4/12/25 : For Starters - Phillies Minor Leagues

Players who have gotten off to good starts to the 2026 regular season.

Lehigh Valley : (9-6)

The IronPigs have a veteran roster and the experience of the players has shown thus far. Sergio Alcantara (29 yr old 2B/SS) has a .468 OBP with 8 hits and 14 walks in his first 47 plate appearances. Twenty nine year old outfielder Bryan De La Cruz (62 PA’s - 3 HR’s) and 24 year old infielder Christian Cairo (67 PA’s) have also shown great patience at the plate with 11 and 16 walks respectively. Cairo has a .418 OBP. Outfielder Pedro Leon (27 years old) reached base in all 12 games he played in with 13 hits and 6 walks in 53 PA’s before going on the IL on Saturday with a hamstring injury. Catcher Garrett Stubbs (32 years old) has a .333/.455/.833 slash line in five games (22 PA’s) including 3 doubles and 2 home runs. Outfielder Felix Reyes (25 yrs old) has hit the baseball with authority as he’s done his entire career - he’s posted 5 doubles and 3 home runs in his first 64 PA’s and has a .541 slugging percentage and .311 batting average and has a ten game hitting streak. The International League (AAA) average age for position players is 26.2 - Lehigh Valley’s average age is 27.2

Twenty eight year old RHP Connor Gillispie has had an outstanding start - in three appearances (13 IP) he’s yet to yield a run and has posted 15 K’s against just 3 walks. RHP Alan Rangel (28 yrs old) has a 1.08 ERA in three starts (16.2 IP) and 32 year old RH reliever Trevor Richards has a 1.13 ERA in five appearances (8 IP) and a 0.25 WHIP with 16 K’s and one walk. The International League (AAA) average age for pitchers is 27.3 - Lehigh Valley’s average age is 28.8

Reading : (4-5)

Twenty-seven year old Austin Murr was selected in the minor league portion of the Rule Five Draft this past December from the Tigers organization - he’s posted a .379/.419/.517 slash line in 31 plate appearances. Dante Nori (21 years old) has yet to play the field as he suffered a shoulder injury while playing in the WBC that has prevented him from throwing - however he’s DH’d in seven games (32 PA’s) and has produced a .355/.375/.581 slash line with eleven hits including two doubles, a triple and home run. Jordan Dissin (23 yr old catcher) is 5 for 13 (.385) in the four games he’s played. Shortstop Bryan Rincon (22 yrs old) had a strong spring training camp and has started the year with a .364 OBP (6 hits, 6 walks in 33 PA’s) with six stolen bases. Infielder Aroon Escobar (21 yrs old) has a .294 batting average and .385 OBP (10 hits, 4 walks) in 39 PA’s. Alex Binelas (25 yrs old) leads the club with three home runs in eight games played. The Eastern League (AA level) average age for position players is 23.9 - Reading’’s average age is 23.2

Lefty Adam Seminaris (27 yrs old) has been solid in his two starts (10.2 IP) with 15 K’s, 3 walks and a 2.53 ERA. Right hander Luke Russo (25 yrs old) went five innings in his initial start yielding one run while RH Braydon Tucker (26 yrs old) has been excellent in two starts (9 IP, 14 K’s, 5 walks, 1.00 ERA). RH Chuck King (28 yrs old) has thrown nine frames in his first two starts (1.00 ERA, 8 K’s, 2 BB). The bullpen has nine pitchers with three or more appearances led by hard throwing twenty four year old Alex McFarlane (four games, no runs allowed - 4 IP) and veterans twenty seven year old Colin Peluse  (four games - one run - 4 IP), RH Levi Stoudt (28 yrs old) - three games, no runs - 5 IP and RH Lenny Torres Jr (25 yrs old) with three appearances- no runs in 3 IP. The Eastern League (AA) average age for pitchers is 25 - Reading’s average age is 26.8 which is the oldest average in the league.

Jersey Shore : (5-3)

C/1B Kodey Shojinaga (23 yrs old) has five hits and nine walks in his first 28 plate appearances of the season (.500 OBP), SS Jose Colmenares (24 yrs old) is hitting .348 (8 for 23) and has a .444 OBP in 27 PA’s. 2B/3B Brady Day (24 yrs old) has seven hits and seven walks in his 34 PA’s to date (.424 OBP). Center fielder Devin Saltiban (21 yrs old) has already posted three triples in his first 37 PA’s. The South Atlantic League (High A level) average age for position players is 22.1 - Jersey Shore’s average age is 23.5 which is the oldest average in the league.

Twenty-two year old RHP Luke Gabrysh has a 1.29 ERA in two starts (seven IP) and a 0.86 WHIP with 13 K’s and just one walk. RH Sam Highfill (25 yrs old) has yet to yield a run in two starts (8 IP). The bullpen has pitched very well highlighted by RH Brandon Beckel (24 yrs old) with two appearances (four IP - 7 K’s, 0 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.50 WHIP), RH Aaron Combs  (24 yrs old) with two appearances (three IP - 5 K’s, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, RH Jake Eddington  (24 yrs old) with three appearances (four IP, 0.00 ERA) and RH Danyony Pulido  (23 yrs old) with two appearances (three IP - 5 K’s, 1 BB, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP. The South Atlantic League average age for pitchers is 23.2 - Jersey Shore’s average age is 23.3.

Clearwater : (5-4)

Catcher Alirio Ferrebus (20 yrs old) has seven hits (including two doubles) and three walks in his first 23 PA’s for a .450 OBP while 1B Jaeden Calderon  (20 yrs old) has five hits and two walks in his first 23 PA’s - I remember Calderon working diligently with coach Roly de Armas last year at the complex to get off the injured list and back to action, he’s a good hitter with power and a very good fielder at first base. The Florida State League (AA level) average age for position players is 21.3 - Clearwater’s average age is 21.4.

Pitching has been strong in Clearwater’s initial games - RH Gage Wood (22 yrs old) has illogically impatient fans already clamoring for a promotion after his first two starts - 7.1 IP, 1.23 ERA, 15 K’s, 2 BB, 0.68 WHIP - he’s been dominant. RH Sean Youngerman (21 yrs old) has piggybacked Wood in both outings and has a 1.35 ERA in 6.2 IP with 6 K’s and a walk (0.60 WHIP) while lefty Zuher Yousef (19 yrs old) - two appearances, 6 IP, 1.50 ERA has also pitched well. RH Tanner Gresham (24 yrs old) was solid in his first start. RH Christian McGowan (26 yrs old) has 2.2 scoreless innings under his belt in two rehab appearances returning from labrum surgery and rehab. RH Brian Walters has went six scoreless frames in his first two pro outings - the 23 year old has big arm stuff. RH Brad Pacheco (20 yrs old) is also a big arm hurler - he’s posted a 1.29 ERA in his first two outings (7 IP) with a 0.71 WHIP. The bullpen has been led by fireballing RH Tyler Bowen (23 yrs old) - three appearances - 3 IP, 0.00 ERA, 4 K’s, 1 BB and LH Camron Hill (22 yrs old) - two appearances - 2 IP, 0.00 ERA - Camron’s velocity is registering in the mid nineties as a reliever. Both RH Keegan Batka (23 yrs old) and RH Richie Cortese (22 yrs old) have made three relief appearances (3.2 IP each) posting 0.00 ERA’s. The Florida State League (AA level) average age for pitchers is 22.4 - Clearwater’s average age is 22.5.

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️

Gage Wood

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