These Phillies Products Are Ascending to Top Prospect Status

The Complex League's season has come to a close, so here are some standout Philadelphia Phillies prospects who impressed.

Author:
Alex Carr
Sep 4, 2022 1:00 PM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

The regular seasons of both the Dominican Summer and Florida Complex Leagues have drawn to a close, and both were wildly successful for some Philadelphia Phillies prospects.

A slew of Phillies international signees burst on to the scene, entering their names into top prospect conversations, winning some hardware in the process.

It can be difficult to evaluate Rookie League talent, as the competition has a tendency to be relatively raw, leading to some inflated results. Still, there were a number of Phillies prospects that posted results worth diving into, so lets get to work:

INF Nikau Pouaka-Grego, 17 years old, New Zealand

The Phillies signed Pouaka-Grego in January of this year, and he immediately impressed with his advanced plate discipline and bat control.

The 17-year-old managed a fabulous .301/.424/.466 slash across 35 games with the FCL Phillies this season, striking out as many times as he walked, totaling 16 of each. He managed ten extra-base hits this season, including three home runs.

The New Zealander will surely make the leap to affiliated ball next season, but has had some of the most helium of any prospect this year outside of fellow infielder Hao-Yu Lee. While Lee is deeply ingrained in top five prospect conversations within the Phillies system, Pouaka-Grego is not far behind, getting some consideration among many in the Top 10-15 range.

SS William Bergolla, 17 years old, Venezuela

It should come as no surprise to those who have been paying any attention, but William Bergolla Jr. flashed some serious potential overseas this season.

The son of former Cincinnati Reds product, William Bergolla Sr., Bergolla Jr. was the Phillies' top international signee in 2022, inking a $2.05 million deal with the team in January. He went on to post a .380/.470/.423 slash in 24 games, and was a big part of the DSL Phillies title run.

Both his bat and glove stood out at various points this season, but perhaps most impressive about Bergolla was his plate discipline. The budding shortstop struck out only three times this season, and walked in a whopping 12 instances. With an eye like that, he is sure to make his way stateside next season, if his traditional numbers weren't evidence enough.

C Rickardo Perez, 18 years old, Venezuela

Another top international signee, this time their highest paid player in the 2021 class, Rickardo Perez came stateside this year and flashed his contact-prone bat, hitting .349 across 30 games in the Florida Complex League.

Injury stunted Perez's season unfortunately, but the 18-year-old managed to log his first professional home run, whilst limiting his strikeouts to a mere total of 13 .

His contact ability, glove, and solid arm stood out above all, and while questions still remain about power development, Perez is well on his way to a Clearwater debut next season. He will likely join names like Justin Crawford, Emaarion Boyd, and the aforementioned Nikau-Pouaka Grego, making for a stacked Single-A club.

RHP Jaydenn Estanista, 20 years old, Curacao

When Estanista made his way to the Florida Complex League this season, not much was known about him. Now, he is among the most talked-about pitchers that threw for the Phillies in the FCL this season.

The youngster from Curacao likely profiles as a reliever long-term, but is armed with a killer fastball. Topping out at 98, he has excellent feel for the pitch, and leans on it primarily given his current lack of a true secondary. Breaking ball command is surely something he'll be working on as he ascends through the Phillies' system.

Still, the 20-year-old tossed 31.1 innings of 2.01 ERA ball for the FCL Phils this season, racking up 35 strikeouts, while walking 16 batters.

RHP Maxwel Hernandez, 19 years old, Dominican Republic

The Phillies' breakout pitcher of the DSL, Maxwel Hernandez sparkled in his first professional season tossing 49.2 innings of league-leading 0.72 ERA ball, and capping a fabulous year off with a six-inning gem in the pivotal second game of the DSL Phils title run.

As things currently stand, There is a decent chance that Hernandez remains a starter. His fastball currently sits low-90's, and his go-to secondary, a changeup, has posted solid reports. It seems nearly certain that we'll see him stateside next season.

RHP Enrique Segura, 17-years-old, Dominican Republic

At just 17-years-old, Segura is the youngest pitcher on this list, and has shown some advanced mechanics for his age this season.

Primarily relying on a sinking fastball, which sits in the low-to-mid 90's, Segura generated a ton of soft contact in his professional debut. His efforts earned him a 2.32 ERA across 42.2 innings, where he struck out 39 batters in the process. There is some belief that Segura will be able to add strength, and therefore velocity, and there is time for that given his youth.

There has been enough positivity surrounding Segura that he earned a spot at the bottom of MLB Pipeline's Top 30 Phillies Prospects List, directly under the aforementioned Jaydenn Estanista.

INF Leonardo Rondon, 18-years-old, Venezuela

Though he may be small, he is mighty. Standing at just five-foot-eight, Leonardo Rondon bashed his way through the DSL this season, hitting .340 with a .906 OPS, and logging his first professional home run in the process.

Rondon is speedy, and he carries a quick, contact-prone bat to boot. Power remains a question for him, an obvious concern given his frame, but he has an inherent ability to find the gaps, posting seven doubles and two triples on the season. He, like many of his DSL teammates, also showed solid discipline at the plate, striking out just 18 times, and walking 10.

He too should make his way stateside next season, and will be one to watch as he develops. It's not often a player of his stature pops eyes at the professional level.