Phils invite top prospects to Spring Training

Phillies fans who head south in March may be rewarded with a glimpse of what has recently made the Philadelphia system one of the most exciting in the Minor Leagues.

The team extended nine non-roster invitations to Major League Spring Training camp in Clearwater, Florida on Wednesday. The group that includes four of MLB.com's Top 100 prospects overall -- J.P. Crawford (No. 5), Mark Appel (No. 43), Jake Thompson (No. 51) and Nick Williams (No. 55). Zach Eflin, ranked ninth in the Phillies organization, also received a non-roster invitation.

Of those, Crawford stands alone as the only player drafted by the Phillies. Three entered the system since July, with Appel being acquired in last month's Ken Giles trade with the Astros and Thompson and Williams coming aboard in the Cole Hamels deadline blockbuster with the Rangers. Eflin was part of the haul from the Dodgers in the December 2014 Jimmy Rollins deal.

Crawford, picked 16th overall out of a California high school in 2013, turns 21 on Monday. The shortstop played the bulk of last season (86 games) with Double-A Reading after starting out with the Class A Advanced club in Clearwater. Across the two levels, he slashed .288/.380/.414 with 13 stolen bases and 22 doubles over 107 games. His best tool, though, is his defense, which rates a 65 on the 20-80 scouting scale, according to MLB.com.

Appel, a 24-year-old righty, is 16-11 with a 5.12 ERA over 54 games, 53 starts, since turning pro out of Stanford in 2013. He has shown flashes of brilliance, and he continues to work with a three-pitch mix, throwing his fastball with comfort and accuracy in the upper 90s and offsetting it with a slider and a changeup that MLB.com describes as "above-average secondary pitches."

Thompson, another right-hander, turns 22 on Jan. 31 and has four pro seasons under his belt. After joining the Fightin Phils in August, he went 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA over seven starts and helped Reading reach the Eastern League Finals. According to MLB.com, his slider is sometimes a "true wipeout pitch," and his fastball sits in the 90s with sinking action. He also uses a curveball and a changeup.

Williams, a 22-year-old outfielder, was also crucial to the Fightin Phils' late- and postseason success, although he missed time from Aug. 28-Sept. 7 with a concussion. Over the regular season, he batted .303 with 17 homers and 13 steals between Double-A Frisco (97 games) and Reading (22 games). The native of Galveston, Texas dramatically improved his plate discipline last year, striking out 97 times in 119 games compared to 140 whiffs in 112 games in 2014.

Eflin, a 21-year-old righty, went 8-6 with a 3.69 ERA over 23 starts for the Fightin Phils last year. He throws a sinking fastball in the low 90s, a slider and a changeup, which is the most developed of the three. That offering rates a 60 on the 20-80 scale.

The Phillies also extended non-roster invitations to three catchers -- their No. 18 prospect Andrew Knapp, Gabriel Lino and Logan Moore -- as well as first baseman Brock Stassi, who was the Eastern League MVP last year.