Motivated Phillies prospect bringing energy to Fall League

Gabriel Rincones Jr. plays with a little bit of a chip on his shoulder, but it’s seems to work for him. He wasn't heavily recruited and headed to a junior college after high school. From there, he went to Florida Atlantic, a solid program, but not one in a power conference.

That chip enabled him to have a huge 2022 season at FAU and land in the third round of the 2022 Draft. It helped him play across two levels of A ball in his first full season with the Phillies and there’s no doubt it’s helping Philly's No. 9 prospect in the Arizona Fall League.

“You have to find any type of edge you can get or you’re going to play the game with not as much fire as other people,” said Rincones, who was off to a .310/.420/.571 start over 11 games with the Scottsdale Scorpions. “Coming from a JUCO and a mid-major school is just a little bit more of a reason or motivation than others. You just have to find it, whatever it may be.”

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He's even used it to sharpen parts of his game most don’t give him credit for. The left-handed-hitting corner outfielder has an advanced approach at the plate, the ability to drive the ball to all fields and the chance to have outstanding power in the future. But after recording just two steals in 2022 at FAU and being thought of as a well-below-average runner, he surprised many by swiping 32 bags during his first full season of pro ball.

“It was more like a personal vendetta because I was given a 30 grade speed and so I made sure that I knew how to base run and take my knowledge for the game into that,” Rincones said. “It’s not exactly raw speed, but I’m not slow. A lot of it was the IQ of trying to read the pitchers and know they can’t [throw] over more than twice.”

The 22-year-old learned a lot more than that during the 2023 season. There may have been times when he got out of his game, perhaps trying too hard to get to the power people expect from a corner outfield guy, but he arrived in Arizona with a solid mindset to be himself day in and day out.

“I learned a lot about the internal cues and not letting external things get in the way of how you play the game and play the game right,” Rincones said. “When you play the game wrong, like chase numbers, you let that dictate how you play and get in the way of playing for the team and playing for the win. It’s a learning experience if you go that route.”

He’s also no doubt learned from his father, Gabriel Sr., who pitched in the Mariners organization in the late 1990s. The game might be different, but the important lessons were handed down.

“He grew up when it was more of a grind than the Minor Leagues is now, so a lot of it was getting [ready mentally] to have to grind every day and not letting that beat me once I got to it,” the junior Rincones said. “It was a lot of the mental part of the game that he tried to hammer on.”

Phillies hitters in the Fall League

Caleb Ricketts, C (No. 15): There were signs of improvement both offensively and defensively for Ricketts in his first full year of pro ball after the Phillies took him in the seventh round of the 2022 Draft out of the University of San Diego. But injuries also limited him to just 70 games, so his time in the Fall League will enable him to make up for lost at-bats and reps behind the plate (not to mention handling more advanced pitchers) while also seeing some time at first base.

Oliver Dunn, 2B: The Phillies nabbed Dunn from the Yankees in the Minor League phase of the 2022 Rule 5 Draft, and he then he lofted 21 homers, finishing with a .902 OPS and an organization-leading 148 wRC+ in hitter-friendly Reading. He played second, third and outfield during the regular season and has already played three infield spots in Arizona while getting off to a scorching start (1.225 OPS over seven games).

Matt Kroon, 3B/OF: Injuries have kept Kroon off the field a lot since the Phillies took him late in the 2018 Draft. He only appeared in two games in 2022 because of a torn ACL, but this year he showed some signs of life (.326/.399/.526) over 97 games, mostly with Double-A Reading. He’s been focusing on manning the hot corner while continuing to get upper-level ABs in the AFL.

Phillies pitchers in the Fall League

Christian McGowan, RHP (No. 14): The Phillies love McGowan’s stuff, but he’s only been able to throw 38 pro innings since being drafted in 2021, with Tommy John surgery after two 2022 starts wiping out that year and then some. He has a legitimate three-pitch mix and needs innings to show just what kind of pitcher he might be in the future.

Andrew Baker, RHP: Baker has missed a ton of bats since the Phillies took him out of Chipola Junior College in 2021, with a 13.1 K/9 rate to date in his career. But he’s also really struggled finding the strike zone, particularly in 2023 (10.5 BB/9). The stuff is there, featuring a fastball up to 98 mph in early AFL outings to go along with a low-80s slider that can miss bats.

Jordi Martinez, LHP: Moving to the bullpen full-time has been good for the southpaw and he pitched his way to Double-A in 2023, striking out 10.8 per nine along the way. His fastball averages around 95 mph and he has an effective upper-80s slider to complement the heater. He struggled with command in High-A this year, but was better after getting promoted, and that’s continued in his first few outings this fall.

Mitch Neunborn, RHP: Neunborn spent parts of three years in the Australian Baseball League before catching on with the Phillies this June. He went on to throw well across 16 outings with High-A Jersey Shore. He’s pitching out of the 'pen for Scottsdale as the Phillies try to get a sense of what kind of arm they have.

Dominic Pipkin, RHP: Back in 2018, the Phillies went well over slot to sign Pipkin as a high schooler in the ninth round. He has the frame and pure stuff teams like, but has had trouble staying healthy, with shoulder issues hampering his development. The bullpen is his likely home and he’s getting more time there this fall, showing a fastball up to 98 and an upper-80s slider that can miss bats.