Phillies Top 10 Prospects 09 Updated(Originally Posted on My FB 7/16/09)

So I will update my list of the 2009 Phillies prospects as we have hit the midway point of the season

1) Carlos Carrasco-SP-LHV: This is a guy who beat out Kyle Kendrick, before losing the #5 starter spot to Chan Ho Park. Hes also a guy who was voted the Phillies top prospect by baseball America in back to back years, Started and won the futures game…..all before the age of 21. Not too shabby considering im 20 and all I have to show for it is a kick ass mug for winning my mens league hockey championship. So it was a shock to everyone when Carlos Carrasco, the Phillies cant miss prospect, flat out sucked in AAA. I mean it was bad. Really bad. At one point he was like 0-6. And there were no indications it was going to get better. Now this isn’t a name drop (especially because their email addresses are listed in the paper) but I emailed Philadelphia Daily News Writer Bill Conlin in April to ask what was up with Carlos and he said that his velocity was down and he figured he was headed for surgery. I guess id rather have TJ now when the games don’t matter then in 3 years when he is our#3 or something. He has been better of late. His
stats so far this season in AAA LHV are: 5-8 record with a 5.00 ERA. He has 99 K’s in 102.2 IP
Last game: 6.2 IP 3 ER 6 K’s ND.

2) Jason Donald-2B/SS-LHV: Well when the Phillies didn’t convert Donald to thirdbase I dubbed Donald the 09 version of Adrian Cardenas. You remember Cardenas. He was our #2 ranked prospect who played 2nd and SS and the Phillies didn’t think he could make the throw from 3rd. So they just kept him at second and short (where Jimmy and Chase currently play) They later traded Cardenas to Oakland along with Outman and Spencer for Joe Blanton. Well that is whats going to happen to Donald. I hope none of you got attached to the former Sun Devil but im going to go out and say he will be traded. After being converted to a 3rd basemen for the AFL the Phillies never made the switch at AAA. I mean currently veteran David Newhan is playing third. Now before you jump down my throat I’m fully aware Donald was injured and is rehabbing in the GCL Phillies. Now I just want to say if the Phillies make a trade for Halladay expect Donald to be traded. The Jays have stated on many occasions that they need SP but more so a SS. They will need one with Marco Scutaro headed to free agency. So the fact that the Phillies have a SS in AAA helps them out a lot in a possible persuit of Doc.
Season stats in AAA so far: .230 with 1 HR 16 RBI’s 6 SB in only 50 games due to injury.

3) Lou Marson-C-LHV: Heres a guy who went from the future to expendable. Honestly I don’t see it. I still think he is the future even with Ruiz’ defense. But that’s neither here nor there. Marson has had some big league success. He hit a HR in the first game he started last year and was on the roster when Carlos Ruiz was injured. But it was back down to Leigh High when Ruiz was back and it marked Marsons first stop in LHV. He started off really slow. Im talking like .200 average slow. It looked like our #2 and 3 ranked prospects couldn’t translate their game to AAA. But then Marson returned to his 08 AA form.
Current Stats in AAA: .298 with 1 HR and 21 RBI’s with 2 SB.
Last 10 games: .429 with 0 HR 5 RBI’s and 0 SB.

4) Michael Taylor-OF-AA: MAN CRUSH. That’s what I should call Michael Taylor. This guy is the real deal and a 5 tool player. Im shocked he didn’t get put on the 15 DL after getting fucked in the ass by the people that choose the futures game. Ill just let his stats speak for themselves
Current Stats in AA: .333 with 15 HR’s 65 RBI’s OO and only 18 SB’s
Last 10 games: .235 with 0HR 5 RBI’s and 4SB.
Yea say hello to your new favorite player. Totally forgot to mention the fact that he has a cannon of an arm. Could possibly be traded the Phillies are more willing to trade him then Dominick Brown but mark my words. If they trade him, It will haunt them. This guy is an all star waiting to happen.

