Minor League Games - April 25, 2023

[Squire]

AAA: Lehigh Valley (TBD) at Jacksonville - 11:05AM
AA: Altoona at Reading (LHP Ethan Lindow) - 11:00AM
High A: Brooklyn at Jersey Shore (LHP Matt Osterberg) - 6:05PM
Low A: St. Lucie at Clearwater (TBD) - 6:30PM

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

Rolling Boxes Here - https://www.mlb.com/prospects/stats/affiliates?teamId=143&date=04/25/2023

[andyb]

Threshers learning to hate the Yankees already.

Yankees, Phillies coaches get physical in on-field brawl

[andyb]

Matinee action today. 2-0 in the early games. Ethan Wilson with his first AA HR. He has only played 5 games because of injury. Solid starts from Skirrow and Lindow.

Former Phillies second round pick Ethan Wilson launches a two-run home run to tie up the game for Reading, it’s his first home run of the season for Wilson in his first home game of the year pic.twitter.com/WAcfv7TnM2

— Mitch Rupert ( @Mitch_Rupert ) April 25, 2023

[schillingfan]

Interesting gramma question there. “Former Phiillies secon round pick” sound like he’s no longer a Phillie.Does one become a former second rounder once a new draft is held? Or is only a former once he leaves the Phillies? Or does he become a former once he reaches the majors?

Would we refer to Aaron Nola as a former Phillies first round pick? I think of things like this when there was no Phillies game the night before.

[phillychuck]

I guess I'd prefer "Phillies' former second round pick" or "2021 Phillies' second round draft pick," but in a tweet I think anything goes...

Is a gramma question about grammar or from a gramma?

[zambonir]

Yup I just would have gone with "second-round pick" or 2021 second-round pick. Not former anything really, unless they trade him that is.

But it's a tweet!

[Matt_Winkelman]

I tend to use former or specify a year for everyone but the most recent pick (and I usually specify then). I think generally it ends up as "former Phillies prospect" and then other things for ex-Phillies unless they are famously ex enough that it is implied.

[zambonir]

"previous" or "'previously a..." would also work. But no rules of grammer or syntax really apply to a tweet (or at least they didn't when tweets were actually a limited-character medium).

[gmwannabe]

either way, it is good to see him connect. does he have a chance?
gm

[Squire]

Decent night on the farm

[gmwannabe]

Poor Dalton Guthrie. I think he has finally realized the Phils like Jake Cave better then him. his batting has dropped like a sack of potatoes.
gm

[andyb]

Orion Kerkering. 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 99-100 MPH most nights. We could have our next Seranthony Dominguez here.

[julio]

Orion Kerkering. 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K, 99-100 MPH most nights. We could have our next Seranthony Dominguez here.

Well, except that he's doing this as a starter. What is his pitch repertoire? If he's basically a fireballer, yeah, I could see a role in the 'pen. If he has decent secondaries, I wouldn't want a potential starter consigned to relief.

KId's got a great name, by the way.

[andyb]

He is a reliever. Those are his season totals. Usually pitching the 8th or 9th inning. He was a college pitcher with better stuff than results (5.72 ERA junior year starting half his appearances for South Florida). Sat 93-94 in college and touched 97. 5th round pick from last year though slightly underslot.

The Phillies almost immediately moved him to reliever and he really profiled as somebody who would move quickly. And now he is sitting 98 and touching 100 at a level (Clearwater) that is too low for a pitcher with his stuff. I imagine they started him at Clearwater to refine his bullpen arsenal, but he still looks like somebody that should be in Jersey Shore now and hopefully Reading in the second half of the year.

[julio]

Thanks, andyb.

[zambonir]

It was actually Pache he lost his MLB roster spot to (after being on it Opening Day). Harrison (another RHB, plays all the same positions as Guthrie except CF) doesn't help either. He'll probably still get a call eventually. He's certainly not falling behind Kingery.

[andyb]

Here is the MLB.com page. #23 on their list. #22 on Matt's list. It is a little rare for an unheralded 5th round pick to get on the next top 30 list after throwing only 7 unremarkable innings after being drafted. Guessing that people noticed his better stuff in instructional league (and to be honest the back end of our top 30 is not that good). Sinker / slider mix is also not completely unlike Seranthony which was my fast moving comparison. High spin rates too.

Phillies Top Prospects

Orion Kerkering ( @Threshers ) struck out 2 batters in last night's victory over Tampa.

In 4.0 IP so far this season, he has 8 Ks and has not given up a run pic.twitter.com/OpdWSAIQPt

— Phillies Player Development ( @PhilsPlayerDev ) April 19, 2023

Video is from a couple of appearances ago but he was touching 100 last night again.

And the recap from Steve Potter:

4/25/23 : Minor League Roundup

[Squire]

I think there is real reason to feel encouraged by the decisions being made about college pitching in the last 2 drafts (McGarry, McGowan, Baker, McFarlane Kerkering)

[fish]

What is his pitch repertoire?

He's got a widow-maker slider. It's unreal how tight and how much lateral movement he get's on it.- lefties and righties don't just miss it, they look bad missing it.

[Matt_Winkelman]

For those that like numbers (numbers are averages unless said otherwise)

4-Seam Fastball (only have 4, so may not fully exist): 99 mph 2367 RPM 16"-17" IVB 8" of run
2-Seam Fastball: 98.3 mph 2343 RPM 16"-17" IVB 12" of run
Slider: 87.6 mph 3029 RPM 0" IVB 16" break (he will manipulate the shape some)

It isn't quite the same fastball and not a perfect comp, but there is a lot of Clay Holmes type things to him for me.