My Midseason Top 10 Phils Prospects

It's the All-Star Break and I've seen two midseason prospect lists this week. Seems like I'm due to unveil the Hilton Top 10.

Here we go:

1. That Crawford kid. The most obvious pick on the list. Right now, JP is ranked more on his potential than actual production, but that potential is breathtaking. He's a bonofide five-tool player at the game's marquee position.

Put it this way: Take the best of Jimmy Rollins and Derek Jeter and you have Crawford's potential. He'll be a far superior defender to Jeter, while his walk and OBP will make fans forget Jimmy's first-pitch popups.

A stud.

2. SP Jake Thompson. I have concerns about the low strikeout rate, and he has more walks than you'd like. But my theory is simple: by the time players get to Triple A, they are facing Major League opponents every night. Maybe not every at-bat, but the majority of Triple A players are either former or future big leaguers.

And Thompson has flat-out dominated. He's 7-5 with a 2.58 ERA on the season, with 88 hits in 104 innings. But in his last seven starts, covering 49.1 innings, Thompson has allowed four runs.

He's ready.

3. OF Nick Williams. Many lists have Williams second and Thompson third. I like the pitcher's consistency and polish at this point. As everyone knows, Williams has been benched three times this year.

I don't think it's a long-term problem, but more a case of tough love that will benefit Williams down the line. He does has a quick bat and high athleticism. He's hitting .287 with 20 doubles, 4 triples and 8 home runs.

He's close.

4. C Jorge Alfaro. Some injury concerns here, but Alfaro has tremendous power and a rocket arm. He's hit .287 with 11 homers and 46 RBIs at Double A. He had 5 walks in his first 53 games, and eight walks in his last five games.

That's encouraging if it continues. Seems he is working on that part of his game. Possibly the best catcher prospect in baseball.

5. OF Mickey Moniak. The first four are easy. It gets interesting at No. 5. I'm going with the kid. Yes, he's just a few weeks out of high school, but being the No. 1 overall pick carries some cache. And the Phils under Joe Jordan have nailed these first picks.

Oh, and it doesn't hurt that Mickey Mo is hitting .400 through seven Gulf Coast League games.

6. 2B Scott Kingery. OK, now it gets really interesting. I love Scott Kingery. He's had the kind of season professional hitters have, stacking solid game upon solid game. I love the comparisons to Dustin Pedroia (diminuitive second baseman from Arizona colleges).

At present, Kingery is showing doubles power -- his 27 doubles are 10 more than all but three other players in the tough Florida State League -- but that should turn into a few home runs with time.

I love that Kingery set a goal this year, to be a better base stealer, and achieved it. His 22 steals are fifth in the FSL. I love how he hit leadoff for a long stretch, then spent a few weeks batting third. Lately, he's been hitting second. To me, that's a sign the big club sees him as a top-of-the-order hitter.

I expect Kingery to rip up the Eastern League next year and be the Phils' opening day second baseman in 2018.

7. OF Cornelius Randolph. It's been a rough year for the 2015 first-round pick. But I still remember the strong start in the GCL last year, when he hit .302 with 32 walks/32 Ks. Randolph was on an 8-13 streak with Lakewood before a shoulder injury knocked him out for more than two months.

He is back in the Lakewood OF and should be fine.

8. C Andrew Knapp. I was going to leave Andrew off this list until I heard the CSN Philly guys talking him up. Not because the bat has been so-so -- .266, 7 homers, 30 RBIs.

I think the bat will be fine, but I am not sure catching is in Knapp's future. And I couldn't put him on this list as a first baseman, where he'll likely end up. Andrew has devoted his attention to defense this year, and the results have been shaky. He has 7 errors and 10 passed balls. Unacceptable.

But, as the CSN guys reminded me, Knapp is still a switch hitter with power from both sides who hit .308 last year with 35 doubles and 13 homers.

Let's keep him right here.

9. SP Adonis Medina. The Phils have had some disappointments within the starting pitching crew. Notably, Kilome, Pinto and Asher. The 19-year-old Medina has dominated and offers thrilling potential.

In four starts at short-season A ball, Medina has allowed 7 hits and 1 run in 22.1 innings. You'd like to see more than nine Ks, but he seems to know how to pitch and how to get outs. That's rare in a young guy.

Of course, the minors are filled with young pitchers who can get young hitters out. But Medina reportedly can throw it up to 95, with a promising slider and change.

