Randolph headlines Phils going to Fall League
Six prospects to join him on Glendale Desert Dogs
PHILADELPHIA -- Cornelius Randolph and six other Phillies prospects will play in the Arizona Fall League.
The Phillies selected Randolph with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 Draft. He is the Phils' No. 13 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, and is hitting .249 with 12 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .734 OPS with Class A Advanced Clearwater. Philadelphia selected Randolph because of his bat, but so far he has posted a .748 OPS in three Minor League seasons.
The AFL is a "finishing school," mostly for highly regarded prospects or players who missed developmental time during the regular season because of injuries or other issues. The Phillies certainly hope Randolph's time in the AFL assists in his development.
• Phillies' Top 30 Prospects
The league has six teams with five organizations represented on each team. The seven Phils players will play for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
2017 Arizona Fall League rosters
Double-A left-handers Elniery Garcia and Garrett Cleavinger; Clearwater right-hander J.D. Hammer; Class A Lakewood right-hander Trevor Bettencourt; Lakewood catcher Edgar Cabral and Double-A Reading infielder Zach Green also represent the Phillies on the Desert Dogs.
Garcia is on Philadelphia's 40-man roster. He served an 80-game suspension earlier this season after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone. Garcia has a 1.40 ERA in four starts with Reading. He is the organization's No. 19 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com.
The Phillies acquired Cleavinger and Hammer in July in the Jeremy Hellickson and Pat Neshek trades, respectively. Cleavinger has a 5.84 ERA in nine appearances. He has seven walks and 16 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings. Hammer is the organization's No. 30 prospect. He has a 0.71 ERA in 10 appearances with the Threshers.
Bettencourt has struck out 72 and walked just six in 54 2/3 innings with Lakewood and Clearwater. The Phillies selected him in the 25th round of the 2016 Draft. The Phils selected Cabral in the 11th round of the 2015 Draft. He has a .679 OPS with Lakewood and Clearwater. Philadelphia selected Green in the third round of the 2012 Draft. He posted a .736 OPS in 199 plate appearances this season at Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Phillies, Clearwater and Reading.