Don’t get me wrong, Alec’s bat is beyond Major League ready, and everything else, apart from his defense — which he is working on, is top notch. Even if his 3rd base defense forces him to First (I’m optimistic about his defense, but that’s not the general consensus), his bat will play there. Leading up to the release of MLB Pipeline’s 2020 Top 100 Prospects List later this month, MLB.com revealed its top 10 prospects among right-handed pitchers on Tuesday. Of course, the unusual 2020 season interrupted Howard’s spring training and only saw Howard throw 24 1/3 innings once games began. Andrew Vaughn looks quite promising. Some teams struggle to acquire and develop a single prospect of high-quality, while other organizations are blessed with multiple top prospects at the same time. That is some big divides, and it shows on the the major Phillies lists out there with Medina going 4, 3, 2, and 2 (he will be at best 5 on Law’s list) and Howard going 8, 3, 2, and 4 (he will be at best 4 on MLB’s list). Peterson & Mitch Garver, Hitters in New Mexico To determine the final ranking, prospects were given points (5th column) relative to their position in each top 100 list (e.g., 1st place = 100 points and 100th place = 1 point). Rundown. Phillies’ Spencer Howard Ranked 9th-Best RHP Prospect MLB Pipeline has ranked 23-year-old Phillies right-handed pitching prospect Spencer Howard among the … 2021. I could legitimately make a case for Bohm to be the top prospect as easily as I can make my argument for Howard. Francisco Morales won't turn 20 until the end of October, but he has a lot … Howard has potential TOR stuff, he can rack up huge K totals, he’s solidly built and he’s been mostly healthy. Howard trails Casey Mize (Detroit Tigers), Nate Pearson (Toronto Blue Jays), Forrest Whitley (Houston Astros), Michael Kopech (Chicago White Sox), Sixto Sanchez (Miami Marlins), Dustin May (Los Angeles Dodgers), Matt Manning (Tigers), and Luis Patino (San Diego Padres). He has reached 100 innings in the minors just once. This stark improvement is likely why he rapidly shot up so many prospect lists, and has become an immediate favorite of scouts everywhere. Phillies: Is Spencer Howard ready for 2020 rotation? All the while I believe Bohm is just a couple months in AAA from being MLB-ready AND plays an everyday position, which is huge for my aforementioned criteria of impact. I posted a poll on Twitter, asking who the fans think the top prospect is. Similar to Bohm, his second season of professional baseball (2018) has been his most successful season. My process for prospect ranking is a mix of impact, ceiling/floor and MLB-readiness. Because the front office only added one starter to the roster this off-season, there’s at least one huge hole that still needs to be filled. Howard bests the No. Howard was among the several internal players recently invited to major-league spring training, along with infielder Alex Bohm; right-handers Connor Brogdon, Ramon Russo, and Addison Russ; southpaws Kyle Dohy, Tyler Gilbert, Damon Jones, and Zach Warren; first baseman Darick Hall; catcher Henri Lartigue; 1B/OF Austin Listi, INF/OF Luke Williams; shortstop Nick Maton; and outfielder Mickey Moniak. Being able to address the number one concern with a player already in the system is huge. His first season of professional baseball was good, but his sophomore season is what has really set him apart from the rest of the pack of position players. The gem of his career, so far, was his no-hitter for Lakewood in the 2018 playoffs. Howard came to Starting a little later in his college career only really becoming a Starter during his Sophomore year (he was drafted as a Sophomore). Howard, 23, went 1-1 with a 2.11 ERA across six starts in 2019 Fall League action, along with a 27-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 0.938 WHIP spanning 21 1/3 innings. Even if Bohm’s power never evolves past the 20-25 home run tier, I believe his bat is enough to carry him to a high OPS and many All-Star appearances. It’s certainly not going to ever be something that holds him back from making the Major League roster, but it’s important to take into consideration the fact that there already are questions about his potential to remain at the hot corner forever. Only time will tell. He lost some time in 2020 to soreness, but it seems largely precautionary and he showed no ill effects pitching in the Fall, with all of his stuff still there and effective. An afternoon matinee for your viewing pleasure, That was a needed victory: Phillies 9, Cardinals 2, The Phillies bench really can’t hit lefties. For me, it came down to one thing: Position. Bohm can hit. Philadelphia Phillies news from FanSided Daily, Phillies