begins, this time with the youngest team in Lehigh Valley team history and a number of legitimate prospects to track as the year progresses.  The season started off in a bizarre manner with the ‘Pigs entire first weekend series in Syracuse postponed because of unplayable field conditions.  Lehigh Valley was able to accommodate to some extent, moving two of the four games to Coca Cola Park, but played in bizarre conditions without any spectators in the stands as the stadium was not yet ready to receive fans with their actual opening night not set for another week.

An open and down first week plus for Lehigh Valley, taking five games before they won their first home game but ending the first eight games at 3-5, 2.5 games behind division leading Scranton.  Lehigh Valley remains home thru Tuesday with two more games against Rochester, followed by two against Syracuse before leaving on a 9 game/8 day road trip.

‘Pigs Prospects: We will take a look in alternating weeks at the production of a series of Lehigh Valley prospects.  This week:

Andrew Knapp has started the same way his 2015 finished.  Hot. He has been on base consistently in each of his starts and is currently hitting over .350.  His defense has been somewhat problematic as he has thrown out just 1 of the 6 runners attempting to steal on him and committed two throwing errors.

Mark Appel had a very nice start in his initial outing with the IronPigs.  He went 5.2 scoreless innings, giving up just 5 hits, walking two and striking out five.  He will be on the mound again Monday evening.

Adam Morgan started twice, one good and one poor in the seasons first ten days, leaving him with an 0-1 record and a 4.22ERA.  In his 10.2IP, he has allowed 12 hits, walked 3 and struck out an impressive 14.  The opposition is hitting .273 against him.

Next week: Nick Williams, Jake Thompson, Darnell Sweeney, Zach Eflin

News and Notes: Catcher JP Arencibia has thrown out 3 of the five runners trying to steal on him this year.

–INF Ryan Jackson has reached base in 6 of his last 7 games, including three hits last night.

–C Andrew Knapp has reached base in 12 of his last 17 plate appearances.

–Prior to this season, OF Will Venable had not played in the minors in five years.

–The average age of the Lehigh Valley opening day roster (26 years, 9 days) is the youngest in team history.  The roster has seven players that were drafted by the Phillies.

–In their first trip through the rotation, Lehigh Valley starters went 2-1 with a 2.05ERA.

Probables: Sunday: Eflin; Monday: Appel; Tuesday: Buchanan; Wednesday: Thompson

‘Pigs league leaders: Darnell Sweeney is 3rd in triples (2); Ryan Jackson is 4th in OBP (.478); Adam Morgan is 4th in strikeouts (14)

Transactions: Placed on the DL to begin the season were RP Jimmy Cordero, RP Frank Hermann and RP Yoervis Medina. With the suspension to Daniel Stumpf in Philadelphia, RP Elvis Arajuo was called up to Philadelphia on Thursday. Prior to Friday’s game, INF Carlos Alonso broke his jaw after he was struck by a line drive in batters practice.  He was placed on the DL and his roster spot was taken by P Severino Gonzalez who was called up from Reading.

10 days in and there is plenty to be excited about in the Phils minor league system to go along with areas of moderate early areas of concern.  The numbers below are not enough to form an opinion but are enough to have a reaction.

So, with that said, here is a look at how the Phils top prospects have started. The rankings below are based on the Phuture Phillies reader pre season rankings.

1.  JP Crawford, SS, Reading–.342/.419/.500 in 43 plate appearances.  1HR 3RBI, 1SB, 10%BB/10%K rates.  Crawford has been very solid thus far.
2. Nick Williams, OF, Lehigh Valley–.174/.222/.261 in 27 plate appearances; 0HR 4RBI; 1SB; 7%BB/21%K rates.  Multiple games lost to rain out have led to a very small sample size.
3. Jake Thompson, P, Lehigh Valley; 2 starts, 0-2 with a 6.75ERA, 1.63WHIP, 5.6BB/11.2K per 9; One good start and one very poor start thus far for Thompson.
4. Mark Appel, P, Lehigh Valley; Just one start by Appel so far and it was excellent.  He threw 5.2 scoreless striking out five last week vs. Rochester.  Next scheduled to go on Monday.
5. Cornelius Randolph, OF, Lakewood, .121/.237/.182 in 37 plate appearances; 0HR 2RBI; 3SB; 11%BB/27%K rates.  Started extremely slow but has had a good last few games.
6. Roman Quinn, OF, Reading, .229/.308/.314 in 37 plate appearances, 0HR 1RBI; 4SB; 5%BB/22%K rates; Leading the organization in SB right out of the gate
7. Jorge Alfaro, C, Reading; .464/482/.571 in 29 PA; 0HR 5RBI; 3%BB/17%K rates; Alfaro has multiple hit games in his last five consecutive starts and has played very well behind the plate.
8. Franklyn Kilome, P, Lakewood, 2 starts, 0-2 with a 14.85ERA; 3.15WHIP; .433 opp avg; walking over a hitter an inning.  One bad start followed by a horrific start.
9. Andy Knapp, C, Lehigh Valley, Hitting .417 with a HR and 2RBI in 12AB.  Has hit in 3 of his 4 starts for the ‘Pigs thus far.
10. Zach Eflin, SP, Lehigh Valley, Allowed one ER in 6 innings pitched in his first start of the year, picking up the win.  Scheduled to throw on Sunday.

