Among the more well-known Philadelphia Phillies prospects in the organization’s minor league system are Mick Abel, Aidan Miller, and Justin Crawford. Since they all have different talents, it is expected that they will all advance this year, starting with spring training.
But what about some of the younger, less well-known players who weren’t included in the club’s 2023 Top 10 prospects? Spring training begins in a few weeks, and the Phillies have a few more young guys in their minor league system who could perform well.
These four unexpected prospects will be very good at the Phillies’ spring training. Although none of these prospects are on the 40-man roster or have received invitations to big league camp, they could be called up and play in the Grapefruit League this spring.
SS Starlyn Caba
Starlyn Caba, the fifth-ranked shortstop and 13th-ranked talent overall in the 2023 international amateur class, inked a $3 million contract with the Phillies last year. He participated in the Dominican Summer League last year with the Phillies White club.
In 38 games, he produced a stat line of.301/.423/.346 with a.769 OPS. Caba showed off his quickness by stealing 16 bases in 22 attempts. Based on his bio on the Phillies MLB Pipeline top prospect website, the 17-year-old has been compared to a young Francisco Lindor.
Caba, who is now the No. 3 Phillies prospect according to FanGraphs, might start 2024 with the FCL Phillies, the team’s rookie affiliate. Scouts grade his arm at a 50 and his fielding abilities at a 55, so he has the makings of an excellent defensive shortstop. It will be fascinating to watch the 17-year-old infielder grow both this season and in the coming years.
Wilson, Ethan, OF
Ethan Wilson, the Phillies’ second-round selection (49th overall) in 2021, showed last year how much he had improved at hitting for power over 2022. The product of Andalusia, Alabama, more than quadrupled his career home run total in 2023 with the Reading Fightin Phils, with 17 home runs, as opposed to eight with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws and Reading combined two years prior.
With 22 doubles and 48 RBI in 2022 and 24 doubles and 61 RBI in the previous year, he showed off his extra base hitting prowess. Wilson has struck out a lot of batters, though, with 110 in 114 games in 2023 after striking out 114 in 130 games two years prior.
Wilson has expertise playing left and right field, although he has played all three outfield positions in his career. His career fielding percentage in left field is.993, accumulated in 84 games. Playing right field, he has played in 139 games and has a.979 fielding percentage.
Eduardo Tait, C.
Similar to Caba, Eduardo Tait is another 2023 international acquisition by the Phillies. The catcher had a fantastic season in the Dominican Summer League with the Phillies Red and White teams after Philadelphia signed him to a $90,000 deal.
In 35 games with the Phillies Red, the Panama City, Panama native posted a.331/.396/.554 line and a.950 OPS. In 147 1/3 innings, Tait’s defensive stats included 168 total chances, 147 putouts, 19 assists, and a.988 fielding percentage.