10. 1B Rhys Hoskins. Lots of candidates for this last spot. Pitchers Ben Lively and Nick Pivetta have done well. OF Roman Quinn was on fire until yet another injury. But this spot comes down to Hoskins or his home run partner, Dylan Cozens.

I am surprised Hoskins won my vote to be honest. But he is posting his second straight strong season, following up 17 homers and 90 RBIs with 25 home runs (and counting) at Double A. His average is above .300 during that time.

Hoskins was a 5th round pick, just like another pretty good Phillies first baseman named Howard.

But Hoskins is here over Cozens because of his splits. He does have 16 homers at the Reading launching pad, but he also has 14 doubles and 9 homers on the road.

Cozens, on the other hand, has 17 doubles and 20 homers at home, compared to 9 and 4 on the road.

I'm concerned that Hoskins is just another plodding righty with little speed who strikes out a lot. A lot of those guys, like Mark Reynolds and Russell Branyon, to name two, don't make it.

But in a season where the lumbering Mark Trumbo is rescuing his career, I'm giving Hoskins a shot.

Is Clayton Kershaw the Greatest Pitcher of All Time?

East Coast Bias is a real thing, especially when it comes to sports.

We only hear about the greatness of players such as Clayton Kershaw. I watched CK pitch a full game on Sunday night, perhaps for the first time.

The ESPN initiated a discussion on where Kershaw ranks among the all-time greats. I listened, watched and researched. And this guy might be the most perfect pitcher to ever take the mound.

Here's a guy who spots a fastball like Greg Maddux. He has a wipe-out slider like Steve Carlton, and a 12-to-6 curveball like Barry Zito. And he has a deceptive, funky deliver to boot.

Just an extraordinary package. His control is such that he reached 100 strikeouts Sunday against just 5 walks.

One of the very hardest things to achieve in baseball is consistent dominance. This sport is not like the NFL, where we know before the season that Tom Brady is going to toss 30+ TDs. Or the NBA, where you can bank on Lebron averaging 27+ a game.

It is extremely tough to sustain dominance in MLB. Especially from the mound. Check back in two years and see where Jake Arietta is at.

Clayton Kershaw is in his eighth year of complete domination of the Senior Circuit. During that time, he has compiled a 2.26 ERA, 10 strikeouts per nine and an astounding 0.983 WHIP (walks + hits per innings pitched).

To post a WHIP below 1 for even a season is a phenonomal accomplishment. To do it over eight years is otherworldly.

But easily the most impressive stat concerning Kershaw is his hits per inning stat. He ranks second all time, giving up 6.6 hits per nine.

When I looked up the all-time list, I expected to see some of the game's greatest starters. That's not the case at all. The top is populated by wild arms who had great stuff, like Nolan Ryan.

Nolan gave up the fewest hits per nine of any pitcher in ML history. But he walked 2,795 batters! The similarly wild Sandy Koufax and Sid Fernandez are also in the top five.

Relief pitchers Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera place in the top 10.

Only Ryan and Koufax are in the Hall of Fame among the ten toughest pitchers to hit of all time.

But Kershaw is the only one who can be called a complete pitcher, a control pitcher. The significance is extraordinary. He's a pitcher who throw strike after strike, yet nobody can hit him.

Yes, Kershaw needs to shed the postseason monkey. That goes without saying.

But it might be worth staying up late for some of those Dodger games. We just might be seeing the best pitcher of all time.

The Next Phillie Call-up Will Be (Not Who You Think) ...

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are 8-2 in their last 10 games and sit in second place in the International League North Division.

Unlike past Phillies' Triple A teams, the Pigs are fueled by genuine future major leaguers, rather than MLB retreads. The team is stocked with several future Phillies polishing up a few final flaws to the satisfaction of the Broad Street brass.

First baseman Tommy Joseph was the first Pig to get the call. With the big club clinging to contention, Phillies' fans are eagerly anticipating the next.

Will it be Nick Williams to add some offense to the woeful outfield? Maybe Zach Eflin to punch up the flagging rotation? Even IF Taylor Featherston has a fan club of one among my Phillies circle.

No, no and nope. The next Pig called to Philly will be Edubray Ramos.

If you're asking "Who?" at this point, I am with you. I never heard of young Ramos until a couple months ago, but he has compiled an impressive record moving through the system.

The Ramos story is fascinating. Bob Brookover covered it in this February profile. Like a lot of teenagers in Latin America and South America, Ramos converted his baseball talent into a lottery ticket out of hopeless poverty.