A quick update on the transactions and announcements that came out of the complex today:

–Vincent Veslasquez has been named the Phils #5 starter, meaning Adam Morgan, who has been very well in Spring Training has been optioned to AAA Lehigh Valley.

–RP Elvis Arajuo and Luis Garcia both of whom spent the large majority of last season with the Phils have been optioned to AAA Lehigh Valley

–Darnell Sweeney was optioned to Lehigh Valley, while C Logan Moore, INF Angelys Nina, RP Bobby LaFromboise, RP Reinier Roibal and P Chris Leroux were all re-assigned to minor league camp

–OF Will Venable was signed to a minor league deal and is expected to compete with Cedric Hunter and David Lough for the final OF position on the roster.

Limited time tonight to post but I wanted to get something going before Jim expertly fills in the details as he always does.  Kenny Giles was traded this evening to Houston for P Vincent Velasquez, P Brett Oberholtzer, OF Derek Fisher and a player yet to be announced.  Both Velasquez and Oberholtzer spent time with the Astros last year, with Velasquez looking to have a very high upside and likely to join the Phils rotation.  Fisher , a Pennsylvania native split time between A and High A and put up impressive numbers (22HR 87RBI, 31SB, .275 avg) in just under 500 minor league at bats last year.  He was the Astros Supplemental First Round Pick (37th) in the 2014 draft.

With little need for a lights out closer with likely multiple rebuilding years to come, this is a trade that makes sense for the Phils for a host of reasons.

A mixture of names talked about often and more obscure names have become minor league free agents this week.  The list goes as follows:  3B Cord Phelps, SS Tyler Pasternicky, SS Edgar Duran, SS KC Serna, 2B Brodie Greene, 1B WIllians Astudillo, C Rene Garcia, OF Kelly Dugan, P Jason Berken, P Ethan Martin, P Colin Kleven, P Stephen Shackleford, P Reinier Roibal, and P Steven Inch.

The Phillies have announced that Jesse Biddle will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair a torn UCL ligament and is likely to miss the 2016 season.  If rehab if successful, Biddle will be entering his final option year as 25 year old in the 2017 season.

We conclude our player report cards with a look at relief pitchers at the lower levels.  A caveat here, below Lakewood there is very minimal (if any) analysis and grades as I haven’t seen most of these pitchers and their sample size is extremely small.  It becomes guesswork at that point, which I feel obligated to stay away from.

Lakewood

Jason Zgardowski, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2014; 34G, 4-1 with a 3.12ERA; 57.2IP 36H 26BB 54K; .184 opp avg; 1.08 WHIP; 1.08 GO/AO; 4.1BB/8.4K per 9; .176 vs LHH, .186 vs RHH, .180 last 30 days.  An excellent year for Zgardowski was went undrafted last year and was a very good find.  He throws very hard and was overpowering at times for Lakewood.  Walk rate needs some work.  Grade: A-; 2016: CLearwater

Calvin Rayburn, 23, Phils 16th round pick in 2014; 32G , 5-3 with a 4.44ERA; 1/3SV; 48.2IP 37H 24BB 26K; 2HR allowed; .214 opp avg; 1.25 WHIP; 1.50 GO/AO; 4.4BB/4.8K per 9; .215 vs LHP; .213 vs RHP; .313 last 30 days.  Rayburn was generally pretty effective but seemed to run out of gas during the later part of the year.  He will not overpower you, but knows how to pitch.  Grade: B; 2016: CLearwater

