Three Phillies Prospects Make ESPN Top 100 List

Three Philadelphia Phillies have made one of ESPN's top 100 MLB prospects list for the 2022 MLB season.

Kade Kistner | Feb 15, 2022

Michael Chow/The Republic

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel released his top 100 baseball prospects list on Tuesday morning and only three Philadelphia Phillies prospects made the cut.

Shortstop Bryson Stott rang in at number 66, while pitcher Mick Abel and outfielder Johan Rojas came in at 89 and 99, respectively. It doesn't come as much of a surprise as the Phillies' player development department has provided abysmal results over the last few years, prompting a slew of changes.

The highest on the list was Stott, however, McDaniel believes that Stott only has the skills necessary to achieve average results in the majors. Stott's bat and average defense at shortstop could see him taking on a role with Philadelphia this season, especially depending on Didi Gregorius' status and performance.

Many publications, including Inside the Phillies, have Abel ranked higher than Stott. It appears McDaniel has taken into account Stott's previous breakout season in the minors and the Arizona Fall League.

McDaniel's ranking of Abel below Stott in his list is due to him being drafted as a prep pitcher, who are generally seen as very raw. Despite his delivery, pitch arsenal, and command, McDaniel would like to see everything come together before pushing Abel up the list.

Finally, Rojas just made the cut coming in at 99. Inside the Phillies has him as the fourth-ranked prospect in the system, whereas McDaniel has him as his third. His elite speed and defense means that even if all else goes wrong in his development, there could be some opportunity for him in late game situations where a defensive switch is needed.

Overall, McDaniel's list does not deviate far off of what industry experts have been saying over the course of the last few months as these prospects have been heavily scrutinized following the end of the season.

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Published Feb 15, 2022

KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl. During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated. Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.