My Phillies Prospect Rankings, 5/24/16

These guys get ranked.

Given that we're now a quarter of the way into baseball season, I wanted to take a minute and update my Phillies prospect rankings for 2016, taking into account how the players have performed and how their positions have looked.

1. J.P. Crawford- SS- AAA- Given that he's one of the top ranked guys in all of baseball, this seems to be a no-brainer. The thing that stands out most about him is his plate discipline. He's really, really good. Expected arrival in September of 2016.
2. Nick Williams- OF- AAA- While he has had his struggles in AAA so far this year, he's holding his own well, and seems to still be right on schedule to arrive in June or July of this Summer.
3. Jorge Alfaro- C- AA- This guy has the best power i've seen in the system. I'm really excited to see him move up. He's got a great arm behind the plate and can crush the ball, so expect him in 2017.
4. Jake Thompson- P- AAA- After a little bit of a rough start, Thompson is throwing really well right now. If he continues on this level, I expect to see him up in September.
5. Roman Quinn- CF- AA- After a dreaded start, he's had a much nicer May, and looks to build on that. With 19 stolen bases and plus defense, he's only limited by his own consistency and health. I think he may get a call-up in September, but his real arrival is next Summer.
6. Mark Appel- P- AAA- He's hit a bit of a hiccup after a good start, but you can still watch Appel and have hope for the future. I could see him up in September as well, if he gets it figured out.
7. Franklyn Kilome- P- Low-A- After a start that was so bad that I questioned if he was up too far, Kilome has settled in a bit. He's got monster velocity, and if he can command his pitchers and develop the off-speed stuff, he's got a very, very high ceiling. It's going to be a few years though before we see it.
8. Cornelius Randolph- OF- Low-A- Early injuries have limited last year's first pick, but don't worry too much about that. If he continues to hit this Summer, he will climb the ladder very quickly. He won't be up for several years though, either way.
9. Zach Eflin- P- AAA- If we just used minor league performance to rate players, he'd be near the top this year. He's been outstanding for the IronPigs, better than the two pitchers out ahead of him, and there's good reason to believe that he too can make it to the big leagues by the end of the year.
10. Tommy Joseph- 1B- MLB- This is the final time hopefully that Joseph will be eligible, but after finally recovering from his concussions, he clearly is showing us that his former prospect status was legitimate. The future at first base now clearly runs through him, if he can stay on the field and perform.
11.  Ricardo Pinto- P- AA- Pinto is facing a challenge this season in AA and has been responding of late. While he probably will spend all season in Reading, it's clear that he has the kind of stuff to get big leaguers out in the future. That future is probably sometime in 2017.
12. Andrew Knapp- C- AAA- Knapp has struggled a bit with the bat in AAA, at least comparable to AA, but he's hit for some power and held his own. If he continues to show he can handle the defensive duties, he'll remain a player for the future at catcher. Expect him in September.
13. Dylan Cozens- OF- AA- Everyone relax a bit. Yes, he can hit for big time power. Yes, he has a rifle arm from right. Yes, he has good range in the outfield. Yes, he may be a 20/20 player with his good speed. He will strike out a bit though, and needs to close some of the holes in his swing. I'm a big fan, but watch out for him in 2017.
14. Alec Asher- P- AAA- Unfortunately after getting red-hot in AAA, Asher is now on the DL. Fortunately, it's not a long-term type of injury. In his last start, he was throwing a perfect game into the seventh, for what that's worth. Expect him when the next opening happens.
15. Ben Lively- P- AA- To say that Lively has dominated the Eastern League is an understatement. He is pitching like he did when he won the Reds Organizational minor league pitcher of the year in 2014. I would think he debuts in 2017.
16. Scott Kingery- 2B- A- Last year's second round pick has not broken out yet in Clearwater, but he's held his own fine in his first year of professional ball, and could find his stroke all of a sudden. He was a high average hitter in college, and that is the hope for him in the majors. I'm looking towards the end of 2017 for him.
17. Thomas Eshelman- P- A- When we look back at the Ken Giles trade, Eshelman is probably going to be the fourth pitcher to reach the majors. His pinpoint control make him a very safe, solid bet though to work out. A 2015 second rounder, he has pitched decently well in Clearwater this year, and probably has an arrival date in 2018.
18. Carlos Tocci- OF- A- If only he'd gain some weight. No, seriously, Tocci plays a really nice outfield, with a solid arm and range. He's shown some ability to hit for average, and can steal a bag. Power isn't his thing yet, though last year he did show some improved pop for himself. It's at least 2018 for him to arrive though.
19. Jimmy Cordero- RP- AA- If what you want to see is serious pop on the baseball, I have your guy. He can hit triple digits and has an average breaking ball. Don't be shocked if after he gets off the DL, he's in the majors late in 2016.
20. Rhys Hoskins- 1B- AA- After a tough first month, the big first baseman is holding his own now in Reading. He's showing some power now, and his average is creeping up. If he can continue to handle the bat, he has a shot to move up.