2013 IronPigs Roster Released
First-year manager Dave Brundage will guide the largest crop of prospects to ever start the season in the Lehigh Valley, as the Phillies announced the preliminary 2013 IronPigs roster today. The roster is highlighted by six of the Top 10 Prospects in the Philadelphia system according to Baseball America: C Tommy Joseph (No. 3), RHP Jonathan Pettibone (No. 4), LHP Adam Morgan (No. 5), RHP Ethan Martin (No. 6), 3B Cody Asche (No. 7) and 1B/OF Darin Ruf (No. 9).
PROJECTED STARTING PITCHERS (ALPHABETICAL):
Tyler Cloyd, 25, the 2012 International League Most Valuable Pitcher, returns for his second season with the IronPigs after a breakout campaign in 2012. The righty went 12-1 with a 2.35 ERA at the Triple-A level before earning a September call to Philadelphia, where he went 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA. Between two minor league levels last season (AA, AAA), the Nebraska native posted a 15-1 record and a 2.26 ERA while leaving Lehigh Valley with a franchise-best eight-game winning streak.
Ethan Martin, 23, is in his first full season in the Phillies system after being acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in July as part of the haul for OF Shane Victorino. The former first-round pick enters this season ranked as the Phillies' No. 6 prospect by Baseball America after going 5-0 with a 3.18 in seven starts with Double-A Reading last season. The right-hander from Georgia, who holds a career record of 37-35, was also named the 80th-best prospect in all of baseball entering the season by Baseball America.
Adam Morgan, 23, enters just his second full season in professional baseball at the Triple-A level following his third-round selection from University of Alabama in 2011. Ranked as the Phillies' No. 5 prospect by Baseball America, Morgan started last season in Advanced-A Clearwater (4-10, 3.29 in 21 games, 20 starts) before finishing strong after an August promotion to Reading (4-1, 3.53 in six starts). The native of Marietta, Ga., also excelled in 2013 Spring Training, sporting a 1.93 ERA in three big league games and a 2.46 ERA in three minor league starts.
Jonathan Pettibone, 22, the No. 4 prospect in the Phillies organization as rated by Baseball America, returns to Lehigh Valley after finishing the season with the IronPigs last year. With Reading, the right-hander went 9-7, 3.30 ERA in 19 starts before ending ended the year at 4-1, 2.55 in seven games with the IronPigs. The 2008 third round pick out of Esperanza H.S. in Anaheim has gone an impressive 33-30, 3.32 in his career.
B.J. Rosenberg, 27, made the jump from Reading to Philadelphia last season, stopping in Lehigh Valley along the way. With the Phillies, the University of Louisville product was 1-2 with a 6.12 in 22 appearances including one start in his first season at the Major League level. With the IronPigs, he was a much more impressive 4-2, 2.00 ERA in 20 games -- six of which were starts. Rosenberg initially got his first taste of International League baseball while an undergrad at Louisville, when he worked as an operations intern for the Louisville Bats.
PROJECTED RELIEVERS (ALPHABETICAL):
RHP Justin De Fratus, 25, makes his third stop in Lehigh Valley over the past three seasons. The righty has appeared in 45 games for the IronPigs over the past two seasons, including going 0-1, 2.49 ERA in 17 games last year. In each of the past two seasons, the California native has earned a promotion to Philadelphia, appearing in five games in 2011 and 13 games in 2012. Over the two stints combined, he's 1-0, 3.07 over 14.2 innings.
LHP Jake Diekman, 26, was dominant for the IronPigs last season -- his first in Triple-A -- going 1-1, 1.69 ERA and seven saves in 25 games. His earned a promotion to Philadelphia on two separate occasions, finishing the year with a 1-1, 3.95 in 32 games for the Phillies. Originally a 30th round pick in 2007, the southpaw earned his first Major League win in his debut with a 4-3 victory over Houston on May 15.
RHP Justin Friend, 26, split 2012 between Reading and Lehigh Valley. At the Double-A level, the California native was almost untouchable - allowing just one earned run in 39.2 innings (0.23 ERA) while converting all 24 save opportunities and being selected as an Eastern League midseason All-Star. Upon his promotion to Lehigh Valley, the 2010 Rule 5 draft selection went 2-1, 4.40 over 12 games.
