The Phillies shook up their farm system in the month of July as they welcomed new pieces to the organization in the Major League Baseball Draft, then both added and subtracted prospects ahead of the trade deadline.
Following all the recent changes, Phillies Nation has put together its latest rankings of the top prospects in the Phillies system. Three members of the last Top 15 list — right-hander George Klassen, left-hander Samuel Aldegheri and infielder William Bergolla Jr. — were traded away by the Phillies for major-league reinforcements. In turn, there are three newcomers to the list: two draft picks and one player acquired in a trade.
As stated in previous versions of this prospect list, assessments of these prospects are based on the play the Phillies Nation staff has seen covering these players in-person, analysis of film, conversations with scouts, coaches and other player development personnel and information from outlets such as Baseball America, FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline.
1. Andrew Painter, RHP
Painter, a first-round draft pick out of high school in 2021, seemed destined to land a spot in the Phillies rotation as a 19-year-old last spring before injuring his elbow. His recovery from Tommy John surgery will keep him out for all of this season, but Painter still has ace-level upside in a 6-foot-7 frame. He should be clear to make his major-league debut — likely with a somewhat limited workload — in his age-22 season in 2025.
2. Aidan Miller, INF
Miller, 20, was drafted 27th overall last summer — perhaps falling due to a broken left hamate bone as a senior in high school — and his right-handed bat has popped since joining pro ball. With projectable power, Miller has impressed with his approach as well. He’s stuck at shortstop as he’s risen to High-A, but will probably end up at third base in the future.
3. Starlyn Caba, SS
An 18-year-old shortstop prospect, Caba is a special defender with the tools to make a real impact on that end of the field. He showed high on-base skills in rookie ball with tremendous speed on the bases, which earned him a recent promotion to Single-A. The power will need to come along for the switch hitter, but Caba is still far away with a ton of potential to grow.
4. Mick Abel, RHP
A 2020 first rounder, Abel has struggled in the upper minors with a disastrous season at Triple-A this year. His command, thought to be one of his calling cards early in his career, has fallen off and resulted in him walking more batters and getting hit around. His stock has certainly fallen, but he still has the stuff that made him a top prospect if he can clean things up.
5. Eduardo Tait, C
A 17-year-old left-handed-hitting catcher, Tait has potential to be excited about behind the plate. He hit the ball hard in rookie ball, has truly flashed his power in his short stint in Single-A so far and has a strong arm defensively. He’s far away from the big leagues, of course, but that combination of skills is promising from a young catcher.
6. Justin Crawford, OF
Crawford, son of former All-Star Carl Crawford, was a first-round pick in 2022. He’s a high-level defensive center fielder with impact speed, and can hit the ball hard. He’s run into issues with hitting too many ground balls, which could limit the left-handed hitter’s ceiling, but Crawford is off to a solid start at Double-A following his recent promotion.
7. Dante Nori, OF
The 19-year-old Nori, taken with the No. 27 overall pick in this year’s draft, is a left-handed hitter and outfielder with impact contact and speed. A bit of an older high school selection, he’s a leadoff type of hitter that will need to add power. But his advanced approach at the plate and the value he can add on the bases and in center field should set him up for success.
8. Griffin Burkholder, OF
A second-round selection this year, Burkholder is another outfielder with great speed that the Phillies added in the draft. A right-handed hitter, the 18-year-old has a strong swing and a lot of offensive potential to be tapped into to pair with his ability as a runner.
9. Bryan Rincon, SS
Another young switch-hitting shortstop with a great deal of defensive ability, Rincon projects to be a solid contributor in the middle infielder. As a 20-year-old in High-A, he lacks some of the offensive upside of someone like Caba, but has the tools that should make him a future big leaguer. Rincon hasn’t had the chance to play this summer as he’s been on the injured list since May.
10. Michael Mercado, RHP
The Phillies acquired Mercado from the Rays before this season, and the right-hander found himself in the majors fairly quickly after a dominant performance in Triple-A. Thrust into a rotation spot in the big leagues due to some injuries in Philadelphia, the task proved to be too much for Mercado as he was overexposed and struggled to find control. Still, he has the power stuff that could prove to be highly effective in a relief role if he can continue to refine it in Triple-A.
11. TJayy Walton, OF
A fourth-round pick last year, Walton is a strong right-handed hitter who can do damage in the gaps. He’s struggled to hit for average as a 19-year-old in Low-A in his first full season, but should have the tools to grow into a solid hitter and outfielder.
12. Jean Cabrera, RHP
Cabrera won the Paul Owens Award for the top pitcher in the Phillies system in 2021 after a strong showing in the Dominican Summer League. Now, he’s a 22-year-old in the Double-A rotation and continuing to grow from the lanky right-hander he was when he first made his debut. His stuff isn’t dominant, but he should be able to continue climbing the ranks as a starter.
13. Seth Johnson, RHP
Johnson — acquired from the Orioles along with another prospect in a trade for reliever Gregory Soto — missed most of 2022 and 2023 due to Tommy John surgery, but has been back on the mound for a full season in 2024. A bit of an older prospect at 25 in Double-A, the right-hander is a starter with a mid-90s mph fastball, and he’s been effective and healthy this year.
14. Emaarion Boyd, OF
An 11th-round pick in 2022, Boyd’s speed makes him a serious threat on defense and, especially, on the bases. The 20-year-old has struggled to hit for much average or power in High-A, but his unique skill set gives him enough positives to allow the bat to continue to develop.
15. Christian McGowan, RHP
The 24-year-old McGowan, a seventh-round pick in 2021, missed most of 2023 due to injury and has spent a large portion of this season on the IL before his recent return to Double-A action. He’s struggled to stay on the mound, but the right-hander has impressive power stuff. A move to the bullpen could make sense, potentially allowing him to move up in the system more quickly.
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