Now that Major League Baseball’s summer has begun, thoughts are turning to the future for everyone. That indicates the upcoming season in most cities; for others, however, it refers to the longer term, the next three to five years. As they say, you’re either selling victories or you’re selling hope. This time of year, we at CBS Sports try to give as much hope as we can by analysing the farm systems of each team.
Naturally, not every team has a farm system that is equally effective; as you will discover throughout this process, some teams fall short in that regard. That does, however, indicate that CBS Sports will be analysing the top three prospects in each organisation over the course of the next few months. Since we define “prospects” as those who will still be eligible to play as rookies in 2024, it is likely the case that a young player is absent.
These evaluations and lists come from discussions with scouts, analysts, and player development specialists. In addition, bias and direct assessment are present. Remember that ranking players is a difficult undertaking, and it’s acceptable to disagree with the rankings. These are only opinions, and they won’t actually affect anything in the future.
Let’s get started by breaking down the Philadelphia Phillies in light of that.
1. Andrew Painter (20 years of age) RHP
No. 25 in the top 25 rankings
In a nutshell: Right-hander with promise delayed by elbow surgery.
MLB Anticipated Spring 2025
After sustaining a torn ulnar collateral ligament in the spring, Painter did not pitch the previous season. He postponed Tommy John surgery until the end of July, casting uncertainty on his 2024 campaign as well. (Teams usually give their pitchers fourteen months to heal; he would likely return in late September.) Painter’s upside is sufficiently compelling to warrant his inclusion.
2. Mick Abel (age 22), RHP
In a nutshell: striving for an MLB debut despite difficulties with command.
MLB Anticipated summer 2024
Physically gifted Abel is a right-hander who should debut early in the upcoming season. His command has been his main shortcoming, which led to more than five walks per nine innings the previous season. Abel exhibits a few warning signs for command projection, such as a high back elbow that makes his arm droop when he strikes the ground. It’s unlikely that he will ever reach average command as a result. Even though his careless positioning keeps him from being a front-line starter, Abel still has a chance at a meaningful career because of his high calibre attributes.
3. 19-year-old 3B Aidan Miller
In a nutshell: enormous power potential as a corner outfielder in the future.
MLB ETA: As the top prep corner-infield bat in the class, Miller was selected as the 27th pick in the previous summer’s draft. Despite starting his professional career at shortstop, evaluators anticipate that he will eventually slide to his right and man the hot corner. Miller’s bat will be his source of income. Though it wasn’t evident in his pro ball debut, he possesses the kind of above-average strength that might someday place him in the centre of the lineup. Miller’s swing does contain a flaw that would limit his ability to hit for a high average. This could therefore increase the pressure on him to play up his power.
