There are many Phillies prospect lists out on the internet.  Some come from sites just putting forth their top 10 names, others are groups of experts covering the minor leagues as a whole, but their are small pockets where communities and writers have taken the deep dive into the minor league system.  One of those people is Dan Cormican of The Good Phight.  Dan has a deep knowledge of the system and what it takes to make a good prospect.  This year he has once again released his Top 30 Phillies prospects (1-10, 11-20, 21-30) and he took the time to answer a few of my questions about his rankings, as well as a few questions about the 2014 MLB Draft.

What goes into your process of creating your list? 

It evolves every year, I typically spend the first month or two in the fall looking at stats and notes I’ve made throughout the year to get a sense for what guys did that year. Initially I’m looking at the top line results (ERA, W/L records, AVG/SLG/OPS, etc.). This makes the first version of the list. Then I move on to scouting reports for players that year. Did someone have great stats but scouts see a future DH or slow bat speed or a weakness in swing or approach that suggests problems at higher levels. A lot of reordering often happens to the list at this point. I then do one last perusal through the “luck” stats. Did someone have a phenomenal year, but with a .450 BABiP (or for Pitchers a .240 BABiP) or vice versa, did a guy struggle, but have an abnormal HR/OFB rate. Very little movement happens on the list here. I still want to rank guys on actual present performance, not what may possibly have happened, but I do use it as a tie breaker.  Continue reading Interview with Dan Cormican of The Good Phight →