Preston Mattingly talks lesser-known prospects on ‘The Phillies Show’

Preston Mattingly is one of the Phillies’ assistant general managers. (Cheryl Pursell)

In September of 2021, Preston Mattingly was hired to oversee the player development side of the Phillies organization. Over the last three years, Philadelphia’s farm system has improved. Several of the organization’s top prospects have received national recognition as top prospects in baseball. While Mattingly hasn’t led the charge all by himself, he’s played a role in the positive growth of the club’s minor-league system.

In a recent appearance on “The Phillies Show”, Mattingly answered questions from hosts Ruben Amaro Jr., Jim Salisbury and Todd Zolecki.

He discussed pitchers Andrew Painter, Mick Abel and Griff McGarry. Infielder Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford were talked about, too. Those aren’t the only guys Mattingly spoke about. He also offered insight on some of the Phillies’ lesser-known minor leaguers, players Mattingly thinks have gone under the radar.

The final question Mattingly fielded was specifically about who he would categorize as an under-the-radar player in the Phillies’ farm system. He named one outfielder, Gabriel Rincones Jr., and one infielder, Aroon Escobar.

“I think he’s an under-the-radar guy,” Mattingly said about Rincones. “From the simple standpoint of he’s going to have top-of-the-scale power, he’s a better defender than people think, he’s maybe one our best baserunners and he controls the zone really well.”

The Phillies drafted Rincones in the third round of the 2022 draft out of Florida Atlantic University. Across both levels of A-ball in 2023, Rincones, a left-handed hitter, hit .248 with a .778 OPS. He showed off his power, tallying 31 doubles and 15 homers. Rincones showed an ability to draw walks. He also had a propensity to strike out.

A torn ligament in his right thumb limited him to 68 minor-league games this past season, but Rincones continued to show promise. With most of his playing time coming at Double-A, he hit .252 with an .800 OPS. His walk (11.6%) and strikeout rates (25.2%) were nearly identical to his 2023 totals.

On what Rincones is right now, and could become, Mattingly said: “I think he’s a better hitter than this, but [he’s] the three true outcome guy who gets on base, has real power, and to me, has the ability to play at least average to maybe a tick above average major-league corner outfield.”

Mattingly thinks Rincones will be able to help in more ways than one in the majors. “He’s going to be a quality baserunner,” he said. “He’ll get you 20 to 25 [steals] just off instincts alone. And I personally still think there’s a good enough hitter in there where he’s not one of those low-average type guys.”

When could we see Rincones at the big-league level? “I think he’s got a chance to impact the major leagues here coming soon if he continues to progress,” Mattingly said.

Escobar, who’ll turn 20 on New Year’s Day, missed time in 2024 because of an injury like Rincones. It’s a reason Mattingly thinks people haven’t talked much about him.

“Aroon Escobar kind of flew under the radar on our [Florida Complex League] team. And part of it was because he went down with [a lower-leg injury],” Mattingly said. “But he’s a guy that has real power, he controls the zone, he’s a plus defender — maybe at second and third base — and he’s strong.”

Escobar’s offensive numbers were eye-popping this year. He hit .338/.495/.481 in a small sample of 104 plate appearances. He walked at a 20.2% clip and struck out just 9.6% of the time. Between 2022 and 2023, Escobar’s numbers in the Dominican Summer League were not nearly as good. He posted a .695 OPS over those two seasons. He did showcase his ability to walk and not strike out a ton in the DSL.

The Phillies plan on starting Escobar in full-season ball in 2025, per Mattingly, meaning he’ll likely start the season in Low-A with the Clearwater Threshers.

Before touching on Rincones and Escobar, Mattingly talked about 18-year-old catching prospect Eduardo Tait. The backstop played stateside for the first time in 2024. It was his second year with the organization. He impressed a lot of people. The left-handed hitter started to get more attention toward the end of the summer.

Tait posted an .842 OPS between the FCL and Low-A Clearwater. He showed off his power potential at both levels. His overall numbers dipped when he transitioned to Clearwater in late July. Tait’s strikeout rate nearly doubled in Low-A. But his profile still excites the Phillies.

“Obviously, Tait’s a big prospect,” Mattingly said. “I think he’s got a bright future ahead. But he just turned 18 years old, so he’s a guy that’s a few years away.”

Mattingly recalled how impressed he was when he went to the Dominican Republic to see Tait a few months after he signed with the Phillies: “I remember seeing Tait hit in the cage, and I remember turning to [assistant general manager] Jorge Velandia and being like, ‘Jorge, have you seen this guy?’… We were kind of both like, ‘Wow, this bat looks like it’s real.’ It was extremely loud in the cage. He has a really sound swing. And we kind of looked at each other and were like ‘Well, if he can catch, he’s going to be a really interesting prospect.’”

Mattingly thinks Tait will stick as a catcher. He praised Tait’s work ethic. He made strides this past season as a receiver behind the plate.

As for his struggles with the Threshers, Mattingly said the Phillies have to work on getting Tait to understand plate discipline as he progresses through the minors. They want him to understand “where he can do damage.” They want him to know what pitches he can and can’t handle. Grasping that will only help him as a hitter; it will also help him become a more well-known prospect around the game.

“He’s got a chance to be special,” Mattingly said about Tait. “I think once he gets that final piece, he’s going to be a guy – and I know everybody kind of knows about him now – but it’ll be nationally known amongst everybody.”

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