And just as quickly, after posting a 9.53 ERA in the Venezuelan Summer League, it was over. Just 17 years old, he was out of baseball in 2011 and 2012.

The Phillies are one of just a few teams who continue to seek players in the deteriorating Venezuela. They signed Ramos in 2013. After converting to a full-time relief role, he dominated.

In 2014, Ramos posted a culmulative 0.81 ERA at three stops; In 2015, a 2.07 ERA with two teams, reaching Double A.

So far this year, Ramos has a 1.54 ERA in 17 games. He is unscored upon in seven Triple A games. Simply put, he is ready to help the big club.

Two things stand out with Ramos. Number one, he can pitch multiple innings. His 17 appearances cover 23.1 innings.

But here's the stat that Pete Mackanin and Bob McClure have to love: he has allowed one walk. That's right -- one walk in 23.1 innings. For you saber guys, that translates to a 0.73 WHIP.

If you flung your TV remote and now you can't find the little battery door (which I may or may not have done) at the sight of Andrew Bailey walking two batters in a tight 2-0 game Saturday, you welcome a pen shakeup.

Bailey isn't the answer. Colton Murray isn't a major leaguer. If the Phillies are going to continue to chase a 75-win successful season, they'll do it on the backs of the bullpen. I think it's a legit strength.

And Ramos will fit in nicely as a bridge to Neris/Gomez.

You'll see him soon.

Should the Phillies Make a Play for Trout?

Everyone in Philliesland has an opinion on what kid GM Matt Klentak should do next.

He should promote Nick Williams; He should acquire a bat; He should trade the No. 1 draft pick for Andrew Luck. OK, only long-suffering Birds' fans dream of that last one.

The issue of the day is whether the Phils' 24-18 record is anything remotely real. I don't think it is, but that has nothing to do with what I am proposing here.

The next time the Angels drop seven of eight, MacPhail, Middleton & Klentak should dial up Anaheim GM Billy Eppler and offer any five prospects on the Philly system for Mike Trout.

The Angels are in a tough spot, since they really can't get comparable value for Trout. There's only one other player remotely like him, and the Nationals aren't trading Bryce Harper.

Trout is roughly the equivelant of two All-Star caliber players. Baseball Reference tells me that a 5+ WAR is an All Star. Trout averaged about 9.4 WAR the past four seasons. You put Trout alongside Herrera and a breathing body and the Phils are getting 15+ WAR from their OF.

That would make them immediate contenders.

Still, our top FIVE propspects, you say? Won't that devastate out greatest resource -- the bountiful farm? No.

Such a trade is still a lopsided win for the Phils, which is why Eppler will smile politely and pretend he has an incoming call. But ... maybe Trout and his agent get involved. Maybe his overwhelming desire to play close to home makes the Angels think about it. After all, Anaheim has one of the worst farm systems anyone has ever seen.

A few reasons why this is a good deal for the Phils:

1. It's prospects from the prospect list. That means Nola, Franco, Herrera, Neris, Eickhoff and Velasquez are not eligible. Fact is most prospects do not pan out. Remember Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, Lou Marson, Jon Singleton, Jared Cosart or Anthony Gose? They were all prospects Phils' fans did not want to trade.

2. Yes, it will hurt to give up Crawford, but...  You've got to give up something to get something, and when you're getting a future Hall of Famer a full three years from his prime, you only hope that an elite SS prospect who hails from Cali will entice the Angels enough to bite.

3. A Quick Reload. Phils have that No. 1 pick in a draft that has no Harper and no Trout. Various accounts have MMK preparing to spread around their vast draft cash pool with an eye toward adding two, or even three 1st round caliber talents. In addition, they are expected to sign two of the top international prospects. The Phils could ship out their top five prospects and still have a top 10 system heading into the offseason.

4. Depth, depth, depth. Some of the Phils' farm standouts thus far are not even on many top 10 or top 20 lists. Guys like OFs Dylan Cozens (an Eastern League-leading 11 HRs, 9 SBs) and Jose Pujols (leading the Sally League in HRs), and 2B Scott Kingery are playing their way onto the MMK farm reports. Fact is, the Phils' system is loaded with No. 3-4 starters and No. 6 hitters. They need an ace starter and a cleanup masher.

Swapping some of that depth could get them the latter.

The returns would be swift and strong. The Bank would sell out every night again.

Trout would become the biggest athlete in Philadelphia since Allen Iverson took the Phils to the NBA Finals. And does anybody doubt he has the stones to handle it?

It's a pipe dream I realize.

But summer and baseball are what dreams are all about.

