Minor League Games -- May 10th

[phillychuck]

AAA: Worcester at Lehigh Valley (RHP Mick Abel) - 6:45PM
AA: Reading (RHP King) at Binghamton - (underway)
AA: Reading (RHP Mosser) at Binghamton - (Game 2)
High A: Aberdeen at Jersey Shore (RHP Ottenbright) - 4:05PM
Low A: Clearwater (TBD) at St. Lucie - 6:10PM
FCL: FCL Tigers at FCL Phillies (Pacheco) - 10 AM (4-6 loss)

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

Rolling Boxes Here - https://www.mlb.com/prospects/stats/affiliates?teamId=143&date=05/10/202546

[Squire]

Just wanted to say that I’m officially worried about Aidan Miller and am very underwhelmed by the 2024 draft class.

[Austinfan]

Miller is 21 in AA ball, so some struggles aren't a big deal.
Escobar is 20 in low A, tearing it up, which is why he should be in JS.

[owaistabish]

I was as well until I read what BA wrote yesterday:

Aidan Miller, SS, Phillies

After taking the Florida State League by storm to begin 2023, Miller has struggled at points over the last two seasons. It took him some time to get adjusted to High-A last year after promotion, and he’s struggled so far over 25 games with Double-A Reading.

Despite a .216/.321/.330 line, Miller’s underlying data is quite good. His overall line has been a product of poor luck on balls in play with a .281 BABIP rate in 2025. Meanwhile, Miller is showing a balance of plate skills and power. His 18.5% in-zone whiff rate is an above-average number, and his 17.6% chase rate is excellent. Miller is also hitting the ball hard consistently with a 106.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity that is up nearly a full mph year over year, and he’s showing strong launch angles on his hard-hit contact (11.5 degrees) and pullside contact (8.4 degrees). Despite some early struggles, Miller is showing signs of breaking out of his early-season slump

[owaistabish]

Nori double shy of a cycle today.

[Squire]

I’m ready to declare Mick Abel back

[phillychuck]

For sure. Looks confident on the mound, too, which he never did. Product of growing up?

[bkeich]

For sure. Looks confident on the mound, too, which he never did. Product of growing up?

I think that some of the analytics may sometimes hurt young pitchers. I can’t help but wonder if a young guy sees these reports on speed, spin rates, drop, etc and try and work those numbers rather than just pitch and let movement take care of all that. I wonder if maybe Abel got caught up in stuff like that, it has to be tempting.

Everything you do as a pitcher has not just the effect you want, but other effects. If you give a little more twist on a pitch maybe, just maybe, you make it easier to diagnose by good hitters. Sometimes getting more movement is bad if it costs other things or is easier to read.

Pitching is complex, that is one of the reasons relievers have so much variance from season to season (that and small sample size)

[phillychuck]

I saw Abel live two times last year and he looked like a high school kid who accidentally wandered into Coca Cola Park. Terrible mechanics, especially on his fastball, which he consistently threw head high or higher in both games. Looked like a HS kid overthrowing and trying to impress the scouts. He obviously overcame that for this season so far--he really looks poised.

[Matt_Winkelman]

He absolutely did and it is one of the things they worked on with him. He is a perfectionist who got caught up in throwing the perfect pitch, both in terms of location and outcome, but also metrics. They wanted him to just pitch and not dwell on the last pitch.

Painter on the other hand does not care. He knows they exist, but that is more something he does by feel with guidance from the coaches, which is why Cotham and the Phillies pitching dev tends to be really good because they meet these guys at the place they want to be. Some want all the numbers, some want to feel it, and everything else in between.

[xogfog]

I think Abel was hurt by coming up with Painter and he was trying to match him.

[andyb]

Big day for Nori. 4-6, 3B, HR.

[fish]

Nori. 4-6, 3B, HR

The home run was the first time I’ve seen him fire his hips and attack a ball- very much a “whoa” moment. Hope to start seeing more of that. His numbers haven’t been great obviously, but watching him this year he hasnt been struggling, and he seems to have his share of hard hit outs, it’s just that he’s been so handsy the balls he hits hard stick up for an outfielder to catch as opposed to getting past them.

[Austinfan]

They knew it would be a year or two to fix his swing mechanics when they drafted him.
So this is the thing to look for as the season progresses, can he consistently drive the ball and at least develop respectable alley power.

[phillychuck]

Miller was 0/7 with 4 Ks in the Reading DH.

Binghampton took Tong out with 2 out in the seventh and while pitching an active no-hitter, sporting a 6-0 lead in a 7 inning game. Binghampton got the combined no-no.