GLENDALE, Ariz. -- By now, Phillies infield prospect Bryan Rincon understands that fulfilling his dream of becoming a big leaguer isn¡¯t going to be a walk in the park, that sacrifices will have to be made.

He committed to his first big one with his family in Venezuela a few years back, making the decision to head to the United States to live with his uncle and play high school ball in the Pittsburgh area.

¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, being away from my parents,¡± said Rincon, a shortstop who starred at Shaler Area High School. ¡°I didn¡¯t see them for two and a half years. It was tough. But just trying to meet new people, do my work. Thank God I got drafted and now I¡¯m where I¡¯m at.¡±

Where he¡¯s at now is in the Arizona Fall League, playing for the Glendale Desert Dogs. The 2022 14th-round pick -- who was a little bit surprised when he landed with the Phillies -- held his own in his first full season of pro ball, reaching High-A in the process. The Phillies' No. 10 prospect got off to a slow start back with Jersey Shore to begin the 2024 season, but had a .920 OPS over his first 11 games in May when a hamstring injury all but ended his season, the second bit of adversity he¡¯s faced in a very young career. He did return to play eight games before the clock ran out, one of the big reasons the Phillies sent him to Arizona.

¡°I¡¯m super excited right now,¡± Rincon said about the opportunity to extend his year. ¡°It was a tough time doing rehab for three and a half months.¡±

There are no questions about Rincon¡¯s ability to defend. He has a plus arm and plenty of range, hands and instincts to stay at his premium position for a long time, giving him a pretty high floor.

¡°I practice what I need, but I really feel confident in my defense,¡± Rincon said. ¡°I don¡¯t have to think too much. It just comes naturally.¡±

His work at the plate hasn¡¯t been as natural, and the missed time during the regular season obviously didn¡¯t help the switch-hitter develop that part of his game. That¡¯s clearly an area of focus for the 20-year-old this fall.

¡°Definitely my hitting,¡± Rincon said. ¡°I¡¯m going to work on some things I didn¡¯t do during the season because I didn¡¯t play enough.¡±

The hope is the extra work Rincon is putting in now can put him on the path to moving up the ladder in a Phillies system with some elite-level hitting prospects, the next wave that can continue to help the big league club reach the postseason.

¡°It¡¯s super great,¡± Rincon said. ¡°Just being able to be with those guys in Spring Training. Our prospects, really good prospects like Justin Crawford, Aidan Miller. They¡¯re just good guys.¡±

Phillies hitters in the Fall League

Gabriel Rincones Jr. (No. 11): This is Rincones¡¯ second straight year in the AFL. He posted a solid .889 OPS in 2023 with the hope it would serve as a springboard to the upper levels. But he tore a thumb ligament and played in just 68 total games in 2024, so he¡¯s back in Arizona trying to rediscover that groove, though he did still manage to hit 11 homers and steal 23 bases during the regular season.

Otto Kemp, 3B/2B (No. 28): Injuries held Kemp back both as a high schooler and for much of his college career at Division II Point Loma Nazarene University, but he hit well enough in his last two years there for the Phillies to sign him as an undrafted free agent after the 2022 Draft. He played well across two levels of A ball in 2023, then split this year between Jersey City and Double-A Reading, finishing with 16 homers and 20 steals. He¡¯s played mostly third and second base, but was getting reps at first and in the outfield in the early going this fall.

Jordan Dissin, C: Dissin went from the University of Richmond in 2021 to Saddleback Community College the following year and played well enough to get taken in the 12th round of the 2022 Draft. He spent 2023 with Single-A Clearwater and nearly all of the 2024 season up a level with Jersey City, though he did touch Double-A. He has a .702 career OPS but did throw out 30 percent of potential base stealers in 2024, showing off excellent arm strength.

Phillies pitchers in the Fall League

Andrew Painter, RHP (No. 2/MLB No. 32): He¡¯s back! After missing two seasons because of Tommy John surgery, one of the best pitching prospects in the game is getting work in with Glendale. He¡¯s pumping a fastball up into the upper 90s again and showing off a nasty mid-80s power slider to go along with his curve and changeup. The plan is for him to get around 20 innings of work this fall.

Wen-Hui Pan, RHP (No. 20): Signed for $350,000 at the start of the 2023 international signing period, Pan pitched very well during his pro debut, reaching High-A Jersey City at the end of his first full season. A broken right pinky finger kept him from returning to the BlueClaws until late July, though he threw well there once he did. He has a fastball that can touch triple digits, a splitter that is his best secondary pitch and an improving slider.

Griff McGarry, RHP (No. 21): As a 2021 college draftee, McGarry is Rule 5 eligible if not protected on the 40-man roster. A move to the bullpen was hopefully going to help him use his power stuff more effectively, but he walked 10.2 per nine in 2024, while striking out 11.9. He¡¯s still cranking his fastball up to 97 mph and misses bats with his cutter/slider.

Christian McGowan, RHP (No. 22): Injuries have hampered McGowan since the Phillies took him in the seventh round of the 2021 Draft out of the junior college ranks. He had Tommy John surgery just two outings into his first full season, then came back late last year and pitched in the AFL. He missed almost two months with a back issue this year, so he¡¯s back in Arizona to again make up for lost innings with a strong sinker-slider combination when he¡¯s healthy. The Phillies have to make a Rule 5 decision on him this year.

Tristan Garnett, LHP: A 6-foot-6 left-hander, Garnett signed as a free agent back in July 2021 at age 23, so he¡¯s Rule 5 eligible this year. He can crank his fastball up to 95-96 mph with a changeup that can miss bats and he has a slider. He missed two months this year and has shown some swing-and-miss stuff (11.9 K/9) but has struggled with his command this year (6.2 BB/9).

Wesley Moore, LHP: Moore spent two years at Cal State Northridge before moving on to Kansas State for two more seasons. He signed with the Phillies as a free agent in November 2022 and pitched well in relief, at age 23, across two levels of A ball. His 2024 season was interrupted by two months on the injured list, but he pitched well for Double-A Reading at the end of the year, not allowing a run over his final nine appearances. He relies heavily on his changeup, throwing it off of his 90-91 mph fastball.