An inside look at the Phillies top prospects.
(MLBPipeline lists the top 30 prospects on each team’s website. While biding time waiting for baseball to resume, Steve Potter will provide his views of these young players. A Clearwater resident, his passion is seeing and following these prospects in person. Normally, Spectrum Field and Carpenter Complex are his second homes. His 4th Annual Phillies Minor League Digest is on sale at www.amazon.com.)
SS Arquimedes Gamboa
Phillies #28 prospect according to MLB.com … 22 years old … signed 7/17/14 as an international free agent from Guiria, Venezuela ... he’s a switch hitter
This spring when watching infield drills on the backfields of Carpenter Complex quite a few fans would ask who the slick fielding young man at shortstop was ... the answer was consistently the same. Arquimedes is a very gifted defender, quick hands, fluid movements, excellent reads and a strong arm ... he’s very capable of playing infield defensively at the highest level.
Gamboa has struggled throughout his career offensively, we’ve seen him play at both Clearwater and Reading ... to date he’s been unable to put up numbers at the plate ... what’s promising is that he’s shown flashes of ability, the young man is a gifted athlete and we’ve seen him drive the baseball ... it’s there ... just hasn’t been consistent
He’s been on the 40 man roster for two Spring camps now, this year he went 4 for 14 and again flashed the skill set that makes him intriguing ...
Projection: the defensive game plays and he’s capable of delivering at each of the infield positions ... can be an elite fielder at shortstop ... needs to find consistency in approach in multiple areas to advance ... preparation , offensive approach and demeanor. The tools are there ...