Phillies pleased with pitching development
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By MITCH RUPERT
mrupert@sungazette.com
Phillies Director of Player Development Joe Jordan is leading a minor league system which has the third highest winning percentage in all of minor league baseball. It's the highlight of a season for the Phillies in which the big league team is on pace to lose over 100 games.
Going into Saturday's games, the Phillies' minor league teams have won 55.5 percent of their games this year, a number bested by only the Minnesota Twins (59.54 percent) and the New York Yankees (60.19 percent).
Saturday, in advance of the Williamsport Crosscutters' second game of a three-game series with the Mahoning Valley Scrapper, Jordan sat down to answer questions about the state of the Phillies' farm system, as well as questions about numerous individuals currently playing in the Phillies' system.
Here's the transcript of that question and answer session.
Q: More than halfway through the season can you just give me your thoughts on how things have gone throughout the system?
A: It's been a good year. I don't know where we are compared to last summer. I know July and August were big months for us collectively as an organization last year. We've had our promotions. We had guys that have been promoted that have gone right in to their new affiliate and done very well, with a couple of exceptions, maybe one. But I think we've had a lot of outstanding starting pitching performances. We've got some kids doing well. If you start at AAA with some of the hitters, Rhys Hoskins, Scott Kingery. I think Dylan Cozens, July and August are going to be good months for Dylan, and hopefully Jorge Alfaro as well. Nick Williams is in the big leagues and hasn't looked out of place at all. I think it's been a really good year so far. We've had our challenges because we've had to send a lot of guys to the big leagues. A lot of times we haven't gotten our player back. So I'm real proud of our players and staff overall because I think we've absorbed it pretty well.
Q: I want to ask about a guy like Brock Stassi. Unheralded, high round draft pick, is that an organizational win that a kid drafted where he was, with who he is as a player was able to become a big league player?
A: Of course it is. I think those are the ones that are real special to a lot of people. We're all real proud for him because he's the one that pushed it. He literally proved everyone wrong and kept grinding and kept helping the club that he was on be a better club, and then figured some things out individually on the offensive side. That's the reward of what we do.
Q: You mention you've gone through your promotions, but it felt like this year, maybe more so than in years past, there were guys that kind of forced your hand because they played so well. I think of a JoJo Romero and Ranger Suarez. Do you feel like you had more of that this year where you had guys play so well that they just needed a new challenge?
A: That's what you want to happen. Very little of anything we do involved with a prospect is based on need. We try to always feel like the player is ready for a new challenge. But our system is pretty healthy from a talent standpoint. We do have players that are doing well and maybe have accelerated our timetable a little bit. It's been good. I like it when players play well.
Q: This is my ninth season covering the Cutters and I don't know that I've seen a better collection of talent here. How excited are you to watch this group develop?
A: Well this is going to be a good club, I don't think there's any doubt. The pitching is now here. For the most part the pitching that is here is going to be here for the summer. I think as they get settled in and lengthen out some of the starters, this is going to be a fun club to watch. There's a lot of talent on the club.
Q: Connor Seabold was a guy who pitched a lot in college, is there going to be a restraint on him?
A: Yeah, we're going to limit. We don't have a real high target for what we're trying to get him to. He pitched 127 innings in college. So we'll probably try to get him to around 150 and that'll be a good number for him to work off of for next year.
Q: What's the goal this summer for Adam Haseley?
A: Get acclimated to our system. Get acclimated to the way we do things. We're really just going to watch him play. It's easy to see there's a hit gene there. So far he's been impressive. I think the goal watch him play. I don't know how long he'll be in Williamsport, but he's here now. There may be another stop along the way. But honestly, I just want him to get acclimated and get used to our throwing program and what we do, and help us to put together a plan for the thing or two he needs to accomplish in instructional league.
Q: Should people take more notice of where he starts next year as opposed to where he's playing this summer?
A: He's an accomplished college player and it's easy to see what the scouts like. If he's healthy, has a productive winter, as far as this will be the first time he can prepare himself to be a position player, I expect in the spring he's going to show up a stronger player and a fresh player. I know I didn't do a good job of answering your question, but we should be able to move him along and I think the player will allow us to do that.
Q: I don't see a whole lot of opposite field home runs in this league, especially from 18-year-old kids going to the opposite field gap. Did that swing last night speak to the talent that's inside Jhailyn Ortiz?
A: Absolutely. We've all seen him do it on bigger fields and at the complex. When he gets ready and he's on time, the ball comes off his bat different than the rest of them. It's what the good lord put inside him. That's very impressive for a kid his age to do that. That was fun to watch.
Q: I've seen him pull one, but I've never seen the opposite field power like that from him.
A: It's line to line. I think he'll be that type of hitter too. That's what he should be, using the plate and covering the whole field.
Q: You mentioned to me last year that you would rather have a player like J.P. Crawford struggle in the minor leagues as opposed to struggling in the big leagues. I'm sure you thought that was true for only a couple months. Is there concern over the length of his struggles at AAA?
A: I think there would be if he hadn't hit .280 or .290 over the last 20 or so games. I think he is coming out of this. He hit a ball last night to the left-center gap that would have been out at Citizens Bank opposite field and the guy caught it at the wall at that big park in Scranton. J.P.'s coming along. It's been a struggle for him. We've struggled with figuring out what we could do to get him back on track. It took longer than we thought it would. But I do believe he's in a pretty good place right now that he feels good about. He's going to hopefully finish out with a good weekend, then have the All-Star break, and have a good two months after the All-Star break.
Q: He's always been such a confident kid, has he maintained that confidence?
