Phillies Minor League Update: It’s probably time to move Kingery to Allentown

Let’s run through the minor leagues and check in on the Phils’ top prospects.

LEHIGH VALLEY: The mighty Pigs have finally met a team that can beat them: Louisville. After sweeping them in four games last weekend, the Pigs have lost twice in a row to the Bats. Which is something that doesn’t happen to the Pigs anymore; plus, it’s weird – the Bats have the second-worst record in the International League. Lehigh Valley has the best at 36-18.

The hitters:

• Jorge Alfaro: .281/.307/.398, 12 XBH, 56 K, 3 BB, 171 AB
• Jesmuel Valentin: .229/.282/.292, 4 XBH, 16 K, 6 BB, 96 AB (out for season)
• Rhys Hoskins: .310/.406/.625, 29 XBH, 34 K, 29 BB, 184 AB
• Roman Quinn: .274/.344/.389, 13 XBH, 49 K, 18 BB, 175 AB (7-day disabled list)
• Cameron Perkins: .289/.387/.483, 17 XBH, 26 K, 20 BB, 149 AB
• Nick Williams: .283/.317/.513, 21 XBH, 59 K, 7 BB, 187 AB
• Dylan Cozens: .237/.300/.500, 21 XBH, 72 K, 17 BB, 190 AB
• J.P. Crawford: .196/.319/.263, 7 XBH, 37 K, 33 BB, 179 AB

Not much movement this week, as Williams has cooled off a little (though he hit another homer Friday night). For as much as we’ve been praising Crawford’s bat as of late, he’s back under .200. Alfaro’s K/BB rate is pretty horrendous. But check out Perkins, quietly having a good season and pushing his case for a roster spot (he’d need to be put on the 40-man, however).

The pitchers:

• Jake Thompson: 43.1 IP, 5.82 ERA, 39 K, 17 BB
• Ben Lively: 56.1 IP, 2.40 ERA, 45 K, 7 BB (promoted to Philadelphia)
• Ricardo Pinto: 42.1 IP, 5.53 ERA, 27 K, 17 BB (promoted to Philadelphia)
• Mark Appel: 45.1 IP, 6.75 ERA, 29 K, 27 BB
• Tom Eshelman: 38.2 IP, 1.40 ERA, 25 K, 4 BB (29 IP, 3.10 ERA, 22 K, 5 BB in Reading)
• Nick Pivetta: 32 IP, 1.41 ERA, 37 K, 2 BB
• Jesen Therrien: 2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2 K, 0 BB (26.2 IP, 1.35 ERA, 35 K, 3 BB in Reading)

The carousel continues. Lively gets the call to Philly, but let’s be honest, nothing in Lehigh Valley apparently translates to anything good with the big club. So be cautious. Eshelman continues to pitch extremely well. Therrien was promoted this week.

READING: After getting owned by Trenton, the Fightin’ Phils won a few more this week, but still sit six games in back of the Thunder.

The hitters:

• Andrew Pullin: .320/.389/.590, 30 XBH, 34 K, 21 BB, 200 AB
• Malquin Canelo: .266/.352/.388, 12 XBH, 42 K, 19 BB, 139 AB
• Scott Kingery: .315/.394/.665, 33 XBH, 39 K, 24 BB, 203 AB
• Carlos Tocci: .301/.370/.371, 10 XBH, 32 K, 14 BB, 186 AB

Should Kingery be promoted to Lehigh Valley? His glove is already playable in the majors. The speed (13 steals, 2 caught) is real. The hit tool is obvious (his 12 doubles and four triples are just as impressive as his minor-league-leading 17 home runs). And that power – scouts who watch Kingery every night say it’s not necessarily the Reading Effect, as he’s seriously striking line drives, and some of them happen to carry a bit. Moreover, with Valentin out for the year, there’s a ready spot for him in Lehigh Valley.