The Man Who Wouldn't Be President

If Hillary Clinton does not win this thing, she will fail to become the first woman to be president. She will also become one of the more accomplished candidates -- male or female -- to fall short of the presidency.

Her 20-year resume is unrivaled among the current candidates: First Lady for eight years, U.S. Senator for eight more, and Secretary of State for four years.

But where does she stand in U.S. history? Has anyone with more impressive credentials sought and failed in multiple attempts to be president?

The answer is yes and most definitely yes.

Henry Clay is arguably the most impressive American politician never to be president. A lion of the U.S. Senate, Clay also served multiple stints as Speaker of the House and also as Secretary of State.

A lawyer and highly skilled orator, the Kentuckian negotiated some of the most famous legislative compromises of the pre-Civil War 19th century. From 1811 to 1850, few major events happened in American politics without Clay's input.

If ever a person seemed destined to be president, it was Clay. And he wanted it very badly. But Clay ran three times -- in 1824, 1832 and 1844 -- and lost each time.

I haven't read any biographies of Clay, but recently read several biographies of the men who served with him and bested him. Sometimes that can give a better read on a person.

He made one major miscalculation, otherwise, Clay was bedeviled by circumstances. Simply put, if it weren't for bad luck, he'd have had no luck at all.

"I am the most unfortunate man in the history of parties," he reportedly said after the Whigs bypassed him for the elderly William Henry Harrison in 1840.

The 1840 contest represented Clay's best chance at the presidency. President Martin Van Buren was on the ropes due to the Panic of 1837. Inexplicably, the Whigs settled on the 67-year-old Harrison, who won and died one month into his term.

But the President Clay plan went off the rails much earlier. In hindsight, it's fascinating to consider just how close Clay came to becoming not just a POTUS, but possibly an all-time legendary American figure.

By 1824, the 47-year-old Clay was an established power in Washington, D.C. He was elected freshman Speaker of the House in 1811 and used his forceful personality to remake the largely ceremonial position into the powerful post it remains to this day.

One anecdote tells the story: in one of his first acts as speaker, Clay banned Rep. John Randolph's dog from the House. Members feared the prickly and pugnacious Randolph and Clay was the first who dared confront him on the issue.

Fast forward to 1824 and Clay's plan seemed sound. In a four-man field -- Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams and William H. Crawford were the others -- Clay rightly assumed that none of the four would get the required number of electoral votes.

In that scenario, the 12th amendment calls for the House of Representatives to choose the president. Clay needed only to finish in the top three in electoral votes and then let his House influence do the work from there. He finished fourth.

It is likely that, at 47, he was viewed as too young by the standards of 1824 America. What Clay did next would burden him politically for the rest of his life.

In his defense, Clay only did what he did best: he struck a deal. As the three candidates fished for support in the House, sectional loyalties led to gridlock. Already a foe of Jackson's, Clay held a lengthy meeting with Adams one evening.

Soon after, Clay delivered the votes of the three states he won -- Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky -- to Adams. Five days later, the new president named Clay as his secretary of state.

The Jacksonians howled about the "corrupt bargain." For all his gifts, Clay was an intractable sort and no match for the Jackson touch. Clay's political compass failed him one last time during the 1844 campaign, when he vexed many by opposing annexation of Texas.

By this time infirmed and nearing death, Jackson smugly observed that his old adversary was "a dead political duck."

There are many similarities between Henry C. and Hillary C. Both were and are skilled Washington insiders who chased power their entire lives and lusted after the presidency.

Clinton hopes to write a different ending.

Inside Baseball: On to Cincinnati!

When the Phillies play their first game in Cincinnati April 4, they will be tied for first place.

It's the closest to contention they will get all season. With that in mind, the most urgent business on skipper Pete Mackanin's to-do list seems to be deciding an opening-day starter.

In one corner, we have Aaron Nola, acknowledged by all to be the most talented pitcher in the organization. In the other, we have everyone else.

The latter group includes Charlie Morton, and I think he should get the ball April 4. Is he better than Nola? No. Jerad Eickhoff and Jeremy Hellickson might be a better, too.

But Morton doesn't have to be the best pitcher to fill the role I think they have in mind for him.

For sure, Morton was brought on because the Phils needed a starter and he was available for nothing. The Pirates were more than happy to offload his $8 million 2016 salary.

At 32, Morton is what I'll call a "young veteran." He's been around for a long time, but he's only thrown 875 innings.

