Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is back and here for the better. Triple-A (‘AAA’) baseball returned this past weekend for the slate of games for 2025, with most of the International League back in action.
Down in Allentown, Pa., the Lehigh Valley IronPigs hosted the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders in another edition of the “IronRail” series. Lehigh Valley took two out of three from their in-state rivals, with some Phillies prospects showing what they have.
The Philadelphia Phillies had several of their top prospects on display in the Lehigh Valley this weekend, with Justin Crawford, Mick Abel, Seth Johnson, Otto Kemp, and Gabriel Rincones Jr. all getting some playing time.
Crawford, who is the Phillies’ No. 3 prospect, made his mark in his AAA debut, grabbing a few hits and making some excellent plays in center field. Crawford capped off his opening weekend with a diving grab.
If he continues to develop like he’s been doing during his first few seasons in MiLB, Crawford could be a player who gets called up to the Phillies this year. He’s hitting over .300 in his career thus far, and has some excellent defense in the outfield.
Abel, currently Philadelphia’s No. 8 prospect, started game three of the series, recording the loss. He scattered nine hits and struck out four, while giving up four runs.
Abel has had some struggles in his AAA career thus far. He has good stuff on the mound but just hasn’t been able to put everything together yet.
The Phillies’ No. 10 prospect, Rincones Jr., got his first taste of AAA action this weekend, going 4-10 from the plate with a lone RBI.
Rincones Jr. was a big hitter in Spring Training and looks to continue that pace this season. He could be a massive piece for the IronPigs as they look to make it back to the International League playoffs.
Johnson, Philadelphia’s No. 12 prospect, started game two, picking up the win. He threw 5.1 shutout innings, scattering five hits and picking up five strikeouts.
Acquired by the Phillies at the 2024 trade deadline, Johnson was called up a few weeks later in 2024 and gave up nine runs in his debut. He’s had a solid career so far in the minors, and looks to get back into the red pinstripes in 2025.
Kemp, the No. 23 prospect in the Phillies organization, smashed a home run in game one. He picked up an additional hit during the series, going 2-11 from the plate with three RBIs.
Kemp has extremely good versatility and can play in both the infield and outfield. Combined with his solid hitting, he could be someone who gets the call-up to Philadelphia this year.
Next up for the IronPigs is tomorrow’s series against the Rochester Red Wings. They’ll be on the road until April 8, when they come back to Coca Cola park to take on the Syracuse Mets.
For the rest of the Phillies’ top prospects, they’ll begin their 2025 campaigns later this week. The Double-A Reading Fightin’ Phils, High-A Jersey Blueclaws, and Low-A Clearwater Threshers open their season this weekend.
Prospects on those teams to look out for this year are 2024 first-round pick and outfielder Dante Nori, infielder Aidan Miller, catcher Eduardo Tait, and right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter.
Nori and Tait will begin the season with either Jersey or Clearwater and look to move up the ranks as the season goes on. Expect Aidan Miller to get a call-up to Lehigh Valley this summer, too. Painter, the No. 8 prospect in baseball, will return to baseball in the coming weeks, continuing his recovery from an elbow injury.
Painter’s elbow injury in 2023 required Tommy John Surgery, and meant missing the entirety of the last two seasons. He’s expected to get the call-up to Philadelphia sometime in June or July and slot into the starting rotation immediately. When that happens, the Phillies would most likely move to a six-man rotation, adding to what already is one of baseball’s best starting staffs.
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