Reading Phillies
AA, Eastern League
51-39, Second in Southern Division, 5-5 in last 10 games
Manager: Steve Roadcap
Best Ranked Pitching Prospect: P Kyle Drabek — Ranked #5 by Baseball America (5-0, 2.70 ERA, 36 K in seven games)
Best Hitting Prospect: OF Michael Taylor #6
I Can’t Believe He’s on the Roster: LHP Mike Zagurski
The crown jewel of the Phillies system. Period. Sure, they trot out Clearwater every spring, demonstrating Bright House Networks Field’s lovliness, and the IronPigs get some press as the new kid. But Reading is the place where you are made as a major leaguer (or minor leaguer). An affilate since 1967, the R-Phillies (which is their official shorthand) grow the talent that eventually becomes a P-Phillies (like what I did there?) or trade bait.
Look to the Roy Halladay trade talk to see the R-Phillies pull. Aside from J.A. Happ, the major players in the deal are OF Michael Taylor (promoted yesterday to Lehigh Valley) and P Kyle Drabek –both of whom participated in the Futures Game Sunday (with Clearwater P Yohan Flande, who, BTW, just got promoted to Reading). Although the Future’s Game is more about prospective talent than tangible results, it’s nice to get some national recognition. Throw stud righty Joe Savory in the mix and you get the Phillies best prospects who also happen to be performing well (unlike Carlos Carasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson in Allentown).
It goes beyond the Halladay gossip girls, as well. RHP Vance Worley — named to the Eastern League All-Star game — was drafted in 2008, and he’s already in AA. The last Phillie to move through the system that fast was Pat Burrell.
In total, five R-Phils made the EL All-Star game: Taylor, Savory, Worley, 3B Neil Sellers and OF Quintin Berry. Unlike Lehigh Valley, which had three All-Stars with only one (Drew Carpenter) possessing major league talent, four of the Phillies players are hot shot prospects. I’ve written up both Taylor and Savory before, but both deserve an update, as the pair still excels. Taylor — .333 BA, 15 HR, 65 RBI; Savory — 12-1, 3.48 ERA, 66 K.
Berry was a fifth-round pick in 2006 who’s risen through the system at a normal pace. “The R-Phils center fielder and leadoff hitter led the league in runs scored with 60 and stolen bases with 32,” says the team’s Web site. Baseball America rates him as Philadelphia’s fastest baserunner.
Sellers, on the other hand, is a little older with not as much upside as the other four. Still, four out of five ain’t bad.
The Phillies recognize the R-Phils the most, too. Looking back at minor league players of the month thus far, you’ll see the most acclaim given to Phillies: April (Taylor), May (Taylor and Antonio Bastardo — then at Reading), and June (Savery). Other than Lakewood/Clearwater OF Steve Susdorf, every honoree played for Reading at some point (Flonde won in April).3
True, players usually stop at AAA before making the big club, but it’s Reading where the hype starts. As soon as Clearwater OF Dominic Brown gets off the DL and proves he’s all right, expect a promotion to Reading to see this star grow.
—Sam Fran Scavuzzo
Loading ...