2016 Phillies Prospect Preview: #1-10

Over the next week, Fightins Public Relations Associate Zack Neiner will profile the Philadelphia Phillies' top prospects according to MLB.com as the club gets ready to host the first-ever Phillies Futures Game on March 31st between the Phillies and the top prospects in the farm system. Today we focus on the #1 through #10 prospects in the Phillies system.


No.1 - J.P. Crawford, 21, SS, @JP_Crawford 

Like former Phillies MVP shortstop Jimmy Rollins, rising star J.P. Crawford isn't afraid to shy away from predictions. Last season, he told MLB.com  he thinks the Phillies will win a World Series "in a couple of years." And he is doing his part to try to send another parade down Broad Street. 

Since being drafted fourth overall in the 2013 MLB draft, the 21-year-old has excelled through the farm system, climbing the ranks to the AA-level here at Reading in just two years. Last season, the Lakewood, California native hit .265 with 53 runs scored, 34 RBIs and 5 home runs in 85 games. One of which he caught the attention of former Phillies World Series champion Chase Utley, who was making rehab starts in Reading: "I was only there two games, but he looked extremely comfortable defensively with a strong arm," Utley told Ryan Lawrence. "His actions were what you'd expect from a top prospect shortstop. And he can swing the bat as well."

Now, according to MLBPipeline.com, he is No. 5 out of all MLB prospects. Don't be surprised to see him make it to the major league level in 2016, trying his best to fulfill his prediction. 

No. 2 - Jake Thompson, 22, RHP, @jthomp15 

Fans were sad to see Cole Hamels traded after he threw his no-hitter at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs on July 25, 2015, but the haul the Phillies got in return should excite fans, especially Jake Thompson. 

Thompson, originally drafted in the second round by the Detroit Tigers, has been dealt twice at the deadline. The previous time was when the Tigers traded him to the Texas Rangers along with one other player for Joakim Soria. But now the Rockwall, Texas native might have found a home in the city of brotherly love. 

While the 6-foot-4 right hander has big shoes, he offers a lot of potential. He shined with the Fightin Phils after the trade, going 5-1 with a 1.80 ERA and 34 strikeouts. Hitters struggled against his sinking fastball that tops out at 95 mph, hitting only .217 against him. Thompson, ranked 55th among all MLB prospects via MLBPipeline.com, now looks to kick off 2016 the same way he left with the Fightins in 2015 where he threw six-shutout innings with seven strikeouts. 

No. 3 - Nick Williams, 22, OF, @NickWilliams409 

The Cole Hamels trade package holds a lot of potential, including outfielder Nick Williams. The 22-year-old showed off a little bit of everything in 22 games with the Fightin Phils in 2015. Williams hit .320 with five doubles, two triples, four home runs and three stolen bases, helping the Fightins reach the Eastern League Championship series.

The Galveston, Texas native has spent most of his life in Texas, being drafted by the Rangers in the second round of the 2012 draft out of high school, but the No. 64-ranked prospect could soon call Philadelphia his new home. 

Williams has suddenly become a prospect with the potential to be on the rise sooner rather than later after the Phillies lost Aaron Altherr earlier this week for four to six months due to a wrist injury. 

No. 4 - Mark Appel, 24, RHP, @MAppel26 

There will be a theme this season across the Philadelphia Phillies' organization: a lot of new faces are from Texas, including Mark Appel. The Houston Astros drafted the hometown pitcher first overall in the 2013 Draft, after he graduated from Stanford. Unfortunately for Appel, he never made his MLB debut in Minute Maid Park. Instead, he steadily climbed in the farm system, making it to the Astros' Triple-A affiliate to end the year before being traded this past offseason.

The Phillies may have parted ways with flamethrower closer Ken Giles, but the addition of Mark Appel bolsters the system's pitching depth. The 24-year-old has shown flashes of his potential. With a fastball that hits mid-90s, and good command of his slider and change-up, he managed to strike out 61 batters in 68.1 innings pitched at the Triple-A level. That earned him to be ranked No. 70 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 prospects. Time will tell if that ranking will soar with a change of scenery.

