Philly Front Office

There has been some interesting stuff going on in the Phillies minor league system and since the trade deadline will be here before we know it, why not take a look at what the Phillies are working with.

MLB Trade Deadline Preview 2.0

NOTE: Using the MLB Rankings because their system is most user friendly and it’s free

Top 20

1. Aiden Miller – SS (16)
   • When spring started, we had dreams of Miller already threatening Alec Bohm’s job at 3rd base. Things have not gone according to plan due to a back injury. It is now mid-May and he has only just started baseball activities with no timetable for playing MLB games. Unless he starts out absolutely crushing the ball, it seems like 2027 is the most likely debut for our top prospect. PS…don’t listen to people doom and gloom over his back injury. The kid is 21. He is not your uncle who has abused himself his entire life and can’t walk anymore.
2. Gage Wood – RHP (71)
   • Outside of one bad start, Wood overwhelmed hitters in Clearwater to the point that the Phillies just double jumped him to Reading. While this leaves the door very open to a midseason call up to the big club, do NOT get your hopes up there. His biggest problem right now is his innings. 59 is the most he has had in a season which means 100 is probably his tops this year. He is already at 26 after 8 appearances. He is very much being handled with kid’s gloves despite the aggressive promotion.
3. Francisco Renteria – OF
   • The 17 year old was the team’s big splash during the most recent international signing period at $4m. He is a legit 5-tool CFer who isn’t just projection but reports are that he is actually showing all 5 tools already with advanced knowledge at the plate and in the field. No games yet, but he is a good bet to be in the top-50 (or much higher) prospects eventually.
4. Aroon Escobar – 2B
   • It feels like we have been hearing Escobar’s name forever, but he is actually younger than Aiden Miller at 21.5. He is holding his own in AA right now with his batting average up to .255 despite a rough April with a solid 2:1 K:BB ratio. He is never going to hit for power, so hitting for average is going to be his ticket to a regular role in the majors along with his excellent defense. The only way he sees the majors this year is if injuries come for Bryson Stott and Edmundo Sosa at the same time.
5. Dante Nori – OF
   • The darling of the WBC saw a hot AA start cool into just an “okay” season so far. He is 21 and playing in AA, so nothing should be too concerning, but his strikeouts are up and his walks are down in the early going. Just something to keep an eye on.
6. Gabriel Rincones Jr. – OF
   • Rincones is a 6’3″, 225 pound lefty masher who has spent almost all of 2026 on the IL. He has now been activated and will join the Iron Pigs shortly. Unless he simply forgets how to do what he does or is traded first, we will be seeing him in Philadelphia this summer. He cannot hit southpaws even a little bit, so he is strictly a platoon option in right field. At 25, time is running out to make the bigs though.
7. Cade Obermueller – LHP
   • Despite being nearly 23, the Phillies are taking things slow with Obermueller in order to work on some things. As a lefty side-armer, control is not one of his strong suits. While they figure that out the team will also work with him to put on some muscle. Even at 6 feet even, 170 pounds is not going to cut it as a starter. If all goes well, he will be seriously on the 2027 radar.
8. Moises Chace – RHP
   • Chace is about 1 year removed from TJ surgery and should be on a mound reasonably soon but the team has not been very forthcoming with updates. I would not expect too much from him this year, but 2027 should be a coming out party assuming a full recovery and, you know, baseball happens.
9. Ramon Marquez – RHP
   • Marquez is a new name to the list, so here is a crash course on someone who may be a name for the future. Marquez was signed as an international free agent just last year out of Mexico. Unlike most IFAs, he was 19 when he signed and therefore only received $10k. He immediately annihilated the complex league and was sent to rookie ball and then Clearwater where he struck out everyone. This year he is back in Clearwater at 20 and is still striking out everyone (18 in 9 innings). Expect him to get the call to Lakewood in June and possibly AA by the end of the year.
10. Matthew Fisher – RHP
    • Fisher just turned 20 and is hanging out in rookie ball. Don’t look at his numbers because he is a serious victim of small sample size after just 3 starts. The first one was a 2 HR, 6 earned hitter’s orgy that tanked his stats. Since then though, 3 innings and 2 runs, then 3 innings and just 1 hit. He’ll be fine.
11. Griffin Burkholder – OF
    • Burkholder was hitting .163 at the end of April, but a torrid May has him up to .262 but with a ton of strikeouts. The good news is that since he was drafted out of HS, he is still just 20. Here’s hoping he’s figured out low A and is ready for something new.
12. Wen-Hui Pan – RHP (reliever)
    • Pan is a big arm who is fresh off TJ surgery but already looking to be back to form. After striking out everyone in low A, he is now in Lakewood and doing more of the same. His fastball gets up to 99 and already had 17 Ks in 9 innings so far. If he keeps this up, Philadelphia may be in reach this season like it was for Orion Kerkering in 2023 even if it isn’t likely.
13. Jean Cabrera – RHP
    • Yikes. Cabrera started the season as the most likely “next man up” from Lehigh Valley, but he was roughed up so bad in AAA that he was demoted to Reading. At 24 years old and an impossibly small 145 pounds, his time might be running out as a starter.
14. Cody Bowker – RHP
    • Bowker will be 22 all season and has had an odd season so far in Clearwater. His ERA is a bloated 5+ but mostly due to one awful outing. Other than that, he has 42 Ks in just 24 innings, a .145 BAA, and a .97 WHIP. Those are simply great peripherals.
15. Sean Youngerman – RHP
    • He’s essentially having the same season as Bowker, just a few months younger (man) and with less Ks. Guys don’t hit him much and he doesn’t give up many walks. Youngerman is much bigger too at 6’3″ and 230 pounds, that’s a starter’s frame.
16. Carson DeMartini – 3B
    • Martini made it to AA last year after killing High-A, but didn’t do much once he got there. Well this time around has been much better with a solid .793 OPS so far after a big May got him on track.
17. Alex McFarlane – RHP (reliever)
    • McFarlane is going to see the Philadelphia sooner rather than later. He is now a full time reliever and he’s wrecking teams to the tune of a 0.63 ERA. That’s just 1 earned run in 14 innings so far. You would assume AAA is right around the corner with the big club shortly thereafter.
18. James Tallon – LHP (reliever)
    • Tallon’s pro career hasn’t started the way he drew it up so far. with 11 earned runs in just 2.2 innings. YIKES! The problem has been serious control issues. those 11 runs come on just 3 hits and zero HRs, but also 8 walks and 4 more hit batsmen. He has no idea where he’s throwing it.
19. Devin Saltiban – OF/2B
    • Saltiban is still only 21 and hanging out in High-A. Last year was a lost season of ineffectiveness for the Hawaiian, so at least his .237 AVG is something. While his 10 doubles and 4 triples in just 35 games is nice, 44 Ks and 5 walks is not.
20. Alirio Ferrebus – C
    • Best for last? The 20 year old Ferrebus has been the story of the early going so far with his .366 AVG and 1.002 OPS through 33 games. Even better? just 18 Ks. Considering the dearth of catching prospects in the system, his development from $70k international to legit prospect is a godsend.

