Phillies Prospect Report: Alfaro, Hoskins, Kingery off to strong starts

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Rhys Hoskins (1B) & Scott Kingery (2B) are off to hot starts at the plate this season

By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor

The Philadelphia Phillies aren't off to the start they hoped for, posting a 4-8 record through the first weeks of the season. The two higher level minor league affiliates are struggling out of the gates as well, with Lehigh Valley sitting at 5-6 and Reading at at 4-5. Meanwhile, Clearwater (8-3) and Lakewood (6-5) are off to promising starts in their 140 game campaigns. With the big league club struggling to stay consistent offensively, it won't be long before fans start looking to the minor league to see who might be a viable replacement for someone at the Major League level. 

Let's take a look at how the Baseball America Phillies Top 10 Prospects are starting off this season:

1. J.P. Crawford (SS, Triple-A) - The No. 1 prospect in the organization is not off to a great start this season for the Ironpigs at all. After posting a .244 average last season in Triple-A, Crawford is hitting just .086 (3-for-35) through the first 10 games with Lehigh Valley. Plate discipline is normally Crawford's saving grace, but he's struck out 12 times to just five walks this season so far. He's tallied a triple, scored a run and driven in a run, but if the Phils' top farmhand plans to make it to the bigs this year, we're going to need to see vast improvement at the Triple-A level.

2. Mickey Moniak (OF, Class 'A') - Following an impressive stint in 2016 with the GCL Phillies, the 2016 top pick started his season with Class 'A' Lakewood and has picked up right where he left off. After hitting .284 in 46 games last season, Moniak is slashing .302/.400/.395 with four doubles, seven RBI's and six runs scored. Moniak, 18, went 4-for-11 with a double and three walks in Lakewood's four-game series with Greensboro the past four days.

3. Jorge Alfaro (C, Triple-A) - The Phillies top catching prospect got some valuable playing time in Spring Training while also getting to play with his native Columbia during the World Baseball Classic. His 2017 season is off to a strong start offensively, as the 23-year-old backstop is hitting .361 with a double, triple, homer and five RBI's. If he continues to stay hot at the plate, it could provide the Phillies with another catching option if Cameron Rupp and Andrew Knapp continue to struggle.

4. Nick Williams (OF, Triple-A) - Williams, 23, is coming off of his best games of the season on Sunday, going a combined 4-for-6 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI's in Lehigh Valley's doubleheader against Pawtucket. He's still striking out a good amount (12 Ks/1 walk), but it was nice to see his power stroke come to life on Easter Sunday. Through 10 games, Williams is hitting .265 with a .412 slugging percentage.

5. Sixto Sanchez (RHP, Class 'A') - One of the more intriguing prospects at the lower levels, Sanchez, posted a 0.50 ERA in 11 starts with the GCL Phillies last season and was placed with Lakewood for 2017. He hasn't been able to find the same successes quite yet and that's to be expected in the first few starts at a higher level. So far this season, he's 0-1 with a 4.66 ERA. Sanchez's most recent outing was much better than his first, hurling five innings of one-run ball, striking out six. He's only 18, so plenty of room for him to grow in the Phillies system over the coming seasons.

6. Rhys Hoskins (1B, Triple-A) - Like Williams, Hoskins had a great day at the plate against Pawtucket on Sunday afternoon. In game one of the doubleheader, Hoskins blasted two home runs and tallied eight total bases. He's got three homers on the year and is off to a great start offensively, hitting .324 and walking as many times as he's struck out, seven. His three home runs are good for an eight-way tie for second and his 23 total bases put him in a four-way tie for fourth in the International League. With Tommy Joseph and Brock Stassi manning the first base spot in Philadelphia for now, Hoskins could put some added pressure on them if carries momentum from his two home run day into the coming week.

7. Franklyn Kilome (RHP, Short Season 'A') - Kilome, 21, had a strong season in Lakewood in 2016, going 5-8 with a 3.85 during a year that was his first full professional season with the Phillies organization. He's made two starts so far this year with Advanced 'A' Clearwater, allowing four earned runs in 10.2 innings while striking out 12. The Florida State League's transaction log oddly has Kilome optioned down to Williamsport at the moment, but according to Matt Winkleman of Phillies Minor Thoughts, both Clearwater and Lakewood have six-man rotations, so it's really just a paper move and Kilome won't actually be waiting to throw for Williamsport when they start their season in June. 

