This Phillies affiliate is baseball's winningest team
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PHILADELPHIA -- Nobody in baseball is better at winning this season than Single-A Clearwater.
The Threshers clinched the Florida State League’s first-half West Division title on Saturday night, becoming the first team in Minor League Baseball to clinch a postseason berth. At 40-15, their .727 winning percentage is the best in baseball, Majors or Minors. It’s a team that has a few MLB Pipeline Top 30 Phillies prospects, including outfielder Justin Crawford (No. 4), outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. (No. 7), right-hander Alex McFarlane (No. 8), shortstop William Bergolla (No. 11), outfielder Emaarion Boyd (No. 12), outfielder Jordan Viars (No. 13) and right-hander Jaydenn Estanista (No. 27).
The Threshers have speed, particularly in the outfield. Boyd has 33 stolen bases -- including six in one game last Tuesday against Ft. Myers -- while Crawford and Rincones each have 24.
The Phillies selected Boyd out of high school in the 11th round of the 2022 Draft, then handed him a $647,500 bonus -- $522,500 over slot. Boyd, 19, is slashing .268/.386/.312 with four doubles, one triple, 17 walks and 26 strikeouts in 167 plate appearances. Boyd makes good contact and he controls the strike zone well, but in time, the Phillies hope he will begin to drive the ball more frequently.
Looking for that No. 5
Until the Phillies find a suitable No. 5 starter, fans will continue to look at the club's top three pitching prospects as possible solutions. Right-hander Andrew Painter (No. 1) is still recovering from an injured UCL in his right elbow. He was scheduled to throw a 20-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. The Phillies believe Painter will be pitching competitively again this summer, and while they still think he can help the big league club at some point, that remains weeks and weeks away.
No. 2 prospect, right-hander Mick Abel, has allowed three runs in 11 innings in his last two starts with Double-A Reading, although walks continue to be an issue. He has struck out 28, but walked 19, in 24 1/3 innings in his last five starts.
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No. 3 prospect, right-hander Griff McGarry, struck out eight and walked two in five hitless and scoreless innings on Saturday with Reading. He has a 3.57 ERA in five starts since his return from the injured list last month, striking out 22 and walking eight in 17 2/3 innings. Phillies manager Rob Thomson said on Sunday morning that McGarry and others likely would need to be promoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley before they are considerations for the Phillies, if for no other reason than that the baseballs are different in Double-A than Triple-A.
The Phillies will want to see how they throw with the Triple-A baseball, which is used in the big leagues.
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Rojas runs it down
Sports Info Solutions noted early last week that Double-A Reading center fielder Johan Rojas, who is the Phillies’ No. 6 prospect, had 14 defensive runs saved in center field. No other Minor League center fielder had more than seven DRS.
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To put that in comparison ...
Kevin Kiermaier entered Sunday leading MLB center fielders with 10 DRS. From 2002-23, Shane Victorino (2008) and Odúbel Herrera ('15 and ‘16) share the Phillies’ single-season record with 10 DRS in center field.