Claim Nick Martini, Part Ways with Odubel Herrera, Phillies win as Nationals/Braves lose Josh Donaldson sweepstakes. Top 30 by Team. 55. Howard was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft. So, in terms of future performance I’m saying they’ll be potentially equal. For me though, that’s a minor nit-pick, probably about equal to the Bohm’s defensive questions. With Zack Wheeler being the only addition to the Phillies starting rotation this offseason, Howard could receive early consideration to join the mix, alongside him, Aaron Nola, and Jake Arrieta. He’s always had some nasty stuff, but many were worried about his ability to pitch further into games/stay healthy, as well as the eventuality that he would develop into a “pitcher” and not a “thrower.”. Led by RHP Spencer Howard, see where your favorite Phillies prospects rank. MLB.com’s Jim Callis praises Howard for making “tremendous progress” on his change-up, despite coming “out of Cal Poly in 2017” with it being “below-average.” Howard is also described by Callis as being the “highest riser” of the group: A second-round pick in 2017, Howard had an up-and-down first full season in pro ball, though he gave a glimpse of his upside by throwing a no-hitter in the low Class A South Atlantic League playoffs. Allie hit the nail on the head here — the Phillies really are staring down a “1A, 1B” scenario at the top of their prospect food chain. That’s not to mention the questions surrounding how Arrieta, Velazquez and Pivetta will perform in 2020. Both of these young talents boast rich pedigrees, and are slated for BIG things upon their entry into the Majors. In the past, he wrote for FantasyPros and FanSided. Howard missed time in 2019 with a dead arm but still dazzled between high Class A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. On the other hand, Spencer Howard is currently a pitcher. In my opinion, Bohm hits more of these check-marks than Howard. The starting pitching situation, however, is desperate. But when it comes down to it, the qualities I personally prioritize put Howard on top. I would say pretend today didn’t happen, but it was too long to do that. The same 5 WAR for a Pitcher puts you in borderline Ace category, roughly on par with Aaron Nola. Full, deep arm circle that stays in-line. The plan is for Jean Segura to start Spring Training at third while Scott Kingery starts at second. He took a huge step forward in 2019 despite missing two months with shoulder soreness, significantly improving his changeup and control and capping his year with a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League. Prospect Rankings. MLB.com ranked Howard on Wednesday as baseball’s 37th-best prospect on its updated top-100 list. Spencer Howard: PHI: RHP: 64: Michael Busch: LAD: 2B: 65: Hedbert Perez: MIL: OF: 66: Luis Rodriguez: LAD: OF: 67: Cristian Pache: ATL: OF: 68: Edward Cabrera: MIA: RHP: 69: Josh Lowe: TB: OF: 70: Orelvis Martinez: TOR: SS/3B: 71: Garrett Mitchell: MIL: OF: 72: Daniel Espino: CLE: RHP: 73: Hunter Greene: CIN: RHP: 74: Heliot Ramos: SF: OF: 75: Josh Jung: TEX: 3B: 76: Simeon Woods-Richardson: … They’re also almost exactly the same age (Howard is 5 days older), so it’s not like I can lean on one performing well at a younger age either. Right now, the team isn’t in dire need of a third baseman. Build your custom FanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis on Philadelphia Phillies and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Both Bohm and Howard were named as MiLB’s organizational All Stars for the 2019 season. Honestly, this is a little bit of a coin flip. 10-ranked Grayson Rodriguez, of the Baltimore Orioles. Howard is a consensus choice as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, with Keith Law, Fangraphs, Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, and Baseball Prospectus all ranking … This reason, at a basic level, really has nothing to do with either Howard or Bohm. Spencer Howard’s meteoric rise in professional baseball will reach its peak on Sunday when the Philadelphia Phillies’ No. The organization is not going to have to teach him how to play another position. Howard, who turned 24 in July, blossomed into a frontline prospect while pitching at Single A Lakewood in 2018. He was a Florida State League All Star, an Arizona Fall League All Star, represented the Phillies at the 2019 Futures Game in Cleveland, and was named MLB’s top third base prospect heading into the 2020 season. But there’s a huge difference between wanting a prospect to be MLB-ready and needing a prospect to be MLB-ready. Two weeks into the season and the Phillies will finally face a different team. