Philadelphia Phillies Minor League Hitter of the Year: Joey Meneses
Level(s): AAA Lehigh Valley
Stats: .311/.360/.510, 130 G, 536 PA, 27 2B, 23 HR, 82 RBI, 40/110 BB/K
Signed as a minor league free agent in the offseason, Joey Meneses nearly took home the International League triple crown in 2018 in his first season in the Philadelphia Phillies system. That he was signed away from the Phillies’ division rival, the Atlanta Braves, made the success all that more sweet.
Meneses ended up finishing first in RBI in the IL, tied for first in home runs, but ended up 2nd in batting average to Rusney Castillo of the Red Sox organization. Meneses is a high-level defender at first base, and he has a premium arm for the position as a pitcher for the Mexican WBC team in international competition.
Sadly, much like in the Braves organization, there really isn’t a spot in the major leagues for Meneses, but if he keeps hitting, he’ll get a chance somewhere.
Runners-up
One of the Phillies top signees in the 2017 signing class, Luis Garcia had a big first year as a pro, playing with the Phillies West Gulf Coast League team. He hit .369/.433/.488 over 43 games, hitting 11 doubles, 3 triples, and a home run, with 12 steals. He’s still plenty raw, but the switch-hitting shortstop has plenty of upside and will be one to track as he ascends the system.
One of the top raw hitters in the entire Phillies farm system, Jose Pujols is known for his power and for striking out a whole lot. In 2018, both of those things were present, but one thing that hadn’t been previously, consistent contact, propelled his season numbers to incredible levels, hitting .295/.365/.503 with 22 home runs.
A 2012 draft pick out of high school in California, Zach Green has struggled to stay on the field, but he finally had a full year of health, and he showed well, hitting .281/.356/.532 across AA and AAA with 35 doubles and 20 home runs. Green is not quite a good enough defender to play the hot corner at the big league level, but he’s short on bat to play first base, leaving him as a ‘tweener currently.
Picked in the 17th round out of Dallas Baptist in 2017, Austin Listi had a reputation with his bat coming to the Phillies organization, but he’s moved up the ladder quicker than anyone could have imagined. Playing nearly equal time at high-A and AA in 2018, Listi hit .312/.412/.502 with 25 doubles and 18 home runs with an excellent 62/94 BB/K over 507 plate appearances.