8. Roman Quinn (OF, Triple-A) - It seems like Quinn has been in the Phillies system for 10 years at this point, but he's still only 23 like Jorge Alfaro and Nick Williams. After hitting .289 during an impressive spring campaign for the Phillies, Quinn's goal is to stay healthy all season with Lehigh Valley after another injury shortened season in 2016 that saw him limited to 92 games, the most he's played in a season during his five year stint in the minors. Thus far with the Ironpigs, Quinn is doing alright, hitting .244 with two doubles, four RBI's and two steals. His plate discipline will need to improve if he wants to become an effective Major League lead-off hitter. Quinn has struck out 17 times this season and walked just once.

9. Scott Kingery (2B, Double-A) - The Phillies don't have a plethora of infield prospects at the moment, so Kingery is a very bright spot on the prospect list. He appeared in 10 games for the Phils during Spring Training, hitting .286 with a double and two homers, impressing a lot of folks at the big league level. While many believed Kingery was headed for Triple-A, he's starting the 2017 season with Double-A Reading. Through nine games, the 22-year-old out of Arizona is hitting .313 with three doubles, four homers, 11 runs scored and 12 RBI's. His 11 runs scored are good for second in the Eastern League, his four homers lead the league while his RBI total is good for a four-way tie for third best in the league. He's shown some plate discipline as well, striking out eight times and drawing base on balls six times.

10. Dylan Cozens (OF, Triple-A) - Hoskins and Cozens were a force to be dealt with last year in Reading, but this season in Lehigh Valley, Cozens is having trouble keeping up with his "Bash Brother" Hoskins. While Rhys is hitting well over .300, Cozens is struggling at the plate, hitting just .158 with two homers, five RBI's, 17 strikeouts and four walks. The 22-year-old slugger had a strong doubleheader against Pawtucket on Sunday, hitting his second home run of the season while also driving in a pair and scoring three runs himself. Cozens hit .190 in 11 spring games with the Phillies during Grapefruit League action. 

Other notable performances…

Nick Pivetta (RHP, Triple-A) - Acquired from the Nationals for Jonathan Papelbon, Pivetta is off to a strong start to 2017, posting a 2-0 record and a 0.69 ERA through two starts. He's struck out 13 and walked none.

Ricardo Pinto (RHP, Triple-A) - Pinto has worked 12.1 innings so far this season and is sporting an impressive 0.73 ERA, striking out six and walking two.

Jesmuel Valentin (IF, Triple-A) - In 10 games so far this season, Valentin is hitting .355 with a double and five RBI's. 

Yacksel Rios (RHP, Double-A) - Drafted in the 12th round of the 2011 draft, Rios has struck out 13 batters in just seven innings out of the bullpen for Reading.

Alberto Tirado (RHP, Advanced 'A') - Acquired by the Phillies in the Ben Revere trade, Tirado hasn't allowed a run in his first two starts, despite walking seven hitters. He's holding the opposition to a .128 average thus far.

Deivi Grullon (C, Advanced 'A') - The 21-year-old backstop is hitting .313 through his first eight games this season, tallying 13 total bases.

Cornelius Randolph (OF, Advanced 'A') - Randolph was on the top-10 list last year, but injuries limited him to just 68 games. He's only hitting .231, but hit homers in each of his first three games this season for Clearwater.

Cord Sandberg (OF, Class 'A') - Through 11 games this season with Lakewood, Sandberg is hitting a blistering .409 to go along with four doubles, a homer, two steals and six RBI's.

Adonis Medina (RHP, Class 'A') - He's on the MLB Pipeline top-30 for the Phils and for a good reason. Through two starts this season, Medina has allowed just two runs while striking out eight.

Nick Fanti (LHP, Class 'A') - Selected by the Phils in the 31st round of the 2015 draft, Fanti is off to a good start this season, posting a 1.86 ERA with 12 strikeouts through 9.2 innings, spanning two starts.

 

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