Philadelphia Phillies: Top 25 Pitching Prospects in the System

When it comes to pitching, the Philadelphia Phillies are filthy, stinking rich, and they aren't afraid to show it.

After all, how many teams can say they sent three members of their five man starting rotation to the All-Star Game? The Phillies can. How many teams can say they lost a man considered an "ace" on most clubs to a back injury during the season and replaced him with a guy who finished in third place in the National League's Rookie of the Year voting? The Phillies can.

Impressive tidbits, no doubt, and we haven't even mentioned the bullpen, which surrendered the fewest runs in the National League last season. Sure, Ryan Madson is wearing a different shade of red (after signing with the Cincinnati Reds,) but so is Jonathan Papelbon.

A lot of teams who have to face this pitching staff like to believe that there is trouble brewing for the Phillies. After all, Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee are in their mid 30s. There's no guarantee that Cole Hamels will be wearing red pinstripes after the 2012 season, and Vance Worley shows signs of regression.

But not so fast.

While it may be true that the Phillies' big league staff has its share of question marks, they've spent a dubious amount of time preparing for the future of their pitching staff. By mixing an intriguing blend of college arms and high school prospects, the Phillies have cultivated one of the game's strongest farm systems for pitching.

The real question is: Just who are they?

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25. Colton Murray, RHP

Drafted in 2011, Colton Murray is the type of pitching prospect that has the potential to move through the Phillies' system very quickly, but that statement is a double-edged sword. He has the potential to move through the system quickly because he is a pure reliever, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but lacks the upside that other arms in this system possess.

With that being said, there is a lot to like about Murray as a reliever. He doesn't have a huge frame, but worked as a reliever throughout his college career, developing a strong, two pitch repertoire. 

Murray's has two pitches—a fastball (sinker) and slider—that have the potential to be above average, but like most young pitchers, that is only when he is able to command them, which has been somewhat of a problem for him.

In his first professional season, Murray appeared in 22 games and posted an ERA of 3.00, but also lacked big strikeout numbers and showed that inconsistency in his command.

24. Kenneth Giles, RHP

If that picture says anything, it's that Kenneth Giles is a presence on the mound and isn't afraid to pitch inside with a big fastball.

While that may be true, the lack of an effective off-speed pitch keeps him from climbing much higher on this list (right now.) It's easy to like his fastball, which sits in the mid to upper 90s. However, he has struggled with command in the past and lacks complementary pitches.

At just 21-years-old, there is still time for him to grow as a pitcher, but with an explosive fastball and not much else, there are more polished college pitchers in this system with a bit of a higher ceiling.

23. Ethan Stewart, LHP

Ethan Stewart is the type of pitcher that scouts are easily excited about.

Standing at six-foot-five, Stewart creates an imposing presence on the mound, and the fact that he is left handed is just icing on the cake. With that being said, he doesn't possess an awe inspiring repertoire. His fastball sits in the upper 80s and and an off-speed pitch that is just average.

That doesn't mean there isn't a lot to like. At just 20-years-old, there is still plenty of time for Stewart, who has been working as a starting pitcher to grow. If you feel the urge to rank him a bit higher, I wouldn't put up much of a fight.

22. Mike Nesseth, RHP

Drafted in 2010, Mike Nesseth made his professional debut in the Phillies' system with the Williamsport Crosscutters in 2011, starting 14 games and logging some quality innings. Another tall pitching prospect, standing at six-foot-five, Nesseth isn't necessarily a "polished" college pitcher, but isn't as raw as some of the other prospects on this list.

He posted a WHIP of 1.216 in low A last season, walking less than three batters per nine innings in more than 60 innings, so there is obviously a chance for him to move through, at least, the lower levels of the system rather quickly.

21. Colby Shreve

Colby Shreve was easily one of the hardest pitchers to rank on this list.

In terms of upside, it is easy to live Shreve's "stuff," even after undergoing Tommy John Surgery a few seasons ago. His fastball now sits in the upper 80s to low 90s, so it will be important for him to develop his off-speed pitches, which are currently a good change-up and a solid slider.

