Phillies 2010 Top 20 Prospect Rankings (11 through 20)
by Scott Butler 2/19/10
With pitchers and catchers already down in Clearwater, it is time again for Phils Baseball's rankings of the top 20 Phillies prospects in 2010. The Phillies farm system was ranked in the top 10 as recently as last year, but the trades for Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay have really depleted the system, giving some credence to why the Phillies gave away Cliff Lee. Keith Law from ESPN now ranks the Phillies as the 24th best farm system and Fanhouse has them ranked 17th. Nevertheless, the Phillies still have some young talent. Let's take a look at the bottom half of our top 20 with prospects 11-20.
20. Johan Flande (LHP)
A rare lefty in this group, Flande pitched well enough for a call up to Reading. The 23-year old does not wow you with his stuff, but he has good control with a high groundball/flyball ratio. He has all of the tools to eventually become a solid middle reliever or back-end starter.
19. Drew Carpenter (RHP)
Carpenter is a middle of the road pitcher in my mind with very average stuff, but his skills are refined enough to contribute at the major league level. Carpenter has great control and is mainly a fly ball pitcher, which is not a good quality for Citizens Bank Park.
18. Justin De Fratus (RHP)
De Fratus had a terrific season in the Sally League as a reliever and starter with a great K/BB ratio. His fastball has good sinking action that can reach 94 and he is developing a changeup. Given his success already at 22, he may not be too far away from the majors.
17. Zach Collier (OF)
Drafted out of high school in 2008, Collier has great raw tools and is extremely athletic. He has good power that should continue to improve as he matures. His swing mechanics are solid and he is well suited for the outfield with above average speed and a plus arm. Collier is fairly refined for a young talent and could advance quickly in the minors.
16. Jon Pettibone(RHP)
Pettibone is another high school pitcher, drafted in 2008. Pettibone is a tall, lanky pitcher who is still growing into his frame. As he develops, he could increase velocity on his low 90's fastball to become a power pitcher. He is a good strikeout pitcher with a high groundball/flyball ratio. Still difficult to project, but certainly a talent to watch.
15. Brody Colvin (RHP)
Colvin was yet another high school draft pick in the 7th round of the '09 draft. He features a power arm and a fastball. When he grows into his body a little more, he might develop more power over time. His fastball is lively and he has a curve ball that could be a plus pitch if he can hide it better and improve his control.
14. Jiwan James(OF)
James was a 22nd round pick in 2007 who was converted to the outfield and missed all of 2008 with a stress fracture in his forearm. He is a raw talent with a ton of tools. He possesses tremendous speed and good raw power. He still has a ways to go, but could eventually be a quality center fielder.
13. Leandro Castro(OF)
Castro has lots of tools and is a good athlete with decent speed. He has a quick bat and some power, but he is a very wild swinger. He is still a raw player who needs to become more controlled at the plate, in the field, and on the basepaths.
12. Scott Mathieson (RHP)
It's been a wild ride for Mathieson. He started for the Phillies in 2006 and struggled, before suffering several injuries and having three elbow surgeries in three years. He says his arm finally feels fine for the first time since he became injured and he pitched well in the Arizona Fall League. What makes Mathieson still worthwhile is a mid to upper 90's fastball and a good changeup. I like what Mathieson offers and if he can somehow stay healthy, he could do some good things.
11. Jonathan Singleton (1B)
Singleton is an 18-year-old athletic first baseman. For a young hitter, he has amazing plate discipline, and incredibly had more walks than strikeouts. He is a line drive hitter who uses all fields. It will be interesting to see how much power he develops with more experience.
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