Phillies named top farm system in baseball
Meanwhile:
- MiLB.com, in its annual “MiLBYs,” named the Phillies the top farm system in baseball in 2016.
The award recognizes both talent expected to perform well in the majors (top prospects, etc.) and the success of the system’s teams as a whole. Lehigh Valley and Reading were both superb in 2016, and the system’s .581 winning percentage was second in baseball. Meanwhile a number of top prospects are expected to reach the majors in 2017 and ’18, including J.P. Crawford, Nick Williams and Mark Appel. Dylan Cozens and Rhys Hoskins had ridiculous years and boosted their top prospect cases, and Roman Quinn, Jake Thompson and Zach Eflin were among players who graduated to the majors in the last year.
The Yankees were voted tops by fans (well, sure). Anyway, it shows Joe Jordan and his team have done a solid job rebuilding what was a barren, sad system.
- Ryan Lawrence at the Philly Voice details the Jeremy Hellickson scenario.
In short, the Phils should offer Hellickson a qualifying offer. If he accepts, the Phils pay him $17.2 million next year and they have their veteran starter. If he declines (which is more likely), the Phils get a compensatory draft pick between rounds one and two in the MLB First Year Player Draft. There’s no need to pursue him on a long-term deal in free agency.
- Jim Salisbury graces us with a profile of pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez. It’s a great name. It’s also a good pitcher who went 5-0 with an 0.50 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 54 innings in the Gulf Coast League last year. He’s likely to head to Lakewood in 2017.
Interesting to see Salisbury write about an 18-year-old prospect heading to the South Atlantic League, but apparently Phils brass is high on Sanchez. Good backstory though. A brisk read.