No. 5 - Cornelius Randolph, 18, OF, @C_Randolph

The Philadelphia Phillies drafted Cornelius Randolph with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 draft straight out of Griffin High School in Georgia. While Randolph played shortstop in high school, the Phillies quickly transitioned him to outfield once he arrived in the Gulf Coast League. There, he showed off his hitting potential going .302 with 24 RBIs, three triples and one home run in 53 games. 

His bat holds the talent as Phillies scouting director Johnny Almaraz told CSN Philly in 2015, "He's got a lot of similarities of a lot of pretty good left-handed hitters. I don't want to mention any names, but guys who were batting champions. This guy has that type of ability." 

That ability has landed him the 84th overall ranking on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects.

No. 6 - Jorge Alfaro, 22, C, @_JorgeAlfaro11 

Jorge Alfaro came over in the Cole Hamels trade, and like Thompson and Williams, he finds himself ranked in MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 prospects, coming in at No. 96. What separates Alfaro between Thompson and Williams is he is the only one who got injured in 2015. 

Alfaro missed most of the 2015 season with an ankle injury after arriving at the Rangers' Double-A affiliate where hit .253 in 53 games. Yet, what attracted the Phillies is his big bat and big arm, which together made him the 2014 and 2013 Texas Rangers' MILB.com organization All-Star.

Phillies fans caught a glimpse of the Colombian native at the Gulf Coast Level last year, where he played three games. But as the 2016 season kicks off, look for the 6-foot-2 catcher to rise on his way to possibly become the successor to Carlos Ruiz on the MLB team. 

No. 7 - Roman Quinn, 22, OF

The Phillies drafted the Port St. Joe, Florida native in the second round of the 2011 draft. Quinn has faced a few setbacks since 2011, suffering up a broken wrist, ruptured Achilles and a torn hip flexor, all of which have prohibited him from reaching the 100 games played mark. But while the speedy outfielder has faced a lot of adversity, he managed to reach the Double-A level last season. He helped the Fightin Phils make their way to the Eastern League Championship Series by hitting .306 with 44 runs scored and 29 stolen bases in 58 games. 

If Quinn remains healthy, he could see himself vie to be one Altherr's replacements for the MLB club. 

No. 8 - Franklyn Kilome, 20, RHP

The Phillies signed Franklyn Kilome out of the Dominican Republic and the team has fantasized on the potential he offers. With a 6-foot-6 frame, Kilome has a mid-90s fastball with a devastating breaking ball that caused 36 batters to strike out in 49.1 innings pitched in Single-A- last season. With the Williamsport Crosscutters, he also had a 14-inning scoreless streak. 

No. 9 - Andrew Knapp, 24, C, @theknappyboy5 

The reigning organizational Minor League Player of the Year might have something to say about Jorge Alfaro becoming Ruiz's successor. As Kanye West would put, Knapp is one man with all that power. Last season, the 2013 second round draft pick shined with the Fightin Phils. He slugged 11 home runs with 53 RBIs and a .360 batting average. 

"He's got a great swing from both sides of the plate," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin told Sam Dykstra of MILB.com on March 6. "He looks like a hitter. He looks like he knows what he's doing from the left and right sides. It's good to see. He's got some power. It's a nice swing."

While he got off to a slow start in the fall of 2013 with Tommy John surgery, the California native has now cemented himself in the hunt to be Ruiz's successor. 

No. 10 - Ricardo Pinto, 22, RHP

The Phillies invested in Ricardo Pinto in December 2011 by signing him out of Guacara Carabobo, Venezuela, and he wasted no time proving he might be worth it when he made his United States debut in 2014 with the Williamsport Crosscutters. How did he follow that up? By earning the organization's 2015 Minor League Pitcher of the Year. That award came after he pitched for Single-A affiliates, Lakewood and Clearwater. Between the two teams, he put up a 9-2 record with a 2.97 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP.