Future Phillies Report: International prospects making strides

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We continue our weekly check-in on the Phillies’ future down at the farm.

We touched on Aaron Nola, Carlos Tocci and Cornelius Randolph in this abbreviated Future Phillies Report last weekend.

But in this full edition, we lead off with a trio of international pitchers showing promise.

Elniery Garcia, LHP, Single A Lakewood
Garcia is the Phillies’ 25th-ranked prospect by MLB.com and pitched like it over his last two outings. Garcia, 20, has thrown back-to-back starts of seven shutout innings, improving to 6-6 with a 3.08 ERA, 44 strikeouts and 23 walks. Garcia, who the Phillies signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2011, features a low-90s fastball to go with a curveball and changeup. On Sunday, the Phillies acquired the No. 1 international slot in a trade with the Diamondbacks. “We’re trying to do some things with international players,” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. Garcia is one with potential.

Franklyn Kilome, RHP, Class A Short Season Williamsport
Speaking of young international pitchers, Kilome is another one. The 20-year-old oozes with upside and is a top-10 prospect within the Phillies’ organization by MLB.com and Baseball America. The 6-foot-6, 175-pounder is 2-0 with a 0.54 ERA in his first three starts with the Crosscutters. Per FanGraphs.com, Kilome’s fastball is gaining ticks into the mid-90s and his off-speed stuff is developing.

Ricardo Pinto, RHP, Single A Clearwater
And Pinto, a top-15 Phillies prospect by MLB.com and Baseball America, is 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA in his first three starts at High A Clearwater after being promoted from Low A Lakewood. Pinto, also 20 years old, is known to attack hitters and can rack up strikeouts with a fastball-changeup-slider arsenal.

J.P. Crawford, SS, Double A Reading
Crawford’s development is running along smoothly. His batting average has slipped slightly to .275 at Reading, but he still has more walks (25) than strikeouts (17) to the tune of a .375 on-base percentage. And not just with the bat, Crawford, one of baseball’s top prospects, is also dazzling with the glove.

Tom Windle, LHP, Double A Reading
It’s worth noting Windle, a product of the Jimmy Rollins trade, made two relief appearances last week, a sign that the 23-year-old is out of the Reading rotation. Windle, the Phillies’ fifth-ranked prospect by MLB.com, has struggled as a starter, going 2-5 with a 5.35 ERA, 43 strikeouts, 40 walks and a .297 opponents’ batting average.

Ben Lively, RHP, Double A Reading
Lively is throwing well, as he’s 3-1 with a 3.24 ERA over his last four starts. On the season, Lively, the return in the Marlon Byrd trade, is 7-6 with a 3.76 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 31 walks.

Gabriel Lino, C, Triple A Lehigh Valley
Lino, arguably the Phillies’ top catching prospect and known more for his defense, is coming along with the bat. In his last five games, the 22-year-old is 8 for 22 (.364) with four doubles and four RBIs. In 23 games with the IronPigs, Lino, a piece of the Jim Thome trade, is hitting .291.

Aaron Altherr, CF, Triple A Lehigh Valley
Altherr has not cooled down, as the 24-year-old is hitting .327 in his first 13 games at Triple A Lehigh Valley, with two home runs and 10 RBIs. A nice, advanced outfield option for the Phillies to keep an eye on.

Kelly Dugan, RF, Double A Reading
Dugan is hitless in his last 13 at-bats, but still batting .341 at Double A Reading, which goes to show you how hot the Phillies’ 2009 top pick was in his first 18 games.

Matt Imhof, LHP, Single A Clearwater
Imhof, the Phillies’ second pick in 2014 after Nola, threw six innings of one-hit ball in the Threshers’ 3-0 win over Tampa last Friday. The 21-year-old did not allow a run, while walking four and striking out three.

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