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. When I look at Spencer Howard, I see that any question marks that may have previously popped up have all been quelled now — hence my ranking him over the aforementioned stud of a “third baseman.”. The Phillies also had third baseman Alec Bohm ranked 32nd, shortstop Bryson Stott ranked 98th, and … Spencer Howard, RHP Age: 24, Date of Birth: 07/28/1996 Ranking on Preseason Top 50 List: 2 2020 stats: 24.1 IP, 23 K, 10 BB, 5.92 ERA, 5.86 FIP, 1.64 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 2.30 K/BB The stats don’t show just how successful of a rookie season that Howard experienced. Phillies Alec Bohm, Spencer Howard dominating Arizona Fall League, Phillies legend Charlie Manuel provides health update, Top Quotes from Conor McGregor, Donald Cerrone's UFC 246 Press Conference, Phillies: Three free agent pitchers they can sign at a discount. Unless the Phillies bring up a prospect, make a trade deadline move this season (or this upcoming winter), or spend big in next year’s free agency class, the 2021 rotation will then have at least two huge question marks. Welcome, friends. 1. 27 by Baseball America, No. He made his MLB debut in 2020. This is nothing against Howard and I even consider his ceiling to be higher than Bohm’s. Phillies pitching prospect Spencer Howard is serving as the team's 27th man for Tuesday's doubleheader against the Mets. Howard also put up a 94:16 K:BB ratio in 2019. Check out MLBPipeline.com's 2019 Prospect Watch to get rankings, scouting reports, video and more for MLB's future stars. He’s “a … There are two main reasons why I rank Spencer Howard above Alec Bohm: One of the main concerns most people have with Bohm is his defensive play. Howard is actually ranked three spots lower than he was prior to the season. He jumped three levels in 2019, starting with Class A Lakewood and finishing the season with Double A Reading. Prospect Lists. Ranking the top 30 Philadelphia Phillies prospects for 2020. Here’s why each member of the voting team preferred the player they did. That’s important because those 2 tools will play at either infield corner. That makes Spencer Howard more necessary and therefore more valuable in the immediate future than Alec Bohm. As Cormican mentions above, the track record for Howard is still fairly short despite the numbers and “stuff”. With two prospects so equal in talent and projected ability, the debate really comes down to how to prioritize the value each player brings to the organization. Spencer Howard is another high-ceiling pitching prospect who made his MLB debut last year, though he'll start the year in the minors and will be on an innings limit this year. Including the Arizona Fall League in 2019, Howard produced an incredible stat line of a 1.99 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, 28 … Phillies top pitching prospect Spencer Howard appears set to make his Major League debut on August 9. Who is he and what can Phillies fans expect to see? What a ride! Full access to this article is for Premium Baseball Prospectus subscribers. This was a particularly tricky spring as we essentially missed out on an entire year of prospect play. That said, Spencer’s only concerns coming into 2019 were his command, and his durability. 34 by MLB Pipeline and No. Today: Pitcher Spencer Howard. His power might be move Above Average to borderline Plus, but everyone also says power develops last, so I’m assuming he ends up settling in with plus power. With over 1,100 votes, Bohm barely edged out Howard as the top choice. The lists were combined to generate an aggregated list of prospects (in this case, 197 individual players). It has to do with the Phillies’ Major League talent and where they are lacking. Even if Bohm never actually moves from third, not having that concern is a huge plus for Howard. Scouting reports say he can hit, his numbers across 3 levels last year say he can hit, just watching him and you can see he has a good feel for hitting. Tier 1: 1A / 1B. Howard needs a full year in AA ball to build up arm strength and iron out some command issues. Howard is the Phillies’ top pitching prospect and, prior to the 2020 season, was ranked as No. The Battle at the Top of the TGP Prospect Rankings, Four long hours of pain: Cardinals 9, Phillies 4. In that game, he allowed only two baserunners and struck out nine in the complete-game shutout performance. Once Bohm is MLB-ready, he will clearly be the best option for the position. Prospect Lists. 