Saturday, March 15

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- If you want a peek at the Phillies’ future, check out Spring Breakout on Friday at BayCare Ballpark.

The top Phillies prospects will play the top Pirates prospects in an exhibition at 1:05 p.m. ET. The Phils have made no announcement, but right-hander Moisés Chace could start. He is the organization’s No. 5 prospect and its second-highest-ranked pitching prospect behind right-hander Andrew Painter (No. 1 in the system, No. 8 in baseball).

Painter will not pitch Friday, although he is scheduled to throw his first live batting practice session. He is working his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2023. No. 8 prospect Mick Abel will not pitch, either. He started Tuesday’s Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. 

Here is a stab at what the Phillies’ lineup might look like on Friday: 

1. Justin Crawford, CF (No. 3 Phillies prospect, No. 63 MLB prospect). He impressed the Phillies in his first big league camp. Is there a chance he earns a promotion later this season? Sure, anything is possible. But the Phillies aren’t relying on it, either.

2. Dante Nori, LF (No. 6). It would be fun to see the speedy Crawford and Nori atop the Phillies’ lineup. It would be even better if Nori turned into a top-of-the-lineup threat like Lenny Dykstra, whom his high school coach once compared him to.

3. Aidan Miller, SS (No. 2, No. 27). He didn’t get a hit in nine Grapefruit League at-bats, but don’t read anything into that. Miller could be the Phils’ best position player prospect since Chase Utley.

4. Gabriel Rincones Jr., RF (No. 10). “Uncle Rico” has shown big league power in camp. He will open the season in the Minor Leagues, where he will work on hitting left-handed pitching. He had an .851 OPS against righties last season, but a .493 OPS against lefties.

5. Eduardo Tait, C (No. 4, No. 92). Tait is a big-time talent, but he has a long way to go. He will not turn 19 until Aug. 27.

6. Devin Saltiban, 2B (No. 9). The Phillies are high on Saltiban. They believe the more he sees velocity, the better he will hit it. He did not see much growing up on the Big Island in Hawaii.

7. Otto Kemp, 1B (No. 23). Kemp has six hits, including three doubles, this spring. His best position is third base, but he could also play first, second, left and right. He projects as a bench bat.

8. Carson DeMartini, 3B (No. 15). The Phillies selected DeMartini in the fourth round of the 2024 Draft. He made more contact last season once he turned pro, which has the Phils encouraged.

9. Griffin Burkholder, DH (No. 7). This will be the first look for most fans. Burkholder had only two plate appearances last year because of a hamstring injury.

Which Phillies first-round Draft pick hit the most home runs in his MLB career?

A. Greg Luzinski
B. J.D. Drew
C. Pat Burrell 
D. Chase Utley 

Matt Strahm could open the season on the injured list, leaving José Alvarado and Tanner Banks as the only two left-handers in the bullpen. 

Banks went 0-1 with a 3.70 ERA in 22 appearances with the Phillies last season, following a July 30 trade with the White Sox. He struck out 23 in 24 1/3 innings with Philadelphia, but he also walked 10.

Banks wasn’t happy with the walks. He wasn’t happy that he fell behind 1-0 more than he had in his first two seasons in the big leagues. He wasn’t happy with his changeup, which averaged only 7.0 mph of separation from his four-seam fastball and sinker. 

Banks spent the offseason working on those things.

“It’s trusting myself to be aggressive in the zone,” Banks said. “That was a big focus in the offseason. Sometimes it’s more of a mental adjustment than a physical adjustment. Sometimes you get in your own head, or you think about the wrong things that dictate the quality of the pitch or where you throw the pitch. It’s a mental, self-talk type of thing.

“It’s like throwing darts. If you’re going to aim for the bull’s-eye, you’re going to be around the bull’s-eye. If you aim for the board, you’re going to be around the board. If you’re just trying to hit the wall, you’re going to hit the wall. But that’s not the point. It’s having intent behind what pitch I’m trying to throw and where I’m trying to throw it.”

A pitcher’s numbers improve when he is ahead in the count. Banks is no different. Batters hit .304 against him when they were ahead. They hit .167 when they were behind.

“It’s trusting yourself, trusting the catcher and trusting the plan,” Banks said. “It brings belief into the pitch. The second you are passive or timid, the results typically aren’t favorable.”

Banks also wanted more separation between his changeup and fastballs.  

“When I got a freeze-frame photo of my changeup, coming out of my hand it looked like a sinker,” Banks said. 

Banks changed his grip from an almost Vulcan changeup -- he split the laces with his middle and ring fingers -- to a more traditional circle change. The early results have been good. It has averaged 82.4 mph this spring compared to 86.3 mph last season, giving him 10-11 mph difference between his fastballs. 

“Trying to get it closer to 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 mph of difference,” Banks said. “The bigger the differential, the better.” 

If Banks can get ahead in the count more often, if his changeup plays better, he expects better results. The Phillies will need it, especially if Strahm misses time early.  

A. Greg Luzinski

Luzinski hit 307 homers from 1970-84 with the Phillies and White Sox. He is followed by Burrell (292), Utley (259) and Drew (242). 

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