Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Prospects Having Monster Springs
If the Phillies struggle with their health again this season, guys are going to have to step up besides Wilson Valdez. A couple of prospects have shown some rather nice signs in camp.
At the start of spring training, there were approximately 12 pitchers fighting for two to three spots in the bullpen. A few have emerged.
Let's take a look at five prospects who have caught my eye in spring training.
John Mayberry Jr.
1 of 5
This has to be the most pleasant surprise this spring.
Mayberry continues to pound the baseball. He's currently hitting .294 with five home runs and 11 RBI. He'll be a valuable entity as a right-handed pinch hitter come the start of the season. He also provides the Phillies depth in the outfield.
If Ibanez or Francisco struggle mightily come the start of the season, Mayberry will get some opportunities to start. To be an everyday player, though, Mayberry will have to improve his success rate against righties.
Scott Mathieson
2 of 5
So everyone knows about Mathieson's two Tommy John surgeries by now. He truly is a fascinating story.
The Phillies organization didn't think that Mathieson's slider would be good enough at the major league level, so they went out and hired famed split-ball pitcher Bruce Sutter as a minor-league pitching consultant. Mathieson learned the splitter, adding a much needed secondary pitch to his arsenal.
Mathieson has a 2.25 ERA in eight innings pitched to go along with nine strikeouts this spring.
The splitter is still a work in progress, although he throws it hard with late downward movement.
Michael Stutes
3 of 5
Stutes didn't make it past the second wave of cuts, but he caught many eyes from the big club this spring.
He appeared in five games, threw nine innings and allowed just one earned run. He held opposing batters to just a .103 batting average.
Stutes will be one of the first pitchers called up during the season when the Phillies need an extra arm in the pen.
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Mike Zagurski
4 of 5
The Phillies are looking for a lefty specialist to match up with J.C. Romero in the bullpen.
The two candidates, Mike Zagurski and Antonio Bastardo, have both pitched well this spring.
Zagurski has 11 strikeouts in just eight innings of work. His ERA is just 1.13.
Bastardo has a 1.59 ERA in 5.2 innings pitched.
Phillippe Aumont
5 of 5
Aumont was the key piece acquired in the Cliff Lee trade to Seattle.
Minor league spring training games started up about a week ago and Aumont has gotten a lot of praise.
Last season, Aumont struggled with his control and command at Reading. Aumont is a tall fellow with a herky-jerky delivery.
He's been a completely different pitcher this spring for the Double-A club. His control and command have improved dramatically. The imposing 6'7" Aumont has a hard-and-heavy sinking fastball to go along with a nice curveball.
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