Jairo Munoz, 24, Signed as a free agent in 2015: 13G(3 starts) for Lakewood; 3-0 with a 2.67ERA; 33.2IP 26H 9BB 28K; 1HR allowed; .217 opp avg; 1.04 WHIP; 2.00 GO/AO; 2.4BB/7.5K per 9; .180 vs LHH, .243 vs RHH, .198 last 30 days.  I admittedly dont know too much about Munoz and have never seen him pitch but his line looked good.  Grade: B; 2016: Clearwater

Matt Hockenberry, 24, Phils 9th round pick in 2014; 42G, 4-4 with a 2.24ERA; 19/22SV; 52.1IP 34H 19BB 51K; 1HR allowed; .186 opp avg; 1.01 WHIP; 1.68 GO/AO; 3.3BB/8.8Kper 9; .207 vs LHH, .168 vs RHH, .167 last 30 days; .209 with RISP.  Quite honestly, I don’t know what more the Phils were looking for out of Hockenberry and was very surprised he was not promoted during the season.  He was consistent all year other than a very short stretch when he was injured, bounced back very strongly after a DL stint and was the primary closer throughout most of the season for Lakewood.  One homer allowed in over 50 innings to go along with a strikeout rate approaching one per inning, while holding the opposition below the Mendoza line.  Grade: A; 2016: Hockenberry’s age is what is working against him, however the calendar is out of his control and he can only worry about his performance.  No reason he shouldn’t be double bumped to Reading to see what he can do.  Closers mentality. Continue reading Post Season Report Card–Relief Pitchers–LK, WP, GCL →

A look at relief pitchers at the upper levels of the organization.  The report on relief pitchers from Lakewood, WIlliamsport and GCL comes Thursday

Lehigh Valley

Jason Berken, 31, Signed as a free agent in 2014; 28G (13 starts); 5-8 with a 4.61ERA; 113.1IP 133H 33BB 78K; 11HR allowed; .291 opp avg; 1.46 WHIP; 0.95 GO/AO; 2.6BB/6.2K per 9; .287 vs LHH; .294 vs RHH, .369 last 30 days; For a good portion of the year, Berken was one of Lehigh Valley’s most dependable starters, but then bouncing between roles and presumably tiring towards years end, he really struggled.  Grade: C; 2016: ANother organization

Chris Leroux, 31, Acquired from Milwaukee in 2015; 22G (3 starts); 3-3 with a 2.82ERA; 60.2IP 47H 19BB 40K; 3HR allowed; .210 opp avg; 1.09 WHIP; 1.67 GO/AO; 2.8BB/5.9K per 9; .150 vs LHH, .314 vs RHH, .159 last 30 days; Acquired mid season because of injuries and call ups, Leroux was asked to do a little of everything and did it well.  Spot starting, long man, late innings, Leroux was effective throughout coming on strong towards the end of the year.  Not overpowering but knows how to pitch.  Grade: B+; 2016: Could get an invite to Spring Training and hold down a Lehigh Valley roster spot depending on needs in March.

Dustin McGowan, 33, Signed as a free agent in 2015; 31G, 2-2 with a 4.08ERA; 15/17SV; 39.2IP 41H 24BB 28K; 1HR allowed; .261 opp avg; 1.64 WHIP; 0.82 GO/AO; For Phils: 14G, 6.94ERA; .296 opp avg; 2.10 WHIP.  I actually expected McGowan to make a big league contribution this season and that dream was put to rest early with extreme ineffectiveness leading to his demotion to Lehigh Valley.  Occasionally effective as a closer for the ‘Pigs, McGowan continued with his inability to throw strikes.  Grade: D; 2016: Elsewhere

Seth Rosin, 26, Re-acquired via Rule 5 return in 2014; 47G; 4-3 with a 3.29ERA; 3/5SV; 68.1IP 76H 21BB 49K; 4HR allowed; .278 opp avg; 1.42 WHIP; 1.05 GO/AO; .300 vs LHH, .261 vs RHH, .250 last 30 days;2.8BB/6.5K per 9; Rosin had a very mediocre year and looks now to profile as the stereotypical AAAA mid to late inning reliever.  Grade: C; 2016:  Rosin will be a minor league free agent and will go wherever he has the best opportunity.  Not likely to be added to the 40. Continue reading Post Season Report Card-Relief Pitching, LV, REA, and CW →

Lots of talent to talk about here…Remember grades are based on expectations against the player themselves (pre-season) not against each other.  Next up: Relievers (LV, REA and CW), likely Tuesday.

