An inside look at the Phillies top prospects.
(MLBPipeline lists the top 30 prospects on each team’s website. While biding time waiting for baseball to resume, Steve Potter will provide his views of these young players. A Clearwater resident, his passion is seeing and following these prospects in person. Normally, Spectrum Field and Carpenter Complex are his second homes. His 4th Annual Phillies Minor League Digest is on sale at www.amazon.com.)
RHP Francisco Morales
Phillies # 4 prospect according to MLB.com … 20 years old … Signed 7/2/2016 ... From San Juan de los Morros, Venezuela
When we first saw Francisco pitch on the back fields in 2017 the stuff was evident however control and command were very much lacking. I remember chatting with a Phillies international scout at the time who openly gushed over the future projection of what he envisioned for Francisco and he wasn’t concerned about command, said that would come.
Last season at Lakewood things really began to click, in particular the second half of the season. In August, Francisco posted a 1.89 ERA in 5 games striking out 28 batters in 19 IP while walking only seven.
I remember watching him in this past year’s Fall Instructs. He threw a simulated game on Roberts field and absolutely dominated. It was then that I saw the vision that my scouting friend had seen in 2017. Francisco has incredible stuff. It is my opinion that he was on the verge of a breakout year this coming season in Clearwater.
Projection
Francisco has a live (with movement) FB that consistently is in the upper 90’s. Last season the slider also became top drawer, sharp break with hard action, his third pitch. The change-up is coming - it could be devastating playing off the other two. The young man’s future looks very bright. He’s got a lot of pluses, big frame, great movement on his pitches, a willingness to learn and a competitive attitude. I believe he’s got everything to be very good for many years to come at the highest level of play.
Francisco Morales - Photo by Michael Dill
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