Phillies Pharm Update: End of Season ’25

A Few More

• Gabe Craig – RHP (reliever)
  • My crush from the 2025 draft hasn’t had the trajectory that his amazing college stats suggested. He’s in low-A and striking out a ton of hitters, but not exactly crushing it as he should.
• Bryan Rincon – SS
  • A bad April has made way for a good May for the 22 year old in AA. While his glove would play right now, he really needs to hit to be considered any kind of real prospect.
• Keaton Anthony – 1B/OF
  • Another one of my crushes, Anthony has only just returned from injury but has not been brought back to AAA just yet. Once he returns, I would imagine he could be in the mix for the righty outfield job that Otto Kemp and Felix Reyes have managed to completely squander. This kid can hit.
• John Spikerman – OF
  • Spikerman draws walks and can run like the wind, a good combination. Can he hit enough though? At 23 and in High A, he is only hitting .256. Honestly, if he can keep that north of .250 and keep up the walks, that would play. He’ll be in AA soon.
• Chan-min Park – Pitcher
  • Park has not officially signed yet, but has apparently flown to the states to do his medical and sign his contract this weekend. He is a 17-year old from Korea who opted for MLB over the KBO and likely even more money than his likely $1.7m signing bonus he received from the Phillies. He is 6’3″ tall and just over 200 pounds which leaves him a ton of room to add power to his already 94 mph fastball. They’ll get him into Clearwater very soon.

Ranking: MLB.com

Stats: Baseball-Reference

Photo: Mlb.com