3 Philadelphia Phillies prospects deserving MLB promotion

By Tim Boyle | May 6, 2017

Sep 12, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro (38) acknowledges the crowd after getting hit in his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies defeated the Pirates, 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

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Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports. /

Jorge Alfaro

Catcher Jorge Alfaro has looked excellent through the first few weeks of 2017. He is annihilating baseballs and making a strong case to the Phillies that he deserves an immediate call-up. Unfortunately, the promotion may have to wait due to service years. The 2017 season is the last where the Phillies can option him to the minors without placing Alfaro on waivers first.

In the meantime, Alfaro will just have to settle in at the Triple-A level for a little longer. If he continues to hit this well, the Phillies can no longer use service years as an excuse to hold him back. Since neither of their MLB catchers is playing great, Philadelphia could reconsider sooner than later.

Alfaro has slowed down a bit from his torrid start. However, the .318/.348/.482 slash line he has posted through 21 games is still incredibly impressive for a catcher with a huge upside. Holding him back only wastes time that could be better spent allowing Alfaro to adjust to big league pitchers. Even if it takes months of Alfaro hitting below the Mendoza line, these growing pains are necessary to speed up his progress.

There is no denying Alfaro is the Phillies’ catcher of the future. Based on his 2017 performance, the future is now.

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