6. Jorge Alfaro, C
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 6/11/1993 (24)
2017 teams/levels played for: AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs, MLB Philadelphia Phillies
2017 Stats: Minors: .241/.291/.358, 350 PA, 7 HR, 1 SB, 16/113 BB/K; Majors: .318/.360/.514, 114 PA, 5 HR, 3/33 BB/K
Info: A player long followed in the prospect-hound community due to his adoration by one of the pioneers of the online prospecting world, Jason Parks (now with the Chicago Cubs), Alfaro has been on the radar of many around the game for nearly a decade now since signing out of Colombia in 2010.
Alfaro has always tantalized due to his rare blend of power, arm, and unique athleticism for a catcher. However, he’s never been able to harness all of the raw gifts into serviceable baseball skills. He has very below average pitch recognition skills that have held up his abilities at the plate throughout his minor league journey.
Alfaro moves well behind the plate, but for all the instruction he’s received there, he still struggles with consistency in his blocking and his framing skills are below-average. His arm is still elite, though he can get lazy with his footwork.
The Philadelphia Phillies will give him every chance to win the starting job out of spring training in 2018 and hope he can translate those raw tools finally into baseball skills.
5. Adonis Medina, RHP
Birthday (age on opening day 2018): 12/18/1996 (21)
2017 teams/levels played for: low-A Lakewood BlueClaws
2017 Stats: 22 GS, 119 2/3 IP, 3.01 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 7.7% BB, 26.3% K
Info: An easy-throwing 17 year-old when the Philadelphia Phillies signed him to a “cheap” $70,000 bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2014. He has developed slowly but surely in the Phillies system, and he has seen his stuff take a huge step forward as a result.
(Medina’s) secondary stuff taking a big step forward in 2017 led to his step forward as a prospect as well
Medina works with a fastball that works 93-95 and can touch 97-98, and his extension in his delivery gives his fastball the appearance of coming even faster. He combines that velocity with plus control on the pitch and quality late life.
His secondary stuff taking a big step forward in 2017 led to his step forward as a prospect as well, with his well-controlled change ticking up to a plus pitch and his slider showing sharp, late break, though he’s still working to develop consistency in its velocity and location.
The positive showing in 2017 gives Medina a positive path forward as a #2/3 type of starter. The Philadelphia Phillies will most likely open Medina at high-A, and he could really step forward in a hurry if he shows more advancement in his breaking stuff.
Next: #3 and #4