LHP Cesar Jimenez, 28, embarks upon his first season outside of the Seattle Mariners organization. The southpaw spent logged Major League time in parts of every season from 2006-2009, and then again in 2011, compiling a career record of 1-2, 5.43 ERA in 43 games. The Venezuela native was first signed at the age of 16 and has posted impressive numbers in his minor league career (42-49, 3.16, 20 saves in 307 games).
RHP Zach Miner, 31, returns to the I.L. for a second consecutive year after appearing in 23 games for Toledo in 2012. With the Mud Hens, the former Braves' fourth-rounder went 2-0, 2.50 in 23 games. The native of Jupiter, Fla., has spent parts of four seasons in the Major Leagues with Detroit, going 25-30, 4.24 in 157 games, 35 starts. Miner has recorded a 3.59 ERA in 70 career games in the I.L. over parts of five campaigns.
LHP Joe Savery, 27, shuttled between the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley during the 2012 season. For the first time in his career, he made the Phillies' Opening Day roster, and made four separate stints with the Phillies throughout the campaign. In 20 games with Lehigh Valley last season, the Texas native finished 1-1, 4.24 and two saves. At Rice University, Savery was a standout two-way player, including batting .356 with 60 RBIs in 2007.
RHP Mike Stutes , 26, appeared in only six games last year due to right shoulder inflammation and surgery after making the Phillies Opening Day roster for the first time in his career . 2011 was a standout year for Stutes, making his Major League debut in April and finishing the year T-6th among all NL relievers in wins (6). He had spent parts of 2010 and 2011 with the IronPigs after getting drafted in the 11th round of the 2008 draft out of Oregon State.
POSITION PLAYERS (ALPHABETICAL):
3B Cody Asche, 22, led all Phillies minor leaguers in batting average (.324) and hits (168) in a breakout season which he began at Advanced-A Clearwater and finished at Double-A Reading. Asche's second in professional baseball was a stark contrast to 2011, when he batted .192 for Williamsport (A) the same year he was drafted in the fourth round. In fact, he finished the season batting .369-5-26 in 13 games in August and then went 6-14 (.429) in four E.L. playoff games. The University of Nebraska product enters the season as the Phillies No. 7 prospect according to Baseball America.
OF Leandro Castro, 23, has made solid progression over the past three seasons, spending all of 2010 with Single-A Lakewood, all of 2011 with Clearwater and all of 2012 with Reading. In Double-A last season, the Dominican Republic native was named to the E.L. midseason All-Star team and finished the year at .287-10-71. The outfielder finished tied for second in the league with 35.
1B/3B Josh Fields, 30, joins the IronPigs after a successful 2012 season with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. The infielder posted a line of .322-13-71 in 133 games last season, and finished second in the Pacific Coast League with 96 runs scored and fourth with 158 hits. The Oklahoma native spent parts of five seasons at the MLB level from 2006-2010 with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals, compiling a .234 average in 217 career games. In addition to his baseball career at Oklahoma State University, Fields was the Cowboys' starting quarterback for three seasons, passing for 55 touchdowns and over 6,000 yards during that time.
OF Tyson Gillies, 24, played all but seven of his games in a Reading uniform last season, batting .304-4-24 over 68 games. Formerly of the Mariners organization, the outfielder came to the Philadelphia system in the 2009 trade that sent Cliff Lee out west. Over a six year career, the British Columbia product has reached Double-A twice, each time coming over the past two seasons. He is considered the Best Defensive Outfielder in the Phillies system according to Baseball America.
2B Cesar Hernandez, 23, spent the final 30 games of his 2012 season in Lehigh Valley after playing the first 130 games at Reading. With the IronPigs, the infielder batted .248-0-6 and swiped five bases following a strong campaign in Reading. While there, the Venezuela native batted .304-2-51 and was the starting second baseman for the Eastern Division in the 2012 E.L. All-Star Game. After starting slowly in Lehigh Valley, he finished the season strong, hitting safely in eight of nine games (12-39, .308).
