Philadelphia Phillies Breakout Prospect Looks Like Future Star Middle Infielder

The Philadelphia Phillies have a burgeoning star on the middle of their infield making his name known in the minor leagues.

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies don't have a large number of internationals signings throughout their roster, but could have a major one making his way there soon.

CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson recently highlighted Phillies infield prospect Aroon Escobar as one of the top players in the minor league right now.

Escobar was signed for $450,000 out of Venezuela in the 2022 international signing class. He didn't do too much over the first few years of his career, but he has taken off since 2024 and looks even better over the start of this campaign.

This is his first year outside of rookie ball, too, so it is extra promising to see him doing well at High-A. It will be even better if he is able to keep it up over a much larger sample size like he wil get this season.

Through the first 20 games, he has a .342/.441/.595 slash line with five home runs and 18 RBI. He hasn't been as aggressive on the base paths as he used to be, but the added power is a fine tradeoff.

The only thing that could be a little concerning about his numbers right now is that his strikeouts have gone way up and his walk rate has gone way down. It hasn't made a large impact on his performance yet, though.

In the field, he seems destined for second base because of his 5-foot-10 frame, but that doesn't mean he is bad at all.

That could actually end up being a saving grace as Philadelphia looks to find the longterm answer there after the Bryson Stott era. Stott was tabbed as the next Phillies superstar, but has never been able to take that next step and struggles with consistency.

The 27-year-old can certainly still ascend to the next level, but right now doesn't look like someone that Philadelphia will prioritize for a longterm extension.

He is under team control through the end of 2027, though, so they have some time to either decide to sign him or look for a younger option.

Escobar's not projected to get called up until 2028, so that does put him on the perfect path to be the next man up.

The 20-year-old will have a spotlight on him as long as he continues to play up to this level. If he can continue to produce more power while also looking solid defensively, he should be able to make it to the Majors and continue to climb up rankings.