It's easy to be afraid of becoming overly optimistic for Shreve as well. After all, regardless of how he has responded, he did have Tommy John Surgery, which knocked a few miles per hour off of his fastball. Some scouts believe that, at different times, he has looked hesitant on the mound, and in 2011, it looks as though the Phillies have decided that if he has a future with the club, it would be as a reliever.

20. Bryan Morgado, LHP

Coming out of college, Bryan Morgado scared a couple of teams away from drafting him with his mechanics, which were very rough. However, as a potential left handed, power pitcher, some teams were willing to take the risk, like the Chicago White Sox, who drafted him in the third round of the 2009 Draft but were unable to sign  him.

A year later, the Phillies took him in the fourth round and after signing him, witnessed his shaky mechanics first hand. Most of the 2010 season was spent resolving those issues and the results were very good.

Though his new approach did little to improve the control of an explosive fastball, Morgado posted strong strikeout numbers, pairing that pitch with an okay slider.

Morgado's future is in the bullpen, but he has the potential to develop into a late-innings relief type.

19. JC Ramirez, RHP

My, how the mighty have fallen.

Once upon a time, the Phillies considered JC Ramirez to be a very good prospect, enough so that they acquired him from the Seattle Mariners as part of the deal that sent Cliff Lee west, and while he was impressive in 2010, he has fallen off the face of the earth in the two seasons that followed.

I haven't given up on him just yet.

The biggest concern about Ramirez's struggles is a declining strikeout rate, but there is certainly still some potential here, and the opposition was able to get a read on him fairly easily. With a good fastball that sits in the low 90s and a decent slider, Ramirez's change-up has been holding him back.

As one of the lone starting pitching prospects left in the upper tiers of the Phillies' system, sending him to the bullpen is not much of an option at this point, but unless he is able to develop, at the very least, an average change-up, he will continue to fade in the starting rotation.

18. Braden Shull, LHP

In recent drafts, the Phillies have done an excellent job of complementing solid, polished college pitchers with high school picks with a ton of upside, and Braden Shull has the potential to be an excellent steal for the Phillies, who drafted him in the 27th round of last season's draft.

Prying him away from Kansas State University, the Phillies managed to sign themselves a six-foot-six left handed pitcher with a ton of potential. Though his repertoire isn't overpowering, at just 18-years-old, he is poised beyond his years, with solid command and a great presence on the mound coming from the left side of the rubber.

17. Adam Morgan, LHP

On the opposite end of the spectrum from Braden Shull is Adam Morgan, who is a polished college pitcher that the Phillies drafted in the the third round of last year's draft. At 21-year-old and standing at six-foot-one, Morgan is a very projectable left handed pitcher, especially as a reliever, should the Phillies choose to go that route.

That was not the case in 2011, however. After signing, Morgan joined the Williamsport Crosscutters and made 11 starts, and he was more than solid. He logged 53.2 innings, showing good command and strikeout numbers, striking out about three batters per walk.

16. Jake Diekman, LHP

Jake Diekman is one of the few players on this list that I struggled to rank for a few reasons, the first and foremost being that though he has a defined role moving forward, I've had trouble putting value on the "left handed specialist's" role in the past, which almost all of the time should be translated to, "Can't pitch against right handed batters."

After watching him struggle as a starting pitcher, the Phillies moved Diekman to the bullpen a few seasons ago and he caught on quick, especially against left handed hitters, where he has been very successful.

There is certainly some value in being a left handed specialist, and the Phillies realized that. They added him to the 40-man roster over the winter and sent him to the Arizona Fall League, where he was very impressive.

So when ranking a guy like Diekman, I pose the question (to my self, and to make things worse, I answer myself): How good can said player be in his role?

Diekman has the potential to be a very good left handed specialist.

15. Joe Savery, LHP

Everything that was written on the previous slide about Jake Diekman applies to Joe Savery as well, but the Phillies get bonus points for being able to salvage the latter's career after watching him struggle as both a starting pitcher and a designated hitter.