A: He really has. I give him credit there because he's hung in there. He's never been through anything like this. It hasn't beat him and he'll come out the other end a much better and much stronger player if he just continues what he's doing right now.
Q: We've seen more plate discipline from Jorge Alfaro the last couple weeks. Is that anything you guys have talked to him about, seeing more pitches at the plate?
A: Controlling the strike zone is one of our biggest points of emphasis on both sides of the ball, on the mound and at the plate. It has taken a while, but not only him, but Nick Williams before he was promoted, hopefully we're starting to get the seeds in there to make them understand that this is very important for them. It's obviously important for us when we start making decisions on promotions and challenging people. He's capable. That just isn't who he has been in the past, but we believe he has the ability to change that.
Q: I had a thought that maybe he believes he can hit any pitch that's thrown over the plate. But is it about him understanding to pick out the ones he can drive as opposed to the ones he can just get the bat on?
A: Of course it is. You've got to pick your spots. A lot of it depends on who you're facing that night. Your approach has to be different when you're facing the good ones. Greg Luzinski put it great to me a couple weeks ago. When he faced Nolan Ryan and when he faced Bob Gibson, when he faced those guys he was just determined to battle for four at-bats. He didn't have any expectations as far as numbers. But he's going to battle and try to scratch out a hit. But he feasted on the fours and fives. I thought, for me, it's a great statement and a great plan for our young guys to understand. I think you've got to pay attention to who your facing and your plan can be different night to night.
Q: We've talked for years about the hopes Carlos Tocci would grow a little bit. But are we getting to the point where he is what he is size-wise and can still be a productive player.
A: Absolutely. He's going to continue to gradually gain strength. But he's a good player and he's been a good player. He's performing in AA and if you can do it in AA, you can eventually do it in the big leagues. And I'm convinced that he can, and will eventually, do it in the big leagues.
Q: Has Zach Coppola been a nice little surprise?
A: Nope. He hasn't been. If you look at National League baseball and the way championship clubs are put together, whether he can be a guy that can play every day or whether he's a guy that can come off the bench and steal a base when everyone in the ballpark knows he's going, or going to play three outfield spots late in the game to help your club defensively, he can do all those things. He has to get stronger, and if he does he's got a terrific feel to hit, he's just not very strong. But when you're talking about bat, field, run, throw, he's got four tools that'll play in the big leagues. That's pretty good. It really is. So it hasn't surprised me because he knows who he is and that's why he was sent to AA. We thought he would go up there and do what he does and help that club.
Q: Since he got through the first month of last season, the numbers are starting to match the stuff of Franklyn Kilome. Is there truth in that?
A: Yup. He's growing as a pitcher. When you're 6-7 and long arms and legs, I think it takes a while to get control of you body. But he's so strong. He's one of our best workers in the weight room. It's coming together.
Q: What's the next step for him that you'd like to see?
A: I think just to continue to develop the command. There's nights where he has plenty of command of his fastball and his breaking ball and he's used his change-up a little bit more. But for me, continue to do what he's doing because his command and control is getting better. He's throwing more strikes, he's starting to execute pitches, and I think his maturity and he's a real confident pitcher right now.
Q: How much do you enjoy watching Sixto Sanchez?
A: He's real easy to watch. He's advanced. I think he's obviously on everyone's radar, and he should be. He has a lot of things he can improve on. He's working on his breaking ball, he's working on his change-up, and he's got a good change-up. He'll show you a good breaking ball, it's just about consistency. An 18-year old who is not ready to do it every night. But the fastball quality and the command are a great start, because they're both very good.
Q: I saw an interview with his pitching coach that said he could pitch a game just using his fastball. Do you almost have to force him to use his secondary stuff?
A: Yes, we do. He gives up some runs and he gives up some hits because that's what's happening. But it'll pay off in the end. He could absolutely throw 95 percent fastballs in that league and dominate that league. But that won't make him a better pitcher. So there's some requirements that we put on nightly of what we want to see.
Q: I saw Jonathan Guzman here for about a week and for a 17-year-old kid, he didn't look out of place. What are your thoughts on him?
A: He's a good player and he's going to be a really good player. He's a true shortstop with a good swing. He needs strength and he needs time. He's smart and he's an intelligent young man. We talk about presentation and the way he carries himself, he doesn't look out of place because he doesn't feel like he's out of place. He's got a good way about him. He's a talented young player.
Q: Do you feel like Rhys Hoskins is as ready as he's going to be to be a big league player?
A: I do. Rhys has been ready for a while. He's waiting on an opportunity and at some point in time he's going to get his opportunity. But he's handled it well. He's been steady Eddie.
Q: Darick Hall has had a really nice season. Is he getting close to needing another challenge?
A: Possibly. And we've obviously talked about that because he's having missed about three weeks. He's probably played in 65 games and he probably has about 65 RBIs and 16 home runs. He's done everything he can do. We've talked about it.
Q: Can you give me an update on Kevin Gowdy and Roman Quinn?
A: Gowdy is throwing and we're trying to get him ready. He'll be on a roster and pitching, I think our target is very early in August, late July or early August. We're getting there. He's healthy. He just has to get built up. And really same thing with Quinn. It's kind of a freaky thing that happened. He doesn't have pain. They're ramping up the activity. I think once we get him to full baseball activity, it won't take him long to get ready. But right now that's what he's doing. They're ramping up the activity to see if his elbow flares up.
Q: A lot of freaky things have happened to Roman. Does it make you scratch your head a bit?
A: I'm just disappointed for him because he's a guy who could be leading off in the big leagues for us right now. If you look at his body of work the last two years in AA, he did what he needed to do. He had a hard time staying on the field. I still believe in him and when he gets on the field he's going to be a good player.player develpoment