C Tommy Joseph, 21, joined the Phillies organization at the trade deadline in 2012, coming over from the San Francisco Giants franchise in the trade for Hunter Pence. The catcher, ranked the No. 3 prospect in the Phillies system by Baseball America, hit 11 home runs and drove in 48 between Double-A Richmond and Reading last season. The Arizona native was the starting catcher for the U.S. team in last season's Futures Game, and at the end of fall ball was selected to the Arizona Fall League's Rising Stars roster.
C Steven Lerud, 28, spent most of last season in Reading, where served as a backup to prospect catchers Joseph and Sebastian Valle. After batting .235-0-7 in 36 games in Double-A, the former third-round selection of Pittsburgh had his contract purchased by Philadelphia in late August and appeared in his first three Major League games. In fact, Lerud posted his first ML hit with a single off LHP Jonathon Niese, Aug. 30 versus the Mets.
INF/OF Michael Martinez, 30, returns to Lehigh Valley for a second season after seeing significant time with the Phillies last year. In 34 starts (45 games) with Philadelphia, the utility man started 14 at second base, eight at third base, six at shortstop, four in right field and two in center field -- batting .174-2-7 in the process. The Dominican Republic native batted a more impressive .271 in 32 games with IronPigs and has posted a .300 career average over parts of two I.L. seasons.
OF Jermaine Mitchell, 28, joins the Philadelphia system after spending the first seven years of his career in the Oakland Athletics organization. The outfielder has spent parts of each of the past three seasons with Triple-A Sacramento, spending all of 2012 at that level. The Texas native batted .252-6-38 in 108 games last year and in 167 career Triple-A games has a batting average of .268. Oakland's fifth round pick in the 2006 draft has stolen at least 13 bases every year of his career for a total of 144.
INF/OF Pete Orr, 33, begins the season with the IronPigs after making the Phillies Opening Day roster each of the past two seasons. The infielder, who's in his third season in the Phillies organization, was originally signed by the Atlanta Braves one month after turning 20. He's spent parts of seven seasons at the MLB level with the Phillies, Braves and Washington Nationals, batting .259-3-46 in 428 games. The past two seasons with Lehigh Valley, spanning 156 games, the Ontario native has batted .262.
1B/3B Cody Overbeck, 26, returns to Lehigh Valley after leading the squad with 14 home runs a season ago. In addition to his team lead in dingers, the corner infielder from Tennessee also set an IronPigs single-season record with 133 games played. In 2011, the Phillies ninth-round draft pick in 2008 split time between Double-A Reading and Lehigh Valley. Over his Triple-A career, which covers 201 games, the University of Mississippi product has batted .259-20-97 and is a .261 hitter over his five-year career.
OF Darin Ruf, 26, makes his first stop at the Triple-A level after jumping from Double-A Reading straight to Philadelphia last season. In 2012, the Creighton University graduate led the E.L. with 38 home runs and 104 RBIs, while also hitting at a .317 clip. In August of 2012, he hit .371-20-36 -- becoming just the second known professional player to ever hit 20 home runs in one month, joining Sammy Sosa in the summer of 1998. The Phillies 20th round pick in the 2009 draft, Ruf made his MLB debut in September, going 11-for-33 with three home runs in 12 games. Named the No. 9 prospect in the Phillies system by Baseball America, Ruf won the 2012 Paul Owens Award which given annually to the Phillies best minor league player.
OF Steve Susdorf, 27, is in his sixth year in professional baseball, all in the Phillies organization. The outfielder made his Triple-A debut last season, batting .282-1-26 in 84 games with the IronPigs after 33 games with Reading. Over his five year career, the 19th rounder from 2008 is a .300 hitter while committing just six errors. While attending Fresno State University, the California native was an Academic All-American and a member of the Bulldogs' 2008 College World Series championship team.
As announced earlier, Brundage will be joined on his coaching staff by IronPigs third-year hitting coach Sal Rende and first-year pitching coach Ray Burris.
Opening Day 2013 takes place at Coca-Cola Park on Thursday, April 4, when the IronPigs host the Syracuse Chiefs at 7:05 p.m. Lehigh Valley will also host an exhibition game on Tuesday, when the IronPigs host the Sixth Annual 222 Showcase against the Reading Fightin' Phils at 6:35 p.m. Single-game tickets, season tickets, mini plans and group tickets are on sale now for the 2013 season presented by Capital BlueCross.