We turn our attention to Baseball America's top 10 Phillies prospects with this wrenching update.
1. Trevor May (RHP, AA Reading) The 22-year-old right-hander has experienced significant control problems since taking the leap to Double-A and he was torched for seven runs on eight hits and two homers in two innings in his most recent start. He's 5-2 with a 4.10 ERA and 49/21 K/BB in 48 1-3 innings.
2. Jesse Biddle (LHP, High-A Clearwater) Has made steady strides after a rough start to this season. Lasted a season-high seven innings his last start, allowing a run on six hits. He's 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA and 43/16 K/BB in 43 1-3 innings. Lefties are hitting just .208 against the 20-year-old southpaw.
3. Sebastian Valle (C, AA Reading) The 22-year-old Mexican maintains top prospect status, but has never done much to inspire confidence in terms of a stat sheet. In 139 plate appearances, he''s hitting .227/.262/.341 with three homers and 36 strikeouts. Scouts like his raw power and athleticism behind the plate. Time will tell if he can put it all together to become a ballplayer.
4. Jonathan Pettibone (RHP, AA Reading) Another pitcher whose control has slipped. Baseball America said Pettibone had the best command in the system, but he left it behind in the Florida State League. On the season he's 3-4 with a 3.59 ERA and 33/18 K/BB ratio in 52 2-3 innings. Opponents are hitting .298 against him - righties a whopping .338.
5. Phillippe Aumont (RHP, AAA Lehigh Valley) The wavering command resurfaced in April, a product of his unorthodox delivery and perhaps a bad back that seized up on him April 28 and finally knocked him out of action on May 2. At last report, he was sent to the Phillies' rehab facility in Clearwater. In nine innings, he has four saves and a 15/12 K/BB ratio.
6. Freddy Galvis (SS/2B Phillies) He’s statistically outperforming many of the other minor-league prospects and doing so at the Major League level. See column below for Beerleaguer’s official take on Galvis’ development.
7. Justin DeFratus (RHP, AAA Lehigh Valley) He was recently added to the 60-day disabled list with elbow problems, but has been cleared to begin a throwing program.
8. Brody Colvin (RHP, High-A Clearwater) In 44 2-3 innings at Clearwater, he’s allowed 49 hits en route to a 2-4 record and a 5.64 ERA. The most troubling aspect of Colvin’s performance are the walks – 30 free passes against just 33 Ks. He has allowed 15 earned runs in his last 13 1-3 innings.
9. Jiwan James (OF, AA Reading) He just snapped a nine-game hitting streak Tuesday night, a streak that upped his average by nearly 30 points. Hitting mostly out of the six-spot for Reading, James’ .259/.289/.417 line doesn’t necessarily jump off the page, but his 13 extra-base hits and 19 RBIs are heartening. He is still learning how to apply his speed on the bags, having been caught five times in eight attempts.
10. Maikel Franco (Low-A Lakewood) He’s just 19 years old, so his four homers and 10 doubles at Lakewood hint at some power potential, something the Phils haven’t seen in an infield prospect in a while. His .230 average and .295 on-base, however, suggest that his offensive approach needs some fine-tuning.
Beerleaguer: If Baseball America were to compile their list today, they'd completely re-shuffle the deck. Someone like right-hander Tyler Cloyd, who didn't even crack the top 30, could conceivably move into the top 5. It's not good. Meanwhile, Jonathan Singleton, Travis d'Arnaud, Michael Taylor and Anthony Gose, the prospects lost to trades in recent years, have been largely tearing it up. Jarred Cosart has also made strides in the Houston chain.