Minor Thoughts: What the Hell is Happening at Reading?

Among the Phillies' nine minor league teams, none is a more fascinating stop than Reading.

For many of the best prospects, it begins the final stage of their minor league education. Many of them go to Triple A for just a short period. I've seen some players get called to the big club straight from Reading.

The Reading Fightin' Phils celebrated their 50th year in 2017, and is tied for the longest affiliation in Major League Baseball.

But Reading is fascinating for another reason as well. It delivers offense that skews performance about as much as Coors Field.

Many a Phils' hitter has slugged his way to Reading fame. The trick becomes figuring out who is really a prospect and who isn't.

Darren Ruf (38 homers in 2012) wasn't, but Ryan Howard (37 homers in 2004) was. Phillies fans were enamored with Matt Rizzotti (40 homers in 2010-11), but he wasn't.

Dylan Cozens (40 homers) and Rhys Hoskins (38) thrilled Reading fans with their long ball duel throughout the summer of 2016. Hoskins is on his way to becoming a star in Philadelphia, but Cozens probably isn't going to be around long.

You get the idea. If you're going to spend any time analyzing the Phillies' minor hitters, you learn to read the home/road splits when they move to Reading.

In 2016, for example, Cozens hit 29 of his 40 dingers at home.

That brings us to the present campaign, where a pair of former third-round picks -- who are not considered prospects -- are having fine seasons.

2012 draftee Zach Green (.297, 16 homers, 52 RBIs) and 2013 pick Jan Hernandez (.296, 10, 43) are anchoring the middle of the R-Phils lineup. They are joined by powerful catcher Deivi Grullon (.287, 12, 40)

Here's where it gets odd. None of the three players is showing any homefield advantage. In fact, Green has 14 doubles and 11 homers on the road, and just 9 doubles and 5 homers at home.

Hernandez's homers are split evenly, but he's hitting .328 away and just .267 at home. Similarly, Grullon is a .301 hitter on the road and .273 at home.

This is very unusual for Reading and I am not sure what to make of it. I have yet to see any of the three generating any prospect buzz, so we will have to see. But Green, 24, Hernandez, 23, and Grullon, 22, are all young enough to play their way into future plans.

On the flip side, Reading can be a punishing stop for pitchers. And this year is no different. I find the Reading hurdle to be a useful mental challenge for pitchers, many of whom are facing adversity for the first time.

JoJo Romero is fighting that adversity and generally doing well. After a rough start, his ERA sits at 4.06 after 17 starts. The home/road splits are predictably glaring: 5.15/3.21.

Lefty starter Ranger Suarez solved the Reading riddle with ease. After starting the season with a home bomb (3 innings, 9 hits, 7 runs), Suarez made four more home starts, giving up 7 runs in 26 innings, while pitching to a 1.76 ERA in seven road outings.

Just 22, Ranger has moved on to Triple A.

Meanwhile, a pair of young sluggers are new to Reading and already jacking bombs out of First Energy Stadium.

Darick Hall, 9 homers in 34 games, and Austin Listi, 4 homers in 20 games, will have to show they can hit on the road as well.

If not, they will always have Reading.