We continue our weekly check-in on the Phillies’ future down at the farm.
It must have been an exciting week for team officials as a new chapter of the rebuild was scripted. Four of the five prospects received in the Cole Hamels trade debuted for their new minor-league teams, and without disappointment.
We’ll touch on all of that and more in this week’s report, starting with an outfielder that’s fitting in just fine at prospect-studded Reading.
Nick Williams, CF, Double A Reading
Boom and boom. It didn’t take long for Williams to make his presence felt within the Phillies’ system. The outfielder acquired in the Hamels deal crushed a pair of homers in just his second game with Double A Reading, one off the giant scoreboard in right field of Arm & Hammer Park and the other over it. Williams, now the Phillies’ fourth-ranked prospect by MLB.com, finished the game 4 for 4 with a walk and five runs scored. In his first six games with the Fightin Phils, Williams is 12 for 27 (.444) with two homers, two doubles, a triple and nine runs — not a bad start. The 21-year-old is leading off, followed by J.P. Crawford in the two-hole. Imagine the top of the order when speedster Roman Quinn returns? Williams looks like a natural at the plate and in the field, and some believe he’ll be the prize of the Hamels haul.
Jake Thompson, RHP, Double A Reading
Not to be outdone by Williams, Thompson’s off to one heck of a start, as well. The 21-year-old, acquired in the Hamels trade, instantly becomes the Phillies’ top minor-league arm with Aaron Nola now in The Show, and he’s backed that label up in his first two starts with the Fightin Phils. Thompson tossed two dandies last week, a pair of seven-inning, one-run ball showings — both wins — in which he allowed nine hits and struck out four. Thompson brings a strong build and diverse arsenal of pitches to the table. CSNPhilly.com’s Corey Seidman has more on the Phillies’ new No. 1 pitching prospect right here.
Jerad Eickhoff, RHP, Triple A Lehigh Valley
Have we told you the Phillies got a lot in return for Hamels? Here’s another one that’s made quite the first impression. Last Tuesday, Eickhoff, a 25-year-old righty, threw six innings of one-run ball while striking out seven. Last Sunday, he trumped that with eight shutout innings, making him 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA, 11 strikeouts and two walks in his first two starts at Lehigh Valley. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder features a fastball that hits in the mid-90s and a curveball with sharp bite. Among the gain for Hamels, Eickoff may be the most major-league ready.
Alec Asher, RHP, Triple A Lehigh Valley
And last, but certainly not least, Asher, another piece of the Hamels deal, threw seven scoreless frames last Saturday in the IronPigs’ 12-0 win over Columbus, his second start with Lehigh Valley. The 23-year-old yielded just three hits and struck out two. After giving up four runs in six innings of his debut, the 2012 fourth-round pick of the Rangers is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA, five strikeouts and two walks over his first two outings. Another big body at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, Asher doesn’t blow you away but is a steady and reliable arm.
MLB
Andrew Knapp, C, Double A Reading
It’s hard to fathom what Knapp is pulling off at Reading. He’s hit safely in 31 of 34 games and is batting .403 with six homers and 40 RBIs. Last Saturday, the switch-hitting catcher slugged a three-run, walk-off home run and followed it up Sunday with another blast. Last week, he hit .600 (15 for 25) with four home runs, four walks, 13 RBIs, two doubles and a triple. Safe to say he has some honors coming his way. Suddenly, the Phillies have depth and flexibility at the catching position with Knapp and Jorge Alfaro. Maybe a position change is coming for one of the two in the future.
J.P. Crawford, SS, Double A Reading
Hey, remember this guy? With an infusion of talent, Crawford is now surrounded by many more touted prospects, but without a doubt remains the farm’s No. 1 jewel. The 20-year-old has struggled over the past two weeks, hitting .167 with just two extra-base hits, bringing his Reading batting average down to .251. But he still has more walks (36) than strikeouts (30) and is drawing rave reviews in the field. No worries here.
Nick Pivetta, RHP, Double A Reading
Pivetta, acquired in the Jonathan Papelbon trade, rebounded nicely from his Reading debut in which he allowed seven runs on five walks in five innings. Last Friday, the 22-year-old punched out seven over five innings of two-run ball. He walked four, but the strikeout total is a promising sign.
Jimmy Cordero, RHP, Double A Reading
Cordero, one of the two relievers acquired in the Ben Revere trade, showed off his arm last week. Per Mike Drago of the Reading Eagle, the righty hit 100 mph on the radar gun six times last Friday, and 101 once. This past week, Cordero allowed a run over three innings of work and struck out two.
Alberto Tirado, RHP, Single A Clearwater
Tirado, the other piece to the Revere deal, is another raw flamethrower with wicked stuff tough to harness. He debuted with the Threshers last week, surrendering a run in three innings while striking out five and walking three.
Kelly Dugan, RF, Triple A Lehigh Valley
In his first nine games at Triple A, Dugan is hitting .243 with 10 strikeouts and four walks. The 24-year-old raked at Double A Reading, hitting .315 with a .391 on-base percentage to earn his promotion.