Philadelphia Phillies

Phillies Post-2016 Top Prospect Rankings: 26-30

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jun 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

While some prospects graduated from the Phillies system this year, there are still plenty of players to look forward to. In this section, I will start off with prospects numbers 26-30.

It’s safe to say the Phillies were not good this year. They finished 71-91, an improvement from 2015, but their record was by no means good.

While the major-league team wasn’t good, the minor-league teams did quite well. As team owner John Middleton noted in a recent interview, Phillies minor-league affiliates finished with a combined .595 win percentage this season. High-A Clearwater finished with the best record in the Florida State League, and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Double-A Reading, Low-A Lakewood, and the rookie-league GCL Phillies all made playoff runs.

Phillies prospects certainly contributed to the system’s success. Twenty-seven different Phillies minor-leaguers were declared All-Stars, including nine from Clearwater.

Before we dive into the Phillies top prospects, we should note the prospects who graduated this season. Tyler Goeddel was briefly a prospect after the Rule 5 draft, but he lost his prospect status by the end of the May. Tommy Joseph, while being a fringe prospect after injuries derailed him, turned in a solid rookie season.

On the mound, Zach Eflin started off rough but did find his stride before injuries took him down. Jake Thompson was the last pitcher from the Cole Hamels trade to reach the majors, struggling in his debut. Both aren’t on MLB’s rookie stats, but they also aren’t on their Phillies Top 30 list, so I’m going to exclude them from this list.

Without much more rambling, let’s dive into the Top 30 Phillies prospects, starting with 25-30.

No. 30: Second Baseman Jesmuel Valentin

The Phillies acquired Jesmuel Valentin in the 2014 Roberto Hernandez trade from the Dodgers. His high school teammate was Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, so Valentin manned second from the get-go.

2015 was a lost year for Valentin due to a suspension related to a domestic violence incident. While the charges were dropped, Valentin still served his suspension and expressed regret over the incident. Valentin told Jay Floyd of Phillies Nation:

“That process was a hard time, definitely. All I was thinking about was just my career. All I was thinking was my career- definitely, everything is just over with…but definitely it has not only helped me with my out-of-baseball life but definitely in baseball too. Just one of those things that I don’t wish nobody has to go through that…but definitely I just– sometimes I cannot control stuff like that, but I just take it– I might– my suspension I already served it so just treat it like a learning situation for my life.”

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Off-the-field issues aside, Valentin finished the 2015 season strong with a .775 OPS in 31 games for Double-A Reading. He started 2016 back in Reading, getting on base at an above-average clip with a .346 OBP, but his power lacked with a .399 slugging percentage.

Valentin’s performance took a dive after a late-July promotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

His batting average dropped to .248 with a .706 OPS in 36 Triple-A games. While his walk rate remained the same at 9.8%, his strikeout rate climbed to 19.5%. While that strikeout rate is by no means bad, Valentin can’t afford that number worsening.

If Valentin reaches the majors, it will be because of his hit tool. It is already solid-average, and there is the slim hope Valentin can tap into his fringey raw powers to hit ten or so home runs a year.

Defensively, Valentin often gets the label as a utility infielder. The problem is he isn’t a particularly good defender at shortstop, which could prevent him from being a full-fledged utility man. Unless Valentin makes major strides defensively, his defense will really have to carry his defense.

No. 29: Shortstop Malquin Canelo

Malquin Canelo really impressed to start the year in 2015 with Low-A Lakewood. He put up a .311/.364/.466 line in 63 games, prompting some to speculate Canelo could grow out of his defense-only profile. Later in the year, Canelo got a second chance at High-A Clearwater after struggling there in limited 2014 action. In another 63 games, Canelo’s line fell to .250/.296/.323 as his strikeout rate rose.

Canelo started the year with the Threshers in poor fashion with a .571 OPS in April. Canelo’s best month came in June with a .274/.319/.357 line that month. His final stats this season nearly mirrored his 2015 High-A stats.

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Canelo finished this season with a 5.9% walk rate and 19.5% strikeout rate. While the strikeout rate is acceptable, the walk rate leaves some to be desired. This is to be expected, with different prospect experts calling Canelo’s approach “raw” and “aggressive and immature.”

With another below-average season at the plate, Canelo’s ceiling is falling. Matt Winkleman of Phillies Minor Thoughts said before this season “Canelo is never going to be an impact hitter.”

Despite his hitting struggles, Canelo can easily fulfill the role of a defensive shortstop.

