1. Trevor May, RHP: Not the top ranked Phillies pitches in Clearwater going into the season, but certainly impressed the most. Check out what we wrote about May in our FSL top 10.
2. Jesse Biddle, LHP: Pitched well in his first full season, posting a sub-3.00 ERA. His fastball reaches the mid-90′s and he features a potentially strong changeup and curve. The K/BB of nearly 2/1 was solid, but the walks will need to come down moving forward. Some mechanical issues, but nothing too alarming.
3. Brody Colvin, RHP: Disappointing year for a member of the talented Clearwater staff. Check out what we said about Colvin in our FSL Top 10.
4. Jonathan Pettibone, RHP:Another impressive pitcher in Clearwater. Pettibone posted an impressive 114/35 K/BB and a sub-3.00 ERA. His fastball reaches the mid-90′s with good life and both his slider and curve are impressive. What I like most about Pettibone is his smooth mechanics. Does not have ace upside, but could be not far behind.
5. Sebastian Valle, C: Valle held his own in the FSL this season, but still has plenty of room for improvement. He posted an OPS of just .706. Has the potential to be an above average catcher. 2012 could determine if Valle is in the Phillies future plans or will be relegated to a career backup.
6. Maikel Franco, 3B: Unlike many Dominican players, Franco has a sound approach at the plate, as evidenced by his 25 BB and just 30 K’s in the NYP League this season. He has shown above average power, and has a lot of room to grow. Strong defender and should stay at 3B. Will get a chance in a full season of Low-A in 2012.
7. Julio Rodriguez, RHP: Not one of the big names on the Clearwater staff, but pitched better than any of them, with a 2.76 ERA. His upside is low, throwing a fastball no faster than 90 on a typical outing. He has a solid mix of off-speed pitches and solid command of all of them. He doesn’t have Trevor May upside, but Rodriguez still has room to add to his fastball and could be a useful starter down the road.
8. Matt Rizzotti, 1B: He probably does not have a future in Philly, but Rizzotti can hit and there is certainly a market for a player like him. He posted an OPS over .900 for the 2nd straight season. Rizzotti does an excellent job of getting on base and has shown plenty of power potential in the minors.
9. Justin DeFratus, RHP: DeFratus has posted strong numbers all throughout the minors. He moved to the pen last season and has had plenty of success. In the pen, DeFratus reaches the upper-90′s and a solid slider to go with it. He posted a K/BB of 4/1 this season, very impressive for a bullpen arm. Should be able to help the Phillies next season.
10. Austin Wright, LHP: Phillies took Wright in the 8th round of the 2011 draft and Wright impressed in his 68 IP of professional baseball, posting an ERA of 3.03 and a K/BB of nearly 4/1 across two levels. He throws a mid-90′s fastball and decent curve, both with solid command. Could be a mid-rotation starter down the road.
11. Austin Hyatt, RHP: Another solid arm, in a system where the pitchers have impressed. Hyatt’s pitches grade out no better than average, but he has had plenty of success. This season, Hyatt posted a K/BB greater than 3/1 and struck out more than a batter per inning. Another back-end rotation type.
12. Leandro Castro, OF: Castro is a strong hitting outfielder. He has great bat speed an good raw power. He posted a solid .481 SLG in Clearwater this season. Castro’s approach needs work, as evidenced by his 5 walks this season. That said, Castro did only strike out 33 times in 231 AB’s.
13. Phillippe Aumont, RHP: Aumont is what you want coming out of the pen; A strong fastball with excellent sink. His curve has plenty of upside as well and Aumont has made strides in the bullpen. The control is the wild card with Aumont, as he walked 25 in 53 IP this season. Once that number comes down, he can be a force in the back end of a pen.
14. Larry Greene, OF: The Phillies did not have a 1st round pick, so they took Greene in the supplemental 1st. Greene can mash the ball, but has a lot to improve on. He has struggled against more talented HS pitchers and his overall approach is very raw. Upside is there, but he is a project, which has backfired recently with guys like Anthony Hewitt.
15. Aaron Altherr, OF: Disappointing season for Altherr, as he was demoted from the SAL after posting a .544 OPS. He was not much better in short-season. The upside is still there, and Altherr could be an impact hitter at the plate. He will need to cut down on the strikeouts moving forward.
16. Mitchell Walding, SS: The Phils went above slot to sign Walding in the 5th round, and they are getting a guy with strong upside. He is no lock to stick at short, but will get the chance. He has a great swing and a solid approach at the plate. He will not be a power hitter, but should hit for at least average power. I look forward to watching Walding in 2012.
17. Jiwan James, OF: The Phillies were hoping for a breakout season at the plate from James, and they should be disappointed. A .690 OPS will not quite cut it. The speed, raw power, and defensive ability are all there, but the contact is struggling. James improved his walk numbers slightly this season, but will need to make consistent contact in 2012, if he wants a chance to be a major league player.
18. J.C. Ramirez, RHP: Ramirez held his own in a full season at AA, which is encouraging given how few hitters he strikes out. Ramirez punched out just 89 hitters in 144 IP this season. His fastball is in the mid-90′s consistently and slider has shown improvement.
19. Freddy Galvis, SS: Unlike Walding, Galvis is a lock to stick at short and has gold glove potential. At the plate, he has never been impressive, but Galvis made strides this season, increasing his walk numbers and showing more power. Will still need more time in AAA, but the offensive improvement is encouraging.
20. Tyler Cloyd, RHP: Not much out there about Cloyd, but it is hard to ignore a pitcher with a K/BB of over 6/1 in AA. Cloyd does not have high upside, but certainly knows how to pitch and could be useful at the back end of a rotation.