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Philadelphia Phillies Top 10 Prospects for 2017

By Benjamin Chase

Mar 19, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies hat and bat lays at home plate against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies hat and bat lays at home plate against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

The Philadelphia Phillies had a rough 2016, as was to be expected, but there were moments of hope, especially early in the season. What can the minor league system offer for 2017?

An Introduction

Our minor league top 10 series is coordinated by Benjamin Chase, one of our contributors at Call to the Pen.

He has pored over thousands of minor league games over the course of the year via milb.tv along with speaking with a number of team and independent scouts. These lists are based out of those conversations.

Each system will have prospects from 10 to 1, and then finish with one newcomer to the system that is worth keeping an eye on that is not in the top 10 at this time.

Conversations are certainly encouraged in the comments section on each system as we go along!

Phillies System Review

Looking around the game, you’ll have trouble finding many systems deeper than the Phillies. As I have put together these top 10s, I’m also putting together a top 100 list that will come out later this month along with organizational rankings to follow those.

Philadelphia has built up a system that is among what I believe to be the six elite systems in the game. I’ve not sat down to truly decide how I want to rank those six, but it would not surprise me at all if the Phillies were #1 overall in the end.

The big difference for the Phillies and many other organizations that put the focus that they have into their minor league system is that the Phillies will also have the ability to make significant financial commitments to those players that they want to keep around long-term.

What is incredible to consider is that Philadelphia has absolutely zero players under contract after 2017. The team will have every ability to choose to invest in the 2017-2018 free agent class or go with their system for the 2018 season and then attack that monster 2018 free agent class that could include Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Charlie Blackmon, Adam Jones, A.J. Pollock, and possible opt outs of David Price and Clayton Kershaw.

This is a team set up for a long, long time. Let’s take a look at the top 10 list!

Next: #10

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