Phillies May Have Hidden Gem In Florida Complex League

In his third year with the Philadelphia Phillies organization, this infielder is finally starting to blossom as a prospect.

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-USA TODAY Sports

When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Aroon Escobar out of Venezuela two years ago, they knew it would take him time to adjust to being a professional.

Three years later, he appears to be taking a turn in the right direction.

Baseball America ranked the Top 10 standout prospects by wRC+ in both the Florida and Arizona Complex Leagues and Escobar made the list with a 169 wRC+ this season.

It’s his first season stateside, after the Phillies sent him to the Dominican Summer League and he played two years there. Now 19 years old, he’s proving to be an elite prospect at the plate.

The right-handed hitting infielder has slashed .338/.495/.481/.976 with three home runs and 17 RBI in 24 games with the FCL Phillies.

That’s improved over his two years in the DSL. He never batted better than .238 in his two seasons and hit a total of four home runs.

So what has allowed for the improvement? Baseball America points out his walk-to-strikeout rate — 21 walks to 10 strikeouts — and his numbers show that his plate discipline has gotten better each season.

The rankings also point to his in-zone miss rate of 15.8% and a chase rate of only 17.6%, both of which it calls “elite.”

Right now, he’s considered a hitter with average-or-better potential.

While he is not considered a Top 30 Phillies prospect by MiLB.com, he is playing among a few, including shortstop Starlyn Caba, catcher Eduardo