With the Philadelphia Phillies in the midst of a stellar 2024 season, some of the attention has turned toward the team’s minor-league system as injuries have put an emphasis on depth and potential trades loom.
Ahead of this month’s trade deadline, Phillies Nation has put together its latest rankings of the top players in the Phillies organization.
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’s already shown high on-base skills in rookie ball with tremendous speed on the bases. 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. George Klassen, RHP
A sixth-round pick out of Minnesota last year, Klassen has had a breakout season in the minors in 2024. A hard thrower who’s cleaned up some of his control issues from college, the right-handed starter dominated the Florida State League as a 22-year-old and has continued his strong showing at High-A.
5. 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.
6. Michael Mercado, RHP
The Phillies acquired Mercado from the Rays before this season, and the right-hander has found himself in the majors fairly quickly after a dominant performance in Triple-A. Although he’s currently in Philadelphia’s rotation due to some injuries, Mercado is probably best suited as a bulk reliever with flashy enough stuff to be effective in one-inning stints rather than simply a mop-up man.
7. 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 has run into issues at High-A with striking out more, walking less and hitting too many ground balls, which could limit the left-handed hitter’s ceiling.
8. 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.
9. Eduardo Tait, C
A 17-year-old left-handed-hitting catcher, Tait has the potential to be excited about behind the plate. He’s hit the ball hard in rookie ball and has a strong arm defensively. He’s far away from the big leagues, of course, but that combination is promising from a young catcher.
10. Samuel Aldegheri, LHP
A left-handed starting pitcher from Italy, Aldegheri has pitched like a future rotation piece in High-A. He has a solid mix and missed bats this season, showing enough to be thought of as a future back-end starter. At 22, a push to Double-A could come this season for Aldegheri.
11. William Bergolla Jr., SS
Bergolla, a middle infielder, has shown his ability to make contact throughout his short professional career. But as a 19-year-old left-handed hitter in High-A, he’s flashed the potential to do a little more damage for the first time. Bergolla has produced more extra-base hits this year on top of his high-contact floor, an encouraging sign for his development.
12. 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.
13. 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 High-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 climb the ranks as a starter.
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 made only three starts at Double-A this year before landing back on the injured list. He’s struggled to stay on the mound, but the right-hander has impressive power stuff. A move to the bullpen could make sense once he’s back on the field, potentially allowing him to rise the ranks more quickly.
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