2019-2020 Winter Leagues

andyb 2019-08-20 21:00:43 UTC #1

Not giving up on the season. It is just never to early to start reporting winter news: Glogoski to play in the ABL one more time next season. Pretty sure it is because of the one team in New Zealand he plays for. He really could be ready for a stronger league like the Dominican if they wanted to test him:

julio 2019-08-20 21:07:37 UTC #2

He's going home for the winter (summer in NZ). Can't say as I blame him.

andyb 2019-08-21 18:26:17 UTC #3

PhuturePhillies message board has a note from a friend of Moniak saying that he is going to the Arizona League along with Howard, Bohm, and Maton. Even if the rest is secondary prospects this will be our most promising contingent in Arizona in a little while.

Squire 2019-08-28 20:15:07 UTC #4

Zo says Bohm, Howard, Seabold and Romero headed to the AFL (not that his tweet excludes any others either)

Squire 2019-08-28 20:16:18 UTC #5

Ok....confirmed that Moniak and Nick Maton are the other two guys.

Easily our most important AFL class in a long long while.

Phillies (Scottsdale): Alec Bohm, 3B/1B (No. 1, MLB No. 35); Spencer Howard, RHP (No. 4); Mickey Moniak, OF (No. 8); JoJo Romero, LHP (No. 10); Nick Maton, SS/2B (No. 14); Connor Seabold, RHP (No. 30)

nycphils 2019-08-28 20:43:54 UTC #6

JoJo might have been our biggest disappointment in a tough year, though Medina might be even moreso given expectations. Here’s hoping he makes progress in the AFL.

andyb 2019-09-16 15:13:36 UTC #7

Instructional League games against other teams today:

Plus the Arizona League starts Friday. This is our best contingent in years. Supposedly Howard is scheduled to start Friday (for Scottsdale). He has not had too many innings this year so the Phillies might be OK with letting him pitch a half dozen times (3-5 innings per outing most likely).

Athletic article adds that Howard will make 5 starts. 5 IP/75 pitch max in each start.

andyb 2019-09-16 16:15:18 UTC #8

Last bit of Arizona news. Zach Warren and Josh Stephen added also for a total of 8 players there:
https://twitter.com/Matt_Winkelman/status/1173605205725855744

Philsmania 2019-09-16 18:01:22 UTC #9

Some have wondered if Medina was hurt since he dropped off so badly. I've wondered that about Romero since he breezed through the lowest levels of the system before dropping off dramatically this season.

andyb 2019-09-16 18:37:42 UTC #10

Romero's velocity has tended to vary substantially from start to start. Supposedly much better later in the year. I was a big fan of Romero coming up because he was on the young side for each level and the reports on his athleticism were also very good, making it plausible that he could repeat his delivery at upper levels.

The counter to that is relatively polished lefties tend to do very well in the lower minors, certainly through High A ball. Younger hitters may not have seen too much quality left-handed pitching so guys like Romero can put up really good statistical lines even if their stuff would have more trouble at upper levels. Lindow could be in this category too unless his stuff ticks up a bit. I have more hope for Erik Miller as his stuff seems legit and his issues in college were more on the command side.

andyb 2019-09-16 21:19:20 UTC #11

Starting in early November is the Americas qualifying tournament for the 2020 Olympics. Bohm was mentioned as possibly on the team on the game telecast Saturday night. Non 40-man roster players only, so Bohm would be among the best of young prospects eligible. Could be a full winter for him if he is in Arizona through late October.

https://premier12.wbsc.org/2019

andyb 2019-09-19 20:32:31 UTC #12

Arizona started yesterday. Moniak (1-5) and Maton (1-4, 2B, 3K) started. Stephen only pinch ran. Howard starts tomorrow. Other leagues do not start till October.

http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2019_09_18_scowin_msswin_1&t=g_box&sid=l119

Edit - Seabold starting today also.

kmc1019 2019-09-20 14:56:01 UTC #13

Great day for Phillies prospects in AFL yesterday, led by Seabold and Bohm. More here:

Also a blurb from Baseball America on Alec Bohm's 4-hit game in Arizona yesterday:

"Bohm had four hits in five at-bats for Scottsdale. He collected three base knocks and a double, driving in two runs and coming around to score once as well. The infielder hit well during the minor league season, but this was his first four-hit performance this year."

phillychuck 2019-09-20 15:08:55 UTC #14

AFL Stats Page for Scottsdale:

mdougherty12 2019-09-21 07:26:53 UTC #15

Spencer Howard & Nick Maton with good games in Friday AFL action:

bigegypt0417 2019-09-21 12:32:20 UTC #16

Phillies prospects having a good start in the AFL.

andyb 2019-09-21 13:14:06 UTC #17

Maton may be the one legit prospect we just never notice that much. He is one of those guys who gets labeled a utility prospect but also is one of those players who grades around 50 in all the tools. And that could be a 20-HR 2B if everything falls into place. Decent defense. A little speed and power and age appropriate at all levels.

Separately it looks like the Arizona League is much better this year (and not just for the Phillies). They moved the start from early October into September so players don't have a month off before the season. This means players are closer to their in-season form when they get there and also get a 3-month rest after the season. There was no reason for them to go to instructional league and then to Arizona as they used to do.

nycphils 2019-09-21 14:45:10 UTC #18

It wouldn’t surprise me if Maton is groomed for the Kingery/Zobrist role so that Kingery can play either 2B or CF full time.

We already know Maton is a passable shortstop based on the evaluations I’ve read, and also can play 2B. If he can do a decent job as a CF/LF and, if he has the arm, even 3B and RF he’d been a terrific addition who has the profile to slash .260/.340/.400 in the majors (he’s listed at 6’1” but only 165 lbs so room to fill out as he’s only 22), although the Phillies org hasn’t exactly shown that they know how to help kids develop their physiques (Tocci, Gamboa, etc - Moniak being a counter example).

andyb 2019-09-21 14:58:39 UTC #19

I look at Maton and see the type of player the Dodgers have success turning into Chris Taylor types. He does not have Taylor's speed, but the hit tool and power and defense might be all there. He is just not that flashy in terms of tools. This was a bit JP Crawford's problem in impressing people. When you have 50 grade tools nothing stands out. Crawford probably has a couple above-50 tools (defense, arm), but the main point is that prospects with loud tools get noticed. Players that do everything well and nothing poorly are often prospects that get better as they mature. FWIW Haseley probably fits this category too. Solid everywhere, spectacular nowhere.

julio 2019-09-23 21:12:21 UTC #20

3 posts were merged into an existing topic: 2019 Phillies Season Discussion (part 2)