Savery's journey has been a wild one, but he seems to have found a home for himself in the bullpen as a left handed specialist. With a solid fastball and a slider that has decent movement, it isn't hard to understand why Savery can be tough to hit.

Savery posted a strong WHIP of 1.160 with the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs in 2011 in 25 innings, and though the MLB bullpen appears to be settled for the 2012 season, there remains an outside chance that Savery can win a job with the Phillies in 2012.

14. David Buchanan, RHP

There's a lot to like about David Buchanan, and the only reason he is so low on this list is because I'm not sure he has the same ceiling as some of the guys in front of him. While very talented, he lacks the explosive "stuff" that some of the other pitching prospects in this system have, and at the end of the day, is probably more of a middle to back of the rotation starting pitcher.

That's not a bad thing. At six-foot-three, Buchanan has a solid frame, and with a relatively smooth delivery, has the potential to be an innings eater. He boasts a fastball that comfortably sits in the low 90s, and complements that with a solid slider.

With that being said, however, it is far too soon to write Buchanan off. Despite the fact that I ranked him this low, I considered moving him higher, and there is a chance that Buchanan makes tremendous strides in 2012 after earning a promotion to Clearwater last season.

13. Tyler Cloyd, RHP

At 24-years-old and without the same upside as other pitchers on this list, Tyler Cloyd is an easy guy to forget about, but I wouldn't do that if I were you. After an excellent start to the 2011 season in Clearwater, not only did the Phillies decide to move Cloyd into the starting rotation, but they promoted him to AA Reading, where he was just as good as a member of that rotation.

In more than 100 innings, Cloyd posted a WHIP of just 1.088 and struck out more than six batters per walk allowed. He did so by utilizing a fastball that sits comfortably in the upper 80s to mid 90s, but the greatest aspect of Cloyd's game is above average control and a nice slider.

Most scouts project him to contribute in the MLB as a middle reliever, but with few starting pitchers in the upper tiers of the Phillies' farm system, it would not surprise me in the least bit to see the Phillies continue to develop him as a starter.

12. Perci Garner, RHP

Perci Garner is a tremendous athlete, and the Phillies' second round pick of the 2010 Draft has one of the highest ceilings of any pitcher on this list. However, injuries have slowed the first couple years of his career to just 34 total innings, and it is hard to rank him any higher on such a small sample size given the rawness of his skill-set when the Phillies selected him.

With that being said, Garner has a ton of potential. As a two-sport athlete for Ball State, many scouts believed that focusing on baseball full-time would make him an even better. With a fastball that sits in low 90s (and the arm strength to give it a little giddy-up) and a very good curveball, Garner was drafted as a pitcher with the potential to two "plus" MLB pitches.

As a raw talent, there were question marks as well. He had shaky command and though he threw a slider and change-up, they needed a lot of work.

Garner joined low-A Williamsport in 2011 and was very successful in 30 innings, posting a WHIP of 1.267 and striking out more than three batters per walks issued. 2012 will be a big year for Garner, who if healthy, could move way up on lists like this one.

11. Austin Wright, LHP

The Phillies drafted Austin Wright out of the University of Mississippi in the eight round of last summer's draft and signed him right away, allowing him to get right to work with the low-A Williamsport Crosscutters, and it didn't take long to realize that there was a lot to like.

A polished college lefty, Wright breezed right through the New York Penn League, and after seven starts (eight games total,) the Phillies promoted him to the Lakewood Blueclaws to finish off the season, where he made an additional seven starts. 

In total, Wright posted a WHIP of 1.185 and a SO/BB ratio of 3.86. Though he doesn't have a tremendous ceiling, Wright could fly right through the Phillies' system with a move to the bullpen, however, after having such success in 2011, I would suspect the Phillies are more interested in seeing what he has as a starter against tougher competition.

