Minor League Games - April 20th, 2025

[Squire]

AAA: Lehigh Valley (TBD) at Gwinnett - 1:05PM
AA: Binghamton at Reading (RHP Moises Chace) - 1:15PM
High A: Jersey Shore (RHP Estibenzon Jimenez) at Greensboro - 2:00PM
Low A: Clearwater (TBD) at Palm Beach - 12:30PM

Rolling Scores Here - https://www.milb.com/scores/2025-04-20/all/all/phillies

Rolling Boxes Here - https://www.mlb.com/prospects/stats/affiliates?teamId=143&date=04/20/2025

[phillychuck]

Let’s rally from yesterday’s wipeout...

[andyb]

Not much from the prospects today beyond 3 hits for Escobar pulling the average over .400. I worry a little about his defense. Looks like a guy that will settle into Curtis Mead territory with his ML impact being based on his bat. He is the primary second baseman for Clearwater but his range factor is really low and the eye test thinks he'll end up at 3B or LF most likely. Miller and Crawford both had 2 hits as well.

[Austinfan]

Given that Stott is settling in at the leadoff spot and is a plus fielding 2B, Escobar ending up at 3B or even LF (where they could use a RH bat) isn't the end of the world.

Question is when will he be promoted to JS?

[andyb]

Question is when will he be promoted to JS?

Why are you obsessed with his promotion He's barely had a cup of tea at Clearwater. He has many things to learn defensively, on the bases, and even offensively. His walk rate is pretty low so he'll have to start adjusting to people pitching around him.

Sticking a young and inexperienced player at a level for most of the year to learn things is not the worst thing in the world.

[Austinfan]

He showed in ST that he can handle higher level pitching, the kind of pitchers he saw were typical of AAA ball.
At some point they'll want to challenge him, hitting .400 in Clearwater is nice, but after a month or two not going to aid in his development.

[zambonir]

Given that Stott hits free agency in 2028 I don't think they have to make any developmental decisions in A ball based on him right now. Maybe if they extend him this off-season (but the Boras guys rarely do that).

[phillychuck]

Maybe Escobar will do the Von Hayes jump from A-ball to the big leagues...Garrett Crochet and Ryan Johnson went directly to the big leagues after being drafted IIRC.

[andyb]

He showed in ST that he can handle higher level pitching, the kind of pitchers he saw were typical of AAA ball.
At some point they'll want to challenge him, hitting .400 in Clearwater is nice, but after a month or two not going to aid in his development.

There is much much more to the game than the hit tool. The Phillies need to develop all parts of his game and rushing a guy with very little experience who is not a can't miss 5-tool player would be a huge mistake. And upper level pitching might just carve him up for awhile. He probably will have to adjust a bunch just to keep hitting well at Clearwater much less higher levels at this point. If he earns a promotion after 300 or so plate appearances where his defense improves I might think about promoting him. But otherwise, rushing a 20-year-old kid with big gaps in his game would be a mistake.

[andyb]

Garrett Crochet and Ryan Johnson went directly to the big leagues after being drafted IIRC.

Usually that works out poorly though. And Crochet was 21 in a year where there were no minor leagues and they thought he could survive in the bullpen in a messed up COVID year with expanded rosters. Johnson is 22 and pitching also in a reduced bullpen role for a bad team.

Escobar is only 20 and has been hurt half of his professional career so he has little experience. And huge defensive challenges to master. He is nowhere near as polished as Miller for instance. I think he'll get to Jersey Shore this year but it will be late in the season. And I also think he'll have growing pains when pitchers stop throwing him as many strikes.

Note Escobar has a .500 BABIP so far. Regression to the mean will happen (even if he is having a great year)

[Austinfan]

There's a big difference between jumping to JS v to the majors.

JS will be more challenging, but it's not that much better than the FCL.
Still dealing with pitchers who primarily throw FBs and struggle to get breaking balls over the plate.
It's really not until AAA that you see good breaking stuff on a regular basis (all those AAA+ pitchers who lack ML FBs but have sliders, curves and changeups).

[Squire]

Aroon Escobar #8 on BA Hot Sheet (4/21/2025)

Escobar was one of the brightest prospects in the Florida Complex League in 2024, stopped only by a pair of shin splints that ended his season. Fully healed, Escobar has picked up where he left off in his first taste of full-season ball. His 11-hit outburst this past week solidified his standing as one of the best hitters in the season’s early days. He’s one of three hitters in the FSL batting better than .400, and his on-base percentage (.456) and slugging percentage (.673) each rank among the league’s top 10. His 21 hits are tied with St. Lucie’s A.J. Ewing for the top spot. (JN)

Dylan Campbell #11 on BA Hot Sheet (4/21/2025)

Campbell started off the week recording the second multi-homer game of his career by going deep in back-to-back innings. He also drove in five runs that night, setting a new career high. On Friday night, he had another five-RBI game, which included slugging his third homer of the week. Acquired in a trade from the Dodgers for international pool money, Campbell flashed his power and speed skillset last year by being just one just eight minor leaguers to finish the year with 20 or doubles, 10 or more homers and 40 or more stolen bases. (JC)

[Austinfan]

Campbell is under the radar right now, but he could be one of those multi-faceted utility guys who can play different spots as needed and provide both power and speed off the bench. So he doesn't have to project to being a starter to have value.

[Squire]

Campbell named South Atlantic League Player of the Week

https://x.com/PhilsPlayerDev/status/1914380377713729613

[BaseballCat]

So how did we get Campbell? I only a find future considerations. Why did the dodgers give up on him? Hope someone here knows. Saw him play this weekend in Greensboro.

[zambonir]

We gave the Dodgers some of their Sasaki money.

[Squire]

This is correct. We traded an international pool slot so the Dodgers could offer Sasaki a little more money

[andyb]

It was several slots. I think it was a million dollars. Not sure we were connected with anyone good enough to justify those slots (at least in January), but we did get a top 30 prospect so a relatively fair value.

Campbell is repeating the level, so he is actually someone that hopefully earns a promotion relatively quickly. Reintroducing him to 2B is probably a good idea too so that might delay things a bit.

Meanwhile, one more promotion from DSL in Cesar Mujica. $700K catcher signed in 2024 though he struggled offensively last season. I am a little worried we have not seen Jalvin Arias yet who was the big signing in that class. He was hurt much of last season.

4/21/25 : Extended Spring Training (XST) notes

[Matt_Winkelman]

Arias has played in DSL intrasquads and I was not impressed. I did think Anderson Navas who was a hot sleeper last year looked much better in a very small sample size.

Mujica is a player I liked more the more I watched him. It is a solid swing and he is a good catcher.

[owaistabish]

Any word on Josueth Quinonez? He hit over .300 last year in DSL. Also walked as much as he K'd (15 each), so very very good year.