The Philadelphia Phillies have players that could be ready for the Majors soon, even if their overall farm system isn’t highly ranked.
The Philadelphia Phillies have high-caliber prospects waiting in the wings, but the system’s overall rankings weren’t that high in a recent release of system rankings by Baseball America and ESPN.
The Phillies were ranked No. 23 by ESPN and No. 21 by Baseball America, but evaluators had three or four Phillies prospects among their Top 100 players entering the season.
The Phillies were the No. 19 system overall as ranked by Baseball America at this time last year. But the system’s ranking has fluctuated, from No. 23 in 2022 to No. 12 in 2019.
The Phillies are coming off a 90-win season in which it reached the National League Championship Series before losing in seven games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In order to sustain recent success, the Phillies need its farm system to continue to bear fruit, as it did last season with outfielder Johan Rojas and relief pitcher Orion Kerkering.
Fortunately, both evaluators believe the organization has great talent on the way.
Baseball America ranks three of the Phillies prospects among its Top 100 — right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter (No. 12), outfielder Justin Crawford (No. 63) and right-handed pitcher Mick Abel.
Painter and Abel were among the Top 100 prospects on ESPN’s list.
Painter will miss the entire season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Abel, meanwhile, could start the season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley and have an outside shot at joining the Phillies at some point in 2024. Crawford ended last season at High-A and likely needs at least one more season in the minors to be ready.
Crawford is the son of former Major League outfielder Carl Crawford.