10. Austin Hyatt, RHP

Calling Austin Hyatt a "sleeper" prospect would be somewhat misleading. Though he isn't exactly a household name, Hyatt has had the type of success in the Minor Leagues that warrants a bit of recognition. With that being said, however, that success comes with a caveat.

Up to this point in his career, Hyatt has worked as a starting pitcher and has had some success. 2011 was particularly strong season for Hyatt, when he 28 starts for AA Reading, posting a WHIP of 1.199, and struck out 3.5 batters per walks surrendered.

With few starting pitching prospects in the upper tiers of the system, those numbers surely warrant keeping Hyatt in the rotation, but most scouts love his repertoire as a reliever. With a great fastball and a change-up that has hitters looking foolish, he could be an impact reliever at some point in his career, if not a solid starter.

9. Lisalberto Bonilla

A couple of months ago, I ranked the 25 best prospects in the Phillies' system. I had Lisalberto Bonilla ranked 25th. That kicked up a bit of a stir in the comments section, so this time around, not only did I do my homework on the 21-year-old prospect, but I took on some extra credit by speaking with a few people who have seen him first hand.

I needed to know what all the hype was about.

After speaking to a few people who watched him with the Lakewood BlueClaws in 2011, it was clear to me that he had figured something out. At six-foot-one, Bonilla isn't the biggest guy in the system, but after being signed as a prospect with three potential "plus" pitches, it looks like he is starting to put it all together.

While he'll be able to get hitters out on his fastball / slider combination alone, the development of Bonilla's change-up may be the pivotal point in his career. A decent change-up will make him a legitimate starting pitching prospect.

8. Michael Schwimer

The Michael Schwimer that you saw with the Phillies in 2011 was not the pitcher that warrants his ranking this high on this list in the least bit. That man, in limited innings, struggled with control and failed to trust in his off-speed pitches, a far cry from the prospect who has been dominating the Minor Leagues out of the bullpen.

What you did see, however, was some of the repertoire that makes him such a good pitching prospect as a reliever. Schwimer boasts a fastball that sits comfortably in the low 90s, and when he is at his best, he commands it well.

Though his change-up is league average, if that, Schwimer throws a slider with a lot of movement that can be tough to get a read on as a hitter. If he can go into training and show his control, it isn't out of the question that Schwimer could win a job for 2012.

7. Julio Rodriguez

Julio Rodriguez is an interesting prospect.

On one hand, it's hard to argue with success. Pitching the entire season with the Clearwater Threshers, he lead the league in wins with 16. Rodriguez threw 156.2 innings, posted a WHIP of 1.009, and struck out three batters per walk.

He did so by utilizing an interesting repertoire of pitches. The first is a solid, but not overpowering fastball that sits in the low 90s, but can still use some work. "J-Rod's" best pitch is actually his curveball, which has been described as the "big, looping" variety.

Though he's had success with those two pitches in the past, he'll be moving to AA Reading in 2012, which is a different beast entirely. He'll be moving into a hitter-friendly ballpark and facing much better competition.

At the very least, Rodriguez will need to develop his change-up if he wants to stick in the rotation, because if not, a reasonable argument stands to be made that he'll only get so far with an average fastball and a big, looping curveball.

6. Jonathan Pettibone

Jonathan Pettibone is a guy that I thought long and hard about when crafting the rankings for this list, for a number of reasons.

In the past, I have done rankings that placed Pettibone as low as (amongst all Phillies' prospects) the 14th position. Truth be told, I was not convinced that he could eventually excel at the MLB level with a so-so repertoire. Drafted in 2008, Pettibone has already had multiple arm and shoulder injuries.

The 2011 season helped to re-write my outlook on Pettibone, however.

The 2011 helped to show that Pettibone can be the real deal. He has some of the best control out of any prospect in the Phillies' farm system, and that greatly increases the effectiveness of that "so-so" repertoire. Though he struck out just 6.4 batters per nine innings in Clearwater last season, he struck out 3.38 batters per every walk.

