In this article we will take a midseason look at the DSL Phillies in 2008.  This year’s team is another young team like last year’s division champions, though it is also arguably less talented.  There are no standout young offensive players like Sebastian Valle and Leandro Castro that have emerged, though an improving pitching staff has kept the team in contention.  After a poor 12-23 start, the Phillies have won 10 of their last 12 to improve their record to 22-25, 4th place and 8 games behind the Mariners who are leading the Santo Domingo North division.

We have still not seen any information on any players the Phillies have signed in 2008 from Latin America.  Their budget reportedly increased this year to about $1.5 million from maybe $800,000 total last year.  Unfortunately this budget still places the Phillies in the lower half of the majors in terms of spending.  This may be seen in the lack of offensive prospects on the team.  Offensive prospects tend to develop a little earlier than pitching prospects.

The rest of this post will look at the hitters and pitchers that have shown the most in the early part of the season, with extra attention to the younger players who are undoubtedly the better prospects.  As always, these are statistical observations only, as first hand scouting reports are difficult to come by.

Continue reading DSL Update – Early August →

This week we will take a quick look at the VSL and DSL teams this summer.  As always, these reports are based on little more than statistics over the Internet, so they are highly subjective.  The key statistic to look for is age-based performance.  In general, the better prospects are the younger ones that get regular playing time.  Prospects over the age of 19 are rarely top prospects.  The Phillies VSL squad last year might have been a slight exception to that rule as 3 20-year-olds (Freddy Ballestas, Yonderman Rodriguez, and Harold Garcia) are all making significant contributions in the U.S. this season.  It remains to be seen if all of them are prospects, however, as each is somewhat old for the league they are playing in.

The VSL Phillies are currently in 3rd place out of 8 teams in the league with a record of 28-24.  Unfortunately the best players on the team have tended to be the older players.  The average age of the team is slightly above the league average this year and many of the younger players have struggled.  This article will take a look at the top players and prospects so far, with a follow-up article after the season ends to rank the top prospects.

Continue reading July VSL Update →