36 by Baseball Prospectus. Career rundown. Will the Phillies eventually move him to first base, or use him as a DH when it makes its way into the National League? So then I move onto flaws. When The Good Phight ranked the Phillies’ top prospects, votes for the top prospect were, predictably, split in half. Here’s how some of the national Top 100 Prospects Lists have ranked the two players: The national lists aren’t the only place where opinions on the two are extremely close. Spencer Lee Howard (born July 28, 1996) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He’s currently considered MLB’s ninth best right handed pitching prospect. There is no doubt, there are no questions. RELATED | Phillies Alec Bohm, Spencer Howard dominating Arizona Fall League. Across three levels last year, (AFL included) Spencer turned in 92 innings of work — and managed to stay relatively healthy, aside from the shoulder injury he suffered in early May, that is. Amongst the entire staff at The Good Phight, Bohm was also the winner by a small margin, receiving 58% of the votes while Howard received 42%. With the competition between them so close, I … H3/4 slot. He is exactly how you draw up a top pitching prospect and there is a real chance the Phillies got a steal at their pick. Overall. 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011. For me, the deciding factor here simply boils down to which of these two is the more complete package. With Phillies' top prospect Spencer Howard making his major league debut Sunday, members of the prospect team watched together and dissected what they saw of Howard's first look against major league competition. Ranking the top 30 Philadelphia Phillies prospects for 2020. With the competition between them so close, I figured why not put all the cards on the table and make the case for each player as the top prospect. He also received the 2019 Paul Owens Award, as the Phillies’ best minor league position player. But the fifth rotation spot is a huge toss-up between Nick Pivetta and Vince Velazquez, neither of whom had an inspiring 2019 season. In 2019 Kris Bryant was a roughly 5 WAR player and I think that is right about Bohm’s realistic ceiling. It is a little surprising that Bohm is ahead of Howard given Howard's closer proximity to the majors and the potential that Howard could be an ace or No. He’s about to be in his 4th year as a Starter and there’s noting really to suggest he won’t stay one. Led by RHP Spencer Howard, see where your favorite Phillies prospects rank. The Phillies had two prospects in the 30s, Alec Bohm at 32 and Spencer Howard at 37. Powered by Minute Media © 2021 All Rights Reserved. 3:34 D.J. Spencer Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Buck Davidson/MLB Photos via Getty Images). He is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) and a contributor to the best-selling Fantasy Baseball Black Book. In addition to the pressing need of a reliable fifth starter for 2020, Jake Arrieta’s contract expires at the end of this year. Because of the presence of both Segura and Kingery as well as the clear lack of depth in the starting rotation, the organization needs a pitching prospect to be MLB-ready sooner than it needs a third base prospect. It’s not the Braves or Mets: Phillies vs. Cardinals series preview. And 10 years from now, Spencer Howard will still be a pitcher. There is still a lot of risk with Abel, but the arrow is pointed way up. Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 55 | Curveball: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: … Bryson Stott: The 23-year-old shortstop was the Phillies’ first-round pick in 2019 out of UNLV. Amongst the entire staff at The Good Phight, Bohm was also the winner by a small margin, receiving 58% of the votes while Howard received 42%. That’s nearly SIX strikeouts for every walk he allowed across High and Double-A ball. Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta and Zach Eflin are clear starters for 2020. When Spencer Howard makes it to the Major Leagues either this season or in 2021, he will be a pitcher. So this is less of a top 59 ranking and more of a system snapshot to prep you for the year. Between the levels, Howard racked up 94 strikeouts in 71 innings… Spencer Howard has only been on one, coming in at an impressive #52 on Keith Law’s list. Fantasy Impact The plan is for Howard to function as a reliever this year. In the sport of baseball, few things are as valuable to a club as a top prospect with the genuine potential and ability to become a Major League starter. Among those on the list is the Philadelphia Phillies’ Spencer Howard, ranked as the ninth-best. RELATED | Phillies: Is Spencer Howard ready for 2020 rotation? We’ve seen what changing positions can do to a player like Rhys Hoskins, who was bounced back and forth between left field and first base for a while. Semi-windup, tall leg kick, lands slightly closed w/ strong and on-line finish.