The only argument for keeping Kingery in Reading is to help the team steady the ship. They haven’t played well for a while and, without Kingery, a little of the Reading draw would lose luster. But these aren’t typically major reasons teams keep players down.

I’d imagine after the draft and early signing period, the rookie rosters will shake out and some roster shuffling will take place. By then I’d like to see Kingery in Lehigh Valley. He has nothing more to prove in double-A; in fact, it’s arguable he could help the major league team right now. But while there’s no need to jump there yet, it’s time to move Scott to Allentown.

The pitchers:

• Drew Anderson: 49 IP, 4.59 ERA, 43 K, 15 BB
• Brandon Leibrandt: 47 IP, 4.40 ERA, 40 K, 14 BB
• Yacksel Rios: 33 IP, 2.18 ERA, 40 K, 7 BB

A good start from Anderson brings his ERA down considerably.

Come see the Reading team with fellow Phillies Nation readers at our June 11th group outing.

CLEARWATER: A nice week for the Threshers has them back in first place at 31-24. Yippee!

Hitters:

• Herlis Rodriguez: .299/.388/.500, 15 XBH, 29 K, 19 BB, 144 AB
• Damek Tomscha: .304/.400/.470, 16 XBH, 36 K, 25 BB, 181 AB
• Cornelius Randolph: .231/.306/.370, 12 XBH, 50 K, 19 BB, 173 AB
• Jose Pujols: .189/.223/.258, 7 XBH, 78 K, 6 BB, 159 AB
• Zachary Coppola: .350/.413/.413, 7 XBH, 26 K, 17 BB

Tomscha is arguably the team’s best third base prospect playing above short-season ball, but he’s 25, a little old for Clearwater. It might be time for a promotion to Reading.

Pitchers:

• Cole Irvin: 51 IP, 3.18 ERA, 37 K, 11 BB
• Franklyn Kilome: 41.2 IP, 3.02 ERA, 39 K, 12 BB
• Jose Taveras: 55.2 IP, 2.26 ERA, 54 K, 15 BB
• Seranthony Dominguez: 35.2 IP, 2.02 ERA, 45 K, 13 BB (assigned to Williamsport)
• Alberto Tirado: 44 IP, 4.50 ERA, 40 K, 27 BB

Since the Threshers had a light week, not much to report with pitching. Missed that two weeks ago Dominguez was assigned to Williamsport because he left his last start with shoulder soreness. Seems the Phils just wanted to keep the Clearwater roster populated.

LAKEWOOD: Three wins to start the week … three losses to finish the week. The Claws are now 31-24, still 1.5 games behind Hagerstown for first.

Hitters:

• Cord Sandberg: .265/.309/.407, 19 XBH, 56 K, 11 BB, 189 AB
• Daniel Brito: .233/.291/.325, 11 XBH, 48 K, 14 BB, 206 AB
• Mickey Moniak: .277/.329/.415, 18 XBH, 43 K, 14 BB, 188 AB
• Arquimedes Gamboa: .213/.309/.340, 4 XBH, 6 K, 7 BB, 47 AB

The Days of Daniel Brito seem so long ago. First baseman Darick Hall is having a good season with 14 extra-base hits and a .464 slugging percentage.

Pitchers:

• Sixto Sanchez: 24.1 IP, 3.70 ERA, 28 K, 3 BB
• JoJo Romero: 50.1 IP, 2.32 ERA, 53 K, 20 BB
• Ranger Suarez: 50.2 IP, 1.95 ERA, 60 K, 17 BB
• Adonis Medina: 47.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 54 K, 20 BB
• Nick Fanti: 47.1 IP, 1.52 ERA, 53 K, 13 BB
• Bailey Falter: 48.2 IP, 3.88 ERA, 37 K, 7 BB

Sanchez should be back over the next week and a half, according to reports. Medina got roughed up a little against Greensboro. I added Falter; as you can see, Lakewood rolls a six-man rotation.