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The Phillies traded for former American League all-star and possible future Hall Of Fame candidate, Michael Young this offseason to handle their everyday thirdbaseman duties in 2013. Young is in the last year of a multi-year contract and it would take an outstanding year by him for the Phillies to bring him back in 2014 - that an a disappointing performance and slowed development by 3B prospect Cody Asche, who will likely be at (AAA) Lehigh Valley for most of 2013. Young is seen as a stopgap 3B until farmhand Asche is ready for major leagues competition. Asche hurdled through the Phillies farm system to reach AA-Reading in just 12 1/2 months after he was drafted in June 2011. With the Phils hoping that he can start for them at 3B in 2014, despite the fact that he is just a non-roster invitee to 2013 Spring Training, it seems logical that Asche will play for the Phillies this September or earlier to see how he handles major league pitching.
What's interesting is that Asche is not the only blue chip 3B prospect in the Phillies farm system. Asche and Makiel Franco are both ranked among the organization's top 10 prospects. Franco was 19 most of last sason but still put up good run production numbers and showed good power at Lakewood (Low A). Asche may claim the 3B job for a year or two, but what will happen if the younger Franco continues to develop and mature and is deemed major leagues-ready in two or three years?
So by 2015 or 2016, which 3B prospect will emerge to claim the job as his own for a long run at the position with the Phillies? - Asche or Franco?
A few notes on the two prospects follow:
Cody Asche: Age 22 - born 6/30/90 - 12 HR/72 RBI/.324 B.Avg./.378 OBP in 130 games and 518 at bats in a season that was split almost evenly between Clearwater (High A) and Reading (AA). He was promoted to the Eastern League's Reading team in late June. After having a disappointing season after being drafted in 2011 at Rookie level Williamsport, Asche did a 180 degree turn and almost everything seemed to go right for him in 2012. He hit .349 at Clearwater and an even .300 at Reading. His power preformance improved at Reading, where he hit 10 of his seasons's 12 home runs.
Makiel Franco: Age 20 - born 8/26/92 - 14 HR/ 84 RBI/ .280 B. Avg./ .336 OBP in 132 games and 503 at bats. Like Asche Franco proved durable and both players appeared in almost every one of their teams' games. What's intriguing about Franco was that he hit 14 home runs in a season where he was 19 years old until the final 9 days of the season. If the old baseball adage is true that Power is usually the last thing a hitter develops, then Franco might have a very high power ceiling and might develop into a real power hitter at the major leagues level.
-philliesfiend55 (Dennis Orlandini)-
What's interesting is that Asche is not the only blue chip 3B prospect in the Phillies farm system. Asche and Makiel Franco are both ranked among the organization's top 10 prospects. Franco was 19 most of last sason but still put up good run production numbers and showed good power at Lakewood (Low A). Asche may claim the 3B job for a year or two, but what will happen if the younger Franco continues to develop and mature and is deemed major leagues-ready in two or three years?
So by 2015 or 2016, which 3B prospect will emerge to claim the job as his own for a long run at the position with the Phillies? - Asche or Franco?
A few notes on the two prospects follow:
Cody Asche: Age 22 - born 6/30/90 - 12 HR/72 RBI/.324 B.Avg./.378 OBP in 130 games and 518 at bats in a season that was split almost evenly between Clearwater (High A) and Reading (AA). He was promoted to the Eastern League's Reading team in late June. After having a disappointing season after being drafted in 2011 at Rookie level Williamsport, Asche did a 180 degree turn and almost everything seemed to go right for him in 2012. He hit .349 at Clearwater and an even .300 at Reading. His power preformance improved at Reading, where he hit 10 of his seasons's 12 home runs.
Makiel Franco: Age 20 - born 8/26/92 - 14 HR/ 84 RBI/ .280 B. Avg./ .336 OBP in 132 games and 503 at bats. Like Asche Franco proved durable and both players appeared in almost every one of their teams' games. What's intriguing about Franco was that he hit 14 home runs in a season where he was 19 years old until the final 9 days of the season. If the old baseball adage is true that Power is usually the last thing a hitter develops, then Franco might have a very high power ceiling and might develop into a real power hitter at the major leagues level.
-philliesfiend55 (Dennis Orlandini)-
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