5 under-the-radar prospects to watch at Phillies Spring Training

Francisco Morales will be in big-league spring training. (Cheryl Pursell)

When pitchers and catchers take the field in Clearwater on Thursday for the first time this Spring Training, a trio of exciting young pitching prospects will be with the Phillies as non-roster invitees.

Former first-round picks Andrew Painter — the team’s 19-year-old top prospect — and Mick Abel, along with the hard-throwing Griff McGarry, will be the talk of camp for the upside they might bring to Philadelphia as early as this season.

But the Phillies have 18 other non-roster invitees coming to camp this spring aside from their three best prospects, looking to show that they also can contribute in the Major Leagues at some point. Here’s a look at five of those players to keep an eye on as potential under-the-radar contributors:

Francisco Morales, RHP

Last season was a bit of an unusual one for Morales, who was converted to a full-time reliever in 2022. After a good start to the year in Double-A, he was promoted right to the big leagues for a short three-outing stint. However, Morales never returned to the majors, struggling with his control throughout the minor-league season.

The Phillies designated the 23-year-old for assignment this offseason, and Morales went unclaimed. Still, he’s a young pitcher with a sharp slider who could possibly serve as bullpen depth if he can put a few things together.

Andrew Baker, RHP

A 22-year-old reliever with a 100-mph fastball, Baker started to figure it out at High-A Jersey Shore as the season went on last season, earning himself a promotion to Double-A Reading to close the year. Overall, he had a 3.98 ERA with 11.9 strikeouts per nine in 46 appearances, showing the ability to go more than three outs at times as well. While Baker might not be a candidate to crack the major-league bullpen out of camp, a hot start in the minors could put him in the conversation rather soon.

McKinley Moore, RHP

Another hard-throwing righty, Moore was acquired by the Phillies last Spring Training from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Adam Haseley. In the 24-year-old’s first year in the organization, he posted a 4.35 ERA in 39 appearances for Reading. Depending on results, Moore could be another candidate for relief help if the team needs it during the season.

Billy Sullivan, RHP

Similar to Moore, Sullivan is a right-handed reliever who spent the 2022 season in Double-A. The 23-year-old dealt with shoulder problems during the year, and posted a 4.59 ERA in 44 outings.

Vito Friscia, C/1B

While Friscia will actually miss part of Phillies camp while playing for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic, the 26-year-old is coming off a solid year where he reached Triple-A after producing in Reading. The right-handed hitter won’t blow anyone away at the plate, but he’s shown an ability to get on base at a high clip and has played catcher, first base and corner outfield defensively.

There are still a number of catchers ahead of Friscia on the depth chart, but perhaps an opportunity to make the roster at some point could arise the way it did for the since-traded Donny Sands last season.