Canelo’s plus speed gives him great range and he has the arm to make all the necessary throws. It isn’t much of a stretch to say Canelo could pick up third base as well as second, expanding his role from a defensive backup to an all-around player.

The hope remains that Canelo can develop his hit tool enough to be passable in a starting role. However, it doesn’t look probable and it’s likely upper-level pitchers will make him look silly. For the time being, Canelo’s prospect status rides on his defensive ability.

No. 28: Catcher Deivi Grullon

The Phillies have two talented catching prospects in Andrew Knapp and Jorge Alfaro, both of whom will appear later in this list. However, neither matches up defensively to Deivi Grullon, who is likely the best defensive catcher in the system.

Winkleman raved about Grullon’s defense in his pre-2016 rankings, saying the following on the catcher:

“Grullon has always had a good arm with elite arm strength and quick release, giving him very strong pop times. On top of the arm, Grullon’s glove is also very good, with soft hands and good pitch blocking.”

To some level, Grullon mirrors current Phillies catcher Cameron Rupp. The two are both great defensive catchers with strong arms. However, both also struggle with pitch framing, a skill that is growing more and more essential.

While Grullon’s defense is on the strong end, his hitting is a completely different story. 2016 marked Grullon’s third year trying to figure out Low-A pitching. His first stint there was short-lived with just 24 games, but he by no means did well. He only did worse in 2015, his first full Low-A season, slashing .221/.273/.335. He struck out nearly a quarter of the time.

Thankfully, 2016 should hopefully be Grullon’s last year in Lakewood. He posted an above-average wRC+ for the first time since his 2013 season in the Gulf Coast League. Grullon still needs to cut down on his strikeouts, and he’ll never hit for much power.

At best, Grullon will be an average hitter at the major-league level, but that isn’t what he’s known for. Rather, it will be his defense that carries him to the majors. Grullon will be just 21 next season, and catchers usually need extra time to develop anyways.

No. 27: Left-Handed Pitcher JoJo Romero

JoJo Romero is the first player from this year’s draft featured on this list. The Phillies picked up Romero in the fourth round and signed him to a $800,000 bonus. Romero went to Yavapai College in Arizona, the same school that former Phillies Ken Giles and Curt Schilling went to.

Romero started his professional career well with short-season Williamsport. He went 2-2 in ten starts, logging 45.2 innings. The lefty carried a 2.56 ERA with a 1.20 WHIP and opposing hitters had a .251 batting average against him.

The register also shows Romero had a complete game shutout, but it came in a rain-shortened game July 31. Romero threw five innings, allowing two hits and three walks while also hitting a batter.

Prior to the draft, Romero ranked No. 158 on Baseball America’s Top 500 and No. 124 on MLB.com’s Top 200 draft rankings. MLB.com’s report liked what Romero has to offer on the mound:

“Romero has a four-pitch mix that he knows how to use effectively. He’ll throw both a two- and four-seam fastball, with the former sitting in the 89-91 mph range and the latter touching 94-95 mph at times. While his curveball was his best secondary pitch at the start of his spring, his slider and changeup have improved and perhaps surpassed the curve at this point. He is capable of throwing all of his pitches for strikes.”

While Romero’s arsenal is solid, there are questions about what his future role could be. His command isn’t great and he his rather small for a pitcher at 5’11. For now, the Phillies will develop Romero in the rotation, hoping he can be a back-end starter.

No. 26: Outfielder Jose Pujols

After three years in short-season ball, Jose Pujols finally got his first chance at full-season action in 2016. Pujols played all of this season at just 20 years of age and played his best season yet.

Pujols played 128 games for Low-A Lakewood, where his power exploded. Pujols hit 24 home runs this season, more than he ever hit in his professional career. His .746 OPS and 111 wRC+ were both career highs. The right-handed hitter earned midseason and postseason South Atlantic League All-Star honors.

While Pujols showed improvement with his in-game power, he still struggled in other areas. Compared to last season, he walked slightly less and returned to his abysmal strikeouts numbers of 2013 and 2014. In addition, Pujols still struggles to hit for average. While he hit for a career high .241 average this season, it is still by no means good. Pujols will never be a guy who hits .300, but he still needs to hit for some average.

Defensively, Pujols is destined for right field. He isn’t a special fielder, but he has decent speed and should be about average there long-term. His arm profiles well in right since it is well above-average. However, Pujols will have to hit because his defense won’t carry him.

After leading the Blueclaws in home runs this season, he will almost certainly head to High-A Clearwater next season. His mettle at the plate will truly be tested since the Florida State League is far less friendly to hitters than the SAL.

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