We continue our weekly check-in on the Phillies’ future down at the farm.
In this edition, we won’t lead off with an arm from Reading’s stacked rotation or the highly publicized bat of Maikel Franco.
Instead, meet a 19-year-old outfield prospect that is setting fields afire at Single A Lakewood.
Carlos Tocci, CF, Single A Lakewood
Tocci, the Phillies’ 19th-ranked prospect by MLB.com, is a lissome but talent-laden centerfielder raking for the BlueClaws. The 6-foot-2, 160-pounder went 14 for 25 (.560) last week and is leading the South Atlantic League in batting (.400) and on-base percentage (.476). Tocci, who the Phillies signed as a 16-year-old in 2011 out of Venezuela, also scored eight runs last week, is 9 for 9 in stolen base attempts on the season and has walked more (10) than he’s stuck out (8). An exciting, young prospect.
Maikel Franco, 3B, Triple A Lehigh Valley
Alright, now we’ll get to Franco. The 22-year-old had a relatively quiet week, going 6 for 25 (.240) with one extra-base hit and one RBI. Franco is still batting .310 on the season and is second in the International League with 31 hits. However, he continues to swing and miss at a decent clip with 23 strikeouts to five walks. Since April 14, he’s walked once, but the hits have kept coming.
Domonic Brown, RF, Triple A Lehigh Valley
No one expected Brown on this list before the season started, but the Phillies have him in Triple A to figure out his swing after he opened the season on the disabled list with Achilles tendonitis. Last week, Brown went 6 for 25 (.240) with four RBIs, four strikeouts and three stolen bases. He’s hitting .179 with one homer for the IronPigs, but if you’re looking for positives, he hasn’t made an error in the field and has a pair of outfield assists.
J.P. Crawford, SS, Single A Clearwater
Not to get you too excited, because Crawford (oblique strain) hasn’t played yet, but the shortstop is set to come off the disabled list this week. Crawford is the Phillies’ top-rated prospect and the 22nd-ranked prospect in baseball according to MLB.com. Crawford will start at High A, where he hit .275 with a .759 OPS and eight home runs in 63 games last season after earning the call-up from Lakewood. The Phillies' hope is that Crawford reaches Double A for the first time in 2015.
MLB
Roman Quinn, CF, Double A Reading
Given the season he’s having, we have to check in on Quinn. The speedster went 5 for 25 (.200) last week and has 11 strikeouts and no walks in his last nine games. The 21-year-old is still hitting .314, thanks to his torrid start, and has 10 steals in 13 attempts.
Aaron Nola, RHP, Double A Reading
Nola continues to impress start after start. On Tuesday in Reading’s 3-2 win over Richmond, the Phillies’ top pitching prospect went seven innings and allowed one earned run in picking up the victory. He struck out five, walked none and fired 62 strikes in 87 pitches. In his last three outings, the 21-year-old has a 1.35 ERA, 16 strikeouts and one walk.
Ben Lively, RHP, Double A Reading
Lively has followed Nola’s lead, tossing a pair of quality starts last week. In total, the 23-year-old went 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA, 16 strikeouts and two walks. Lively, who owns a Reading-best 2.16 ERA, has held right-handers to a .209 batting average.
Tom Windle, LHP, Double A Reading
Windle, unlike Nola and Lively, had an outing to forget this past week. In Reading’s 4-1 loss Saturday to Richmond, Windle walked seven batters in two innings but somehow didn’t allow a run. Those two frames were all he lasted, though. The 23-year-old product of the Jimmy Rollins trade is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in four starts to go along with 12 free passes and a 1.60 WHIP.
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Single A Lakewood
Want another player blistering at Lakewood? How about Hoskins, who after hitting three homers over a 6-for-7 stretch the previous week, went 12 for 25 (.480) last week with a homer, seven RBIs and five multi-hit games. He’s hitting .345 on the season and is second in the South Atlantic League with 51 total bases.
Brandon Leibrandt, LHP, Single A Clearwater
Leibrandt, the Phillies’ 28th-ranked prospect, per MLB.com, threw six innings of two-hit, one-run ball in the Threshers’ 8-2 win over Dunedin on Saturday. The lefty struck out nine and is tied for fifth in the Florida State League with 28 strikeouts. In five starts this season, the 22-year-old has a 1.74 ERA and .185 opponents’ batting average.