Prodigious Power, Speed Could Help Unheralded Prospect Make Philadelphia Phillies

An under-the-radar Philadelphia Phillies prospect has a chance to make the Majors with his combination of power and speed.

Mar 13, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; A general view of Philadelphia Phillies hats laying in the dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Coming off an incredibly disappointing 2024 MLB postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies have some questions to answer this offseason.

Is the championship window for this current core beginning to close?

After advancing to the World Series in 2022 and losing to the Houston Astros, they have seen their playoff runs end earlier and earlier the subsequent seasons. In 2023, they blew a 3-2 lead at home to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS.

This year, it was an NLDS defeat at the hands of their NL East rivals the New York Mets in only four games.

Their core is way too talented to completely blow things up this offseason, but they certainly need to keep an open mind. Luckily, there are some high-end youngsters that are knocking on the door of the Major Leagues that will be able to help soon.

Infielder Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford should be part of the core lineup for years to come. Andrew Painter, Mick Abel and Griff McGarry are all high-upside arms.

Beyond the highly touted players, there are more talented youngsters flying under the radar. One of them is outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr., who director of player personnel Preston Mattingly believes is destined for big things.

“I think he’s an under-the-radar guy,” Mattingly said about Rincones during an appearance on “The Phillies Show” hosted by Ruben Amaro Jr., Jim Salisbury and Todd Zolecki. “From the simple standpoint of he’s going to have top-of-the-scale power, he’s a better defender than people think, he’s maybe one our best baserunners and he controls the zone really well.”

A third-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Florida Atlantic, the lefty showcased his power early in his Minor League career. While playing A-Ball in 2023, he hit 31 doubles and 15 home runs.

His skill set is reminiscent of Kyle Schwarber, as he works counts and takes walks, but is also prone to strikeouts. Even when bumped up to Double-A in 2024, his walk and strikeout percentages remained identcal to his first season.

Mattingly believes there is more to come from Rincones as a hitter.

“I think he’s a better hitter than this, but [he’s] the three true outcome guy who gets on base, has real power, and to me, has the ability to play at least average to maybe a tick above average major-league corner outfield.”

Being able to play the field adequately and not be tied to the designated hitter spot right away would be ideal. It will also help improve the odds of him making it to the Major Leagues.

Another asset that will help him in the field and impact the team’s offense is his athleticism. That is an underrated part of his game, as people pay most attention to his incredible power.

“He’s going to be a quality baserunner,” he said. “He’ll get you 20 to 25 [steals] just off instincts alone. And I personally still think there’s a good enough hitter in there where he’s not one of those low-average type guys.”

Turning 24 right before the 2025 campaign, Mattingly believes that with continued progression and development, Rincones will be making an impact with the Phillies sooner rather than later.