Top Ten Prospects: Philadelphia Phillies
Complete Index of Top 10s

By Will Kimmey
November 14, 2005

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Baseball America's Top 10 Prospects lists are based on projections of a player's long-term worth after discussions with scouting and player-development personnel. All players who haven't exceeded the major league rookie standards of 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched (without regard to service time) are eligible. Ages are as of April 1, 2006.

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TOP TEN PROSPECTS

1. Cole Hamels, lhp 2. Greg Golson, of 3. Michael Bourn, of 4. Scott Mathieson, rhp 5. Welinson Baez, ss/3b 6. Mike Costanzo, 3b 7. Brad Harman, ss/2b 8. Tim Moss, 2b 9. Jason Jaramillo, c 10. Edgar Garcia, rhp

BEST TOOLS

Best Hitter for Average Brad Harman Best Power Hitter Michael Durant Best Strike-Zone Discipline Michael Bourn Fastest Baserunner Michael Bourn Best Athlete Greg Golson Best Fastball Scott Mathieson Best Curveball Brett Harker Best Slider Yoel Hernandez Best Changeup Cole Hamels Best Control Cole Hamels Best Defensive Catcher Jason Jaramillo Best Defensive Infielder Brad Harman Best Infield Arm Welinson Baez Best Defensive Outfielder Michael Bourn Best Outfield Arm Greg Golson

TOP PROSPECTS OF THE DECADE

Team Player, Pos. 2005 Org 1996 Scott Rolen, 3b Cardinals 1997 Scott Rolen, 3b Cardinals 1998 Ryan Brannan, rhp Out of baseball 1999 Pat Burrell, 1b Phillies 2000 Pat Burrell, 1b/of Phillies 2001 Jimmy Rollins, ss Phillies 2002 Marlon Byrd, of Nationals 2003 Gavin Floyd, rhp Phillies 2004 Cole Hamels, lhp Phillies 2005 Ryan Howard, 1b Phillies

TOP DRAFT PICKS OF THE DECADE

Team Player, Pos. 2005 Org 1996 Adam Eaton, rhp Padres 1997 *J.D. Drew, of Dodgers 1998 Pat Burrell, 1b Phillies 1999 Brett Myers, rhp Phillies 2000 Chase Utley, 2b Phillies 2001 Gavin Floyd, rhp Phillies 2002 Cole Hamels, lhp Phillies 2003 Tim Moss, 2b (3rd round) Phillies 2004 Greg Golson, of Phillies 2005 Mike Costanzo, 3b (2nd round) Phillies * Did not sign

LARGEST BONUSES IN CLUB HISTORY

Gavin Floyd, 2001 $4,200,000 Pat Burrell, 1998 $3,150,000 Brett Myers, 1999 $2,050,000 Cole Hamels, 2002 $2,000,000 Chase Utley, 2000 $1,780,000

Pushing the eject button on Larry Bowa’s managerial career netted the Phillies just two more wins in 2005 than the hyper-intense Bowa earned in each of the previous two seasons. Though Philadelphia won 14 of its last 20 games, it still ended up one game behind the Astros in the National League wild-card race.

The 88 wins marked the franchise’s most since it advanced to the World Series in 1993 and gave the Phillies three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1975-80. But falling short of the playoffs for the eighth straight year under general manager Ed Wade ultimately cost Wade his job. Team president David Montgomery hired former Blue Jays, Orioles and Mariners GM Pat Gillick as Wade’s replacement, passing over in-house candidates Ruben Amaro Jr. and Mike Arbuckle, both assistant GMs.

Gillick inherits a club coming off its best season in a dozen years, highlighted by a number of good individual player performances. Jimmy Rollins finished the year on a 36-game hit streak. Double-play partner Chase Utley emerged as a team leader and offensive force. Rookie first baseman Ryan Howard replicated the power production of injured slugger Jim Thome.

Pat Burrell bounced back with his best offensive season since 2002. Brett Myers developed into a staff ace. Robinson Tejeda and Eude Brito popped up from the minors to deliver 18 solid starts after injuries to veterans.

Each of those feel-good stories came from a player 28 or younger who was originally drafted or signed by the Phillies. Factor in catcher Mike Lieberthal, Ryan Madson, Jason Michaels and Randy Wolf, and the thrust of the roster is homegrown, a fact not lost on a Philadelphia front office that’s been trying to knock the Braves, the ultimate homegrown franchise, out of first place since 1995.

Though he didn’t get the GM job, Arbuckle has helped acquire and/or develop each of those contributors and plenty more in his 13 years in the organization. He became the Phillies scouting director in 1992, added farm director to his duties in 2000 and became the assistant GM for scouting and player development in 2001. Arbuckle learned from two of the best organization builders in the game, working under Braves scouting director Paul Snyder for 12 years as a scout and then with Phillies GM and manager Paul Owens once he got to Philadelphia.

The system has been thinned out by a lack of draft picks (no club has had fewer picks in the first five rounds since 2000 because of free-agent compensation) and the use of prospects in trades. Each of the Phillies’ six U.S.-based minor league affiliates had a losing record in 2005, and their combined .429 winning percentage was the worst in baseball.

"We don’t have a lot of top-line guys down there," Arbuckle said. "We’ve been hurt by not having a lot of picks and we’ve traded about 20 guys in the last few years to get players like Billy Wagner. Not all 20 were big prospects, but somebody else wanted them, so that says something."

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