Franco, 21, is the Phillies top prospect according to Baseball America. Photo by Jay Floyd
Baseball America released their list of the Top 10 Phillies prospects for 2014 today and, as you may expect, the list features quite a shake up.
Last year’s number eight has shot to number one: third baseman Maikel Franco is the Phillies Top Prospect and it is well deserved. Franco, 21, hit a combined .320/.356/.569 with 31 homers across High-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading in 2013. Joining Franco on the list are last year’s number one Jesse Biddle at number two, this year’s number one pick J.P. Crawford at number three, Cuban defector Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez at number four, and last year’s number two, shortstop Roman Quinn.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Carlos Tocci at six (last year’s number ten), Ethan Martin at seven (last year’s six), Cesar Hernandez (unranked last season), Aaron Altherr at nine (unranked last season), and Paul Owens‘ Pitching Award-winner Severino Gonzalez (unranked last season).
There are five players that did not appear on Baseball America’s Phillies Top 10 that made the list last year. Of those, Jonathan Pettibone (last year’s four), Cody Asche (last year’s seven), and Darin Ruf (last year’s nine) have officially graduated off of their prospect lists. Unsurprisingly, last year’s number three, catcher Tommy Joseph, missed the cut after spending most of the year dealing with a concussion.
Quite surprisingly, however, was the omission of left-handed pitcher Adam Morgan, last year’s number five, who returned from a rotator cuff tear arguably as good or better than he left (improved ERA, comparable K/9 IP). Morgan will likely compete for a rotation spot in 2014 and I would rank him ahead of Ethan Martin on my big board.
(Edit: Corrected injury to Morgan)
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