He may not have the highest ceiling in the system, but Pettibone has an excellent chance to stick in the starting rotation and be an effective pitcher, even if that means working in the middle of the rotation as an "innings-eater" type.

5. Justin De Fratus

Justin De Fratus is just one reason the Phillies are very excited about the future of their bullpen, and with good reason. After getting a taste of the MLB last season as a September call-up, De Fratus will  head into Spring Training with a legitimate chance of impressing the right people and earning a spot in the bullpen for 2012.

As far as potential goes, De Fratus can be a dominant reliever, and many scouts believe that he is the club's future set-up man, or at least, one of them.

His repertoire consists of a very good fastball that sits in the mid 90s, and he controls it very well. He'll pair that with a sharp slider, helping his strikeout rates in the Minor Leagues soar, with the obvious potential to be a strong, power pitcher in the MLB.

4. Phillippe Aumont

A lot of rankings like these will have Justin De Fratus ranked ahead of Phillippe Aumont, but I'll take this opportunity to think outside of the box a bit.

After a disastrous 2010 season that saw Aumont bounce back and forth between the bullpen and the starting rotation, that isn't a surprise in the least bit. In 2011, a full season in the bullpen, Aumont managed to give us a glimpse of his true potential—something that is only going to get better with more experience.

Beginning the season with AA Reading, Aumont was excellent. He posted a WHIP of 1.097 and struck out nearly 12 batters per nine innings, warranting a promotion to AAA Lehigh Valley, where he also pitched very well, striking out 37 batters in just 22.2 innings pitched.

The bane of Aumont's career to this point has been his command. He has the explosive fastball and dominating off-speed pitch that you would like to see in someone who has been projected as a closer, but until he shows some improvement in that regard, he'll only be closing games for the IronPigs.

With that being said, however, it isn't long until Aumont is a mainstay in the Phillies' bullpen.

3. Brody Colvin

Struggling with injuries and inconsistencies in 2011, Brody Colvin is a guy that lost a lot of supporters. With that being said, however, there is very little reason to expect anything but a rebound from Colvin in 2012, as he attempts to re-establish himself as one of the Phillies' "Baby Aces," also now down to three after the trade that sent Jarred Cosart to the Houston Astros during the season.

One of the biggest knocks against Colvin has been his makeup, which has been questionable in the past. On the field, he has three potential plus pitches: A fastball, curveball, and change-up.

If he can sort out his "off the field" issues, 2012 is shaping up to be a big year for Colvin.

2. Jesse Biddle

The Phillies didn't draft Jesse Biddle just because he is a local guy. Over the last couple of seasons, the six-foot-four lefty has developed into one of the organization's top prospects and hasn't showed signs of slowing down any time soon.

A tall guy with a big frame, Biddle isn't your typical left handed pitcher. He boasts a fastball that sits in the mid 90s and a slider with good shape and tight break, both of which have the potential to be plus pitches in the MLB. He'll mix in a change-up that the Phillies have tinkered with recently, a third pitch with above average potential.

Though he is just 20-years-old, Biddle is developing quickly in the Phillies' system. His biggest hurdle will be his command and control, which he has struggled with recently, but Biddle has the potential to be a big, power pitcher coming from the left side—a type of pitcher that has had success in the MLB in recent seasons.

1. Trevor May

This shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

Trevor May is the undisputed, top prospect in the Phillies' system, and with good reason. His repertoire consists of a fastball that sits comfortable in the low 90s, a sharp curveball, and a change-up that has come a long way since draft day in 2008.

Standing at six-foot-five, May is a big, power pitcher. In his first full season with Clearwater, May embarrassed the competition, striking out more than 200 hitters and punching out a whopping 12.4 batters per nine innings.

Though he struggled with control, walking four batters per nine innings, it was also clear that opposing hitters just couldn't get comfortable against May. They hit just .224 against him.

After making obvious strides with Clearwater last season, May will begin the 2012 season with AA Reading, and if all goes well there in 2012, it wouldn't be a surprise to see his name bandied about in conversations about the MLB rotation as soon as 2013.