Clearwater

Aaron Brown, 23, Phils 3rd round pick in 2014; .257/.324/.406 in 389AB; 11HR 47RBI; 10/18SB; 6%BB/21%K; .285 vs LHP; .242 vs RHP; .300 last 30 days; 104 games in the OF with 2 errors (.992); 6 OF assists; After starting the season slowly and a stint on the DL, Brown came on strong as a very important cog in the Threshers offense towards the end of the year.  He is one of my “under the radar” guys that if given the opportunity could break out next year.  Grade: B-; 2016: Reading

ANdrew Pullin, 22, Phils 5th round pick in 2012; .258/.300/.396 in 493AB; 14HR 73RBI; 1/6SB; 5%BB/15%K; .274 vs LHP; .250 vs RHP; .282 last 30 days; 98 games in the OF with 3 errors (.983); 10 OF assists; Pullin transitioned back to the OF this year and was the Threshers primary LF.  The transition was smooth and Pullin was a consistent key run producer in the Clearwater lineup.  Grade: B-; 2016: Reading

Carlos Tocci, 20, Signed as a free agent in 2011; .287/.339/.363 in 509 AB between Lakewood and Clearwater; 4HR 43RBI; 17/28SB; For CW: .258/.296/.313 in 275AB; 2HR 18RBI; 3/12 SB; 4%BB/18%K rates; 127 games in the OF with 2 errors (.991); 5 OF assists; After almost 1200 plate appearances with Lakewood, Tocci was promoted after putting up outstanding numbers for the BlueClaws early this season.  Still just 20, Tocci’s transition to Clearwater was acceptable but he will need more time in High A before moving up.  His defense remains excellent.  Grade: B+; 2016: Clearwater Continue reading Post Season Report Card–OF, CW, REA and LV →

A look at outfielders in the lower levels.  A reminder that grades are based on performance against was expected pre-season of this player, NOT against others.  Next up will be outfielders at the upper levels.

Lakewood

Jiandido Tromp, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2011; .216/.268/.354 in 412AB; 9HR 44RBI; 10/15SB; 6%BB/27%K; .217 vs LHP; .219 vs RHP; .290 last 30 days; 108 games in the OF with 2 errors (.992); 10 OF assists; After a very good 2014, much was expected of Tromp and took alot longer adjusting to the SAL than many expected.  He did play solid defense and came on at the end of the season. Already with over 1000 minor league at bats, I think he begins back in Lakewood.  Grade: D+

Chase Harris, 24, Phils 14th round pick in 2014; .255/.310/.294 in 310AB between Clearwater and Lakewood; 0HR 23RBI; 21/29SB; 6%BB/16%K; 80 games in the OF with 1 error (.994); 6 OF assists.  Harris was the odd man out in CLearwater, being demoted back to Lakewood when they needed roster space and then getting injured to end the season.  Harris is like many other OF’s in the organization…decent hitting tools, little power, good speed.  He may become victim to the numbers game once again as there are several younger players with similar skill sets.  Grade: C-

Cord Sandberg, 20, Phils 3rd round pick in 2013; .255/.303/.345 in 499AB; 5HR 59RBI; 5/12SB; 5%BB/17%K; .222 with RISP; .218 vs LHP; .269 vs RHP; .243 last 30 days; 120 games in the OF with 4 errors (.983); 13 OF assists.  Mediocirty for Sandberg this year, who showed his true potential in spurts and then really struggled in others. Grade: C; 2016: Clearwater

Herlis Rodriguez, 21, Signed as a free agent in 2011; .294/.339/.425 in 445AB; 10HR 61RBI; 16SB; 6%BB/15%K; .326 vs LHP; .282 vs RHP; .297 since Aug 1; 98 games in the OF with 6 assists (.967); 21 OF assists; Rodriguez had an outstanding year in all aspects of his game, hitting for average, showing his speed and even hitting for some power.  He led all Phils minor league OF in assists as well.  After missing most of 2014, he is back on track.  Grade: A; 2016: Likely Clearwater, outside shot at a double bump to Reading. Continue reading Post Season Report Card–OF, GCL, WPORT and LAKEWOOD →