5) Antonio Bastardo....Yea if your tagged in this note then you’re my friend…..and if you’re my friend you already know his stats since I kept letting you know them (weather you wanted them or not) via my FB status. So you have seen the taste of Bastardo. You know how I feel. I wont bore you with what you already know

6) Travis D’Arnaud-C-Lakewood: I went on record as saying this guy would be better then Lou Marson. And all he has done is disappoint. He has picked it up of late but his average is still low
His current stats at Low Single A Lakewood: .227 with 9 Hr’s and 48 RBI’s and 2 SB.
Last 10 games: .293 with 1 HR and 6 RBI’s 0SB
Hes a guy who even if he struggles will continue to get AB’s because of his defense. Has played DH when hes not playing catcher.

7) Michael Cisco-SP-Clearwater: Guy just picked up a baseball again only about a month ago. He didn’t miss a beat from last year when the 36th round pick ONLY managed a .99 combined ERA in Williamsport and Lakewood. Well I guess after you have an ERA of .99 you must call what you’ve done so far this year a failure
Current Stats at Clearwater: 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA. 39 K’s in 58.0 IP. Only 12 BB’s
Last 10 games:
Get used to his name because he, among others, is why I say we can afford to deal Drabek or Knapp to get Halladay. Finds in the 36th round like Cisco make the Phillies look like genius’

8) Vance Worley-SP-Reading Phils: He started out great. I mean it looked as if Reading could have the best rotation in the Eastern League with Worley, Stutes, Bastardo, as your 1,2,3. But unfortunately Vance has come back down to earth.
Current Stats: 6-6 with a 4.33 ERA 67 K’s in 106.0 IP. 33 walks
Last 10 games: 3-4 record with a 5.34 ERA. 27 K’s in 55.2 IP 24 walks
The last 10 games show that before those 10 games his control was fine. But the guy has 33 walks on the season and 24 of those walks have come in the last 10 games. Im a bit worried about his health. But hes still a good prospect

9) Joe Savery-SP-Reading: I put Savery on the list only because of his potential at first base/DH. I kind of wrote him off as a pitching prospect and felt that he had been overworked at Rice and his arm would never be what they projected when they drafted him. Now I know that Porcello fell only because of monitary reasons and because his agent was Scott Boras but here is another guy who was drafted ahead of Rick Porcello. While I still don’t think he will ever earn the 1st round pick status that he has I will give credit where credit is due. He hasn’t been lights out but hes been a pretty damn good pitcher this year which was pretty key considering he was moving up to AA from single A after having a bad year
Current Stats with AA Reading: 12-1 record with a 3.48 ERA 66 SO’s in 98.1 IP. With 44 BB’s
Last 10 games: 9-0 with a 3.09 ERA. 32 K’s with 55.1 IP and 25 BB’s
Hes still walking way too much. But he may have gotten the pitcher title back. Choo Choo to him.

10) Anthony Gose-CF-Lakewood: Similar to Savery I picked Gose for other reasons than the position he is currently listed at. I didn’t put Gose #10 because of his OF ability but more so because of the possibility of him being a LHP. Which had scouts comparing him to Billy Wagner (not the person but the pitching ability of wagner) He sure has performed at Lakewood though even outperforming former sandwhich pick Zach Collier. And boy is Gose fast.
Current Stats at Lakewood: .283 with 1 HR and 33 RBI’s 49 SB and 11CS
Last 10 Games: .300 average with 0 HR’s 5 RBI’s and 3 steals with 0 CS
He currently leads the SAL in SB’s with an 18 base lead. While hes playing great at OF I sure do hope he eventually becomes a pitcher again because im sure that’s why the Phillies took him in the 3rd round


Now real quick ill do a mid season top 10 list

1) Michael Taylor (OF)
2) Kyle Drabek (SP)
3) Dominick Brown (OF)
4) Lou Marson (C)
5) Michael Cisco (SP)
6) Johan Flande (SP)
7) Freddy Galvis (SS)
8) Jason Knapp (SP)
9) Mathew Way (SP)
*10) Sebastian Valle (C)
11) Julio Rodriguez (SP)


*= I had Rodriguez as my #10 because i moroically forgot Valle who was the best hitter for the GCL Phillies last year.


Thanks for Reading. Also for a good laugh go check out my 2009 MLB Predictions. It’s the one where I said the Nationals wouldn’t finish less then 3rd place in the NL East. But big props to my boy Charlie O Connor who predicted before the season that Zach Grienke would be your AL Cy Young Award Winner…..at least someone got something right in those.