Keep an eye on these Phillies prospects in 2025
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This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki¡¯s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
In another universe, the Phillies could be hosting the Yankees at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1 of the World Series tonight.
Instead, they are thinking about the future. Those thoughts include their top prospects.
Three players who forced their way onto the radar this year:
RHP Eiberson Castellano
Castellano, 23, won the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies¡¯ Minor League Pitcher of the Year, but the average Phils fan probably doesn¡¯t know much about him. (Castellano is not ranked among the Phillies¡¯ Top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline.) Castellano went a combined 6-5 with a 3.99 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 22 appearances (20 starts) with Class A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading. He struck out 136 and walked 29 in 103 2/3 innings.
¡°He is massive,¡± Phillies Minor League pitching coordinator Travis Hergert said. ¡°You stand next to him and he¡¯s all of [6-foot-6]. A very big frame. But he moves really, really well inside of that frame. He¡¯s got big stuff.¡±
Castellano is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft in December, and he could be placed on the 40-man roster.
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RHP Mois¨¦s Chace (Phillies' No. 26 prospect)
The Phillies shipped disgruntled left-hander Gregory Soto to the Orioles on July 30, obtaining two pitching prospects in return. One of them was right-hander Seth Johnson, who is the Phillies¡¯ No. 15 prospect. Johnson made his Phillies debut on Sept. 8. The other was Chace, who went a combined 5-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 23 appearances (15 starts) between Class A and Double-A with Baltimore and Philadelphia, striking out 124 and walking 40 in 80 1/3 innings. Scouts who saw Chace, 21, late in the season raved about him.
¡°Mois¨¦s is very poised for how young he is,¡± Hergert said. ¡°He isn¡¯t overwhelmed with the moment, getting called up to Double-A, joining a new organization. He¡¯s got electric stuff.¡±
Chace, like Castellano, is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft. He could be placed on the 40-man roster, too.
LHP Mavis Graves (Phillies' No. 27 prospect)
The Phillies selected Graves, 20, in the sixth round of the 2022 Draft. He had a 7.68 ERA in 11 starts in Rookie ball in '23, but he went 7-6 with a 3.64 ERA in 18 appearances (16 starts) with Class A Clearwater this year. It included 117 strikeouts and 36 walks in 84 innings. Graves probably added 30 points of mass since he got drafted. He struggled with his delivery last year, which affected his velocity and command. But from last year to this year, he improved the way he moves, which translated into throwing the ball better. ¡°He learned how to create chase, how to create whip, and how to attack right-handed hitters compared to left-handed hitters,¡± Hergert said.
Two possible breakout players to watch in 2025:
SS Starlyn Caba (Phillies' No. 4 prospect, No. 81 prospect in MLB)
Caba, 18, was touted as one of the best players in the 2023 international signing class. So far, he has played like it. A few talent evaluators think Caba might be the best defensive shortstop in the Minor Leagues. If he isn¡¯t, he¡¯s near the top. Caba batted .254 with a .762 OPS in Rookie ball this season before being promoted to Clearwater. He struggled with the Threshers, batting .179 with a .494 OPS, but he walked more than he struck out at both levels. The Phillies expect improvement offensively as he gets older and stronger. The average position player in the Florida State League was almost 21 years old. The average pitcher was almost 22. Caba turns 19 on Dec. 6, so he¡¯ll still be one of the younger players in the league next year.
C Eduardo Tait (Phillies' No. 5 prospect)
Tait is even younger than Caba -- he turned 18 on Aug. 27. But Tait batted .269 with a .777 OPS in 114 plate appearances following his promotion from Rookie ball to the Threshers. There¡¯s a lot to like about the left-handed-hitting catcher from Panama, who the Phillies think will hit and hit for power.
One big question for next season:
Will the top dogs join the Phillies in 2025?
Top pitching prospect Andrew Painter (Phillies' No. 2, No. 32 in baseball) has recovered from Tommy John surgery and is pitching in the Arizona Fall League.
¡°I do think he¡¯ll be pitching at the big league level at some point in '25,¡± Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said earlier this month.
Dombrowski said last week that center fielder Justin Crawford (Phillies' No. 3 prospect, No. 53 prospect in baseball) could push for a midseason promotion. Crawford, 20, could be the Phillies¡¯ long-term answer in center field. Dombrowski said shortstop Aidan Miller (Phillies' No. 1 prospect, No. 26 prospect in baseball) is unlikely to help the Phils next season, but the 20-year-old could make things interesting with a hot start.