6/4/25 : The stretch to the Mid Point and beyond - part two - the A levels

With the end of the first half of the minor league seasons quickly approaching (6/19 is the anticipated end date for the two A level leagues & 6/22 for AA & AAA) here’s a look around from my perspective at where things stand in Phillies player development and what might occur for the upcoming second half. I broke the narrative into two articles - this one is on the High/Low A and the Florida Complex League. The first article in this two part series was on the AAA/AA levels - here’s the link to that if you missed it - https://www.philliesbaseballfan.com/post/6-2-25-the-minor-league-stretch-to-the-mid-point-and-beyond

High A Jersey Shore BlueClaws : 17-33 - sixth place in the South Atlantic League - North Division

It’s been a struggle to find the win column so far this season for the BlueClaws. They have three series remaining in the first half with no hope of obtaining the initial playoff berth being 18.5 games back. Jersey Shore will conclude the first half with series against Bowling Green, Aberdeen and Hudson Valley with the latter two being at home.

Carson DeMartini has played well in his first full season of professional baseball, he’s been a consistent hitter with a high on base percentage who’s manned time at both shortstop and third base (primarily). Carson is certainly a candidate to bump up to Reading before season’s end. Kehden Hettiger has hit better at High A then he did at Low A,he already has as many home runs as he did all of last season, finishing the year strong with the BlueClaws will bode well for future plans. Bryan Rincon  continues to struggle putting up offensive numbers yet there’s flashes of pop, defensively he’s very solid at shortstop. Luis Caicuto has produced offensively in a backup catcher role, perhaps deserves more PT going forward. Devin Saltiban, Raylin Heredia and John Spikerman are all in Clearwater at the complex working back from injuries - Heredia and Spikerman are closer to returning - getting all three back would boost the second half outlook.

RH Jaydenn Estanista has pitched well in back end relief and likely gets a bump up to Reading at some point. Right handed starters Alex McFarlane and Casey Steward have the talent to pitch at higher levels, both are searching for consistency at this point. RH Brandon Beckel has been very solid all season as a bulk reliever putting himself in line for a potential shot at the next level. LH Erubiel Armenta is back from extended injury list time - his ability to hide the baseball in his delivery along with decent stuff could earn him a promotion - just a matter of throwing strikes and much needed time on the mound, he takes the ball everyday. RH Andrew Baker and LH Wesley Moore have talent yet struggled with Reading - they are now with Jersey Shore to re-set. A wise pitching coach once told me to never give up on talent. RH Aaron Combs and LH Mavis Graves are also talented, they have also had their struggles - both figure to spend the balance of the season with the BlueClaws to work thru their progression. RH reliever Saul Teran threw the baseball extremely well in Clearwater and earned a promotion to show what he can do at High A. Right handed pitchers Nathan Karaffa, Alex Rao, Danyony Pulido andGuissepe Velasquez are all in various stages of rehab recovery with Pulido and Velasquez very close to returning - getting any of them on the Jersey Shore roster would be a help. Both Pulido and Velasquez are listed on the Clearwater roster but in my humble opinion are High A level ready.

Low A Clearwater Threshers : 29-23 - second place in the Florida State League - West Division

For the past two seasons the Threshers have won the west division first half championship and associated playoff berth. This year’s team is also in the mix presently trailing Lakeland by 2.5 games with contests remaining with Bradenton (home), Tampa (away) and Dunedin (home) before the first half concludes.

Most everyone knows of standout players Aroon Escobar (second base) and Eduardo Tait (catcher). Both are legit all around players who’ve had great first halves in their first full year assignments to a full-season roster.  It will be interesting to see what Player Development leadership decides on their more immediate development paths as it’s my belief both are more than capable of continuing to shine at the next level in the near future, I’d expect at least one of them to be afforded the opportunity but wouldn’t be surprised if it’s both.

Brady Day (third base), Avery Owusu-Asiedu (LF/CF), Raider Tello (INF) and Kodey Shojinaga (C/1B) have all been solid contributors, each could merit a bump up at some point but I think it’s more likely they remain with the Threshers for a bit. I think the year to year progression that Avery in particular has shown is well beyond what the stats reflect. Both Dante Nori and Griffin Burkholder have had struggles in their first full season as pros but when ya watch everyday the talent is evident, there’s a need for experience and repetition with a full season at Clearwater if it comes to that not being a bad thing - both are hard workers, the talent will eventually shine more - patience. Outfielder Tjayy Walton is working his way back from injury, just started a FCL rehab assignment this week.

Right handers Ryan Degges, Luke Gabrysh, Ryan Dromboski, Sam Highfill, Reese Dutton, Titan Hayes and lefties Kevin Warunek and AJ Wilson have each shown their abilities in various roles in their first full season as pro pitchers. Degges has outstanding numbers as does Dromboski. Plans for each could also vary in regard to the balance of the season but generally it’s not likely multiple promotions take place until the next draft class filters into the roster in late July/early August. Returning RH reliever Jose Pena Jr has pitched great thus far and likely gets a bump to the next level at some point. RH Jake Eddington has been used primarily as a bulk reliever, he too could get a trip north before season’s end.  Right handers Marty Gair and Zack Tukis are upper nineties power arms - each in their first full season of play - they need the experience to find repeatable mechanics - that likely comes by finishing the year with the Threshers but a hot run could alter that. Right handers Orlando Gonzalez and Adilson Peralta have performed well after being brought up from the FCL.  RH Luis Avila is a big arm who was transferred back from Jersey Shore for a re-set as he has struggled with both control and command.

FCL Phillies : 6-17 - fourth place - Florida Complex League - North Division

The club has struggled mightily on defense as they lead the loop in the inauspicious stat of fielding errors and have committed nearly twice as many as the next club in the rankings. They are a young crew with twelve teenage players on the roster including one seventeen year old and seven eighteen year olds - growing pains will occur.

Catcher Alirio Ferrebus draws a lot of rival scouts attention - he’s a very good player who can hit, hit for power and excel defensively. With him it’s a matter of getting game repetition, this is the third pro season for the nineteen year old, we should see him at the Low A level before the season ends. Francisco Loreto, Manolfi Jimenez and Victor Cardoza have had shining moments offensively as has Isais Dipre and Jorge Julio.

On the mound I’ve enjoyed watching the progression of lefties Juan Amarante and Angel Liranzo - both are Ranger Suarez clones in their approach - Liranzo just turned 18 - one definitely to watch. Right hander Brad Pacheco has battled command in his first five outings but the stuff can play - has very little mound time to date in his career - time will tell who he is as he garners more innings. Right hander Ramon Marquez has been interesting, has thrown really well in his appearances to date.

Experience is the best teacher, they’ve got a great guide in Manager Shawn Williams who keeps the team upbeat. It’s likely many of this year’s team returns next season as well to the backfields - I think the results will be much different if so - ya only need to look at the FCL Jays from last season to this one to see a comparable.

My last opinion piece for the season - I’ll stick to generic reporting to finish the year out.

Happy Day, Happy Baseball ⚾️

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