The rest of the 2016 starts will go to Nola, 22, Eickhoff, 25, Hellickson, 29, Vincent Velasquez, 23, Brett Oberholtzer, 26, Jake Thompson, 22, Mark Appel, 24, and Adam Morgan, 25.

Many of these names show up on various prospect lists. Yes, the Phillies are young and talented, with a bright future -- emphasis on young.

I believe Phillies chief Andy MacPhail looked across town and saw the young 76ers wandering aimlessly through loss after loss. After stumbling through an embarassing couple of months, the Sixers talked Elton Brand out of retirement to babysit the striplings.

Morton as coach on the field is not a crazy thought. In a largely anonymous career to date, he's made minor news a few times. Once for mimicking the legendary Roy Halladay's delivery. Hopefully, he adopted Doc's work ethic as well.

But the thing that stood out to me is Morton's fondness for pitching inside. Nobody in baseball hits more batters than Charlie Morton, one per 11.2 innings. He led the National League in hit batters in 2013 and 2014, despite missing more than half a season's worth of starts over the two years.
 
The point, of course, is not to bean anyone. All that does is add another baserunner. What it tells us is Morton is fearless about pitching inside.

I see a lot of young pitchers seemingly afraid to throw inside. Or maybe they don't know how. The end result is giving up half of the plate, and it makes the hitter's job a lot easier.

"Pitching is the art of instilling fear," Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax said. In another interview, he was more blunt: "Show me a guy who can't pitch inside and I'll show you a loser."

Harsh? Perhaps.

I probably saw all of Nola's Major League starts last year, and my recollection is he prefers staying away from hitters. The numbers back it up: he hit three batters in 165 minor-league innings.

Eickhoff and Thompson pitched a combined 117 innings in the Phillies' organization after coming over via trade last year. Neither recorded a hit batter.

Again, it's about pitching inside. Hitting batters is merely a byproduct of that skill. The Phillies have a stable of talented young pitchers, and they need to learn to become complete pitchers.

I believe Morton is here to serve as mentor, coach on the field and leader of the staff. Can he fill that role starting the second or third game of the year? Of course.

But I think the Phils will be all in on this, and they should be.

Obama's Jacksonian Legacy

"This vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president" -- Mitch McConnell

Barack Obama's presidency most reminds me of Andrew Jackson.

While it may seem illogical to compare anything about America's first black president with an avowed racist who smashed any abolitionist acts, there are similarities.

Above all, Jackson was a supreme political tactician. Despite his lack of formal education, few leaders have ever handled political opponents more deftly than The General.

And Jackson did not lack for quality opposition. Sens. Henry Clay and John Calhoun, as well as the brilliant Nicholas Biddle, were just three of his formidable foes.

Sen. Thomas Hart Benton is the Hillary Clinton in this analogy, an early adversary who quickly learned the political value of not holding grudges.

The former trio never overcame their stubborn opposition, and Jackson made them pay at every turn. His proficiency in trouncing Clay and Calhoun forms much of Jackson's presidential legacy.

In battles over administration appointments, nullification and the national bank, Jackson bested opponents via a series of shrewd moves. Opponents were left to claim Jackson desired to be king of his kingdom.

For a nation just a generation or two removed from the abuses of King George III, the charge was a serious one.

These days, Obama's serially vanguished opponents claim he "wants to act as if he's a dictator," as Gov. Chris Christie said recently. Dictator is the new king, apparently.

The modern-day roles of Clay and Calhoun are filled by Sen. Mitch McConnell and former Speaker John Boehner. McConnell even hails from Kentucky, the state where Clay held sway. Like Calhoun, the first vice president to resign, Boehner also gave up a power post after losing several confrontations with the White House.

McConnell welcomed the Obama presidency thusly: "My number one priority is making sure President Obama's a one-term president."

That didn't work out so well. Through healthcare, gay marriage, government shutdowns and elections, Obama seemingly emerges stronger each time.

And that brings America to the final epic showdown over the Supreme Court. Republicans would do well to stop underestimating their opponent.

Or at least set their expectations low. The Washington Post has already theorized that even if Republicans succeed in batting the nomination forward, Obama wins anyway.

The Jackson years ended with one final battle to erase an early Senate censure from the record. In the ensuing debate, Clay, Calhoun and Benton gave fiery speeches for and against as all recognized the historical importance of a final fight that closed an era.

Even as Calhoun spoke in oratory fury, Jon Meacham writes in "American Lion," "like Clay ... he knew that his was a futile argument."

Will McConnell & Co. recognize the same?