The Phillies have taken gigantic strides forward in 2018, due largely to core players becoming solid-to-good big leaguers. There's even a pair of superstars.
We'll name them later. First, let's start this 40-man roster analysis at 40 and work our way to No. 1. The Phillies continue to have a deep farm system, despite graduating several prospects to the big club.
These 40-man roster spots are crucial, and some of these players are going to lose their places. But those who remain will form one of the best rosters in the game.
The following ranking is based on two criteria: the player's 2018 season, and their importance to the organization moving forward.
40: Mitch Walding, 3B -- Hopefully, Mitch comes up in September and gets a few knocks in a big league uniform. So far, he is 0-14 with 10 strikeouts. You know it's bad when the announcers are opening rooting for you to dribble a ball into an unoccupied area just to get that hit.
What they know is Walding is not a major league player and odds are low that he ever appears in another game after this season. He made it onto the 40-man and into a few games after a series of freak injuries to Phillies' infielders.
I am betting that Walding, 26 on Sept. 10, will be removed from the roster after the season. Now go get some hits, Mitch!
39. Aaron Loup, RP -- I confess that I am not sure what Loup is doing here. He is a 30-year-old LOOGY and not a very good one (4.32 ERA in 205 games since 2015). He is not off to a good start with the Phillies and his career is seemingly nearing its sunset. A free agent to be, he won't be resigned.
38. Mark Leiter, P -- 2017 Mark Leiter offered two intriguing qualities: his bloodlines and his ability to swing between starting and relieving with ease. But when you looked closer, Leiter -- son of Mark Leiter and nephew of Al Leiter -- wasn't very good in either role.
Add in a significant injury in 2018 and Leiter is on the bubble. Leiter posted a 4.96 ERA in 2017 and pitched to a 5.40 this season. He turns 28 in March and might be in a different organization by then.
37. Jose Taveras, SP -- Taveras started 2017 in A ball and ended it with a 1.32 ERA in seven Triple A starts. While never much of a prospect, his rangy 6-foot-4 frame, combined with his eye-popping performance, earned him a spot on the 40-man.
2018 brought opposite fortunes for Taveras. A shoulder injury limited him to 16.1 innings and a 5.51 ERA to date. He'll be 25 in November and fringe prospect pitchers with shoulder troubles are not good 40-man candidates. Jose needs a few good outings to remain in the picture.
36. Drew Anderson, SP -- Anderson is a guy you root for, and a poor man's Kyle Kendrick. Like KK, he is a righty who doesn't really throw it hard enough, or bend it enough to be a big league pitcher.
But Kyle had some crazy mental toughness, and a work ethic that ticked up a notch once he started following Roy Halladay around. That Kyle Kendrick had a 10-year big league career is something that still amazes me.
What I am saying is Drew Anderson probably isn't going to make it. He's appeared in four games over two seasons for the big Phillies and has a 10.80 ERA. He's given up 14 hits in 8.1 innings.
Drew, 24, is still fairly youthful and having a decent season at Triple A. He might hold onto his spot for another year.
35. Jesmuel Valentin, Utility -- Versatility is a wonderful thing, and Valentin brings it. In 46 games with the big club, he's appeared at five different defensive positions and pitched an inning.
Unfortunately, Jesmuel hasn't played any of them very well. He has a .562 OPS and gave up three runs in his inning on the mound. Expendable, especially with Crawford and Kingery offering the same versatility and doing it better.
34. Yacksel Rios, RP -- Rios is an intriguing arm, one that suddenly began throwing 98 this year after previously averaging 94. Still, the results are somewhat mediocre: a 4.87 ERA in 44.1 innings.
But I think you try to keep a guy who averages 98 if you can.
33. Asdrubal Cabrera, IF -- Cabrera added some power to the lineup after being acquired at the trade deadline. But his defense is suspect, and the post-trade OPS is just .621.
Asdrubal is a free agent and it's hard to envision a scenario where he is a Phillie in 2019.
32. Ben Lively, SP -- Ben is Drew Anderson with a stronger pedigree. While he continues to dominate Triple A, Ben has yet to demonstrate he can be a capable Major League starter.
Injuries set him back this year, as did a 6.86 ERA in five early starts. But last year, Ben put up a 1.2 WAR in 15 starts. Turns 27 in March. Probably sticks as Triple A starter inventory for a few more seasons.
31. Dylan Cozens, OF -- Still not sure what the Phillies have in Cozens. But he is a young 24. His initial big league playing time has not gone well (2-20, 14 Ks). At Triple A, Cozens improved his K/W rate as the Phillies asked, boosting his OBP from .301 to .343.
Interestingly, his slugging percentage also climbed, from .418 to .504. Probably not a future Big Phillie, but you can't give up on a terrific athlete with 90 home runs the past three seasons.
Next up: We slot several prospects and break down a pair of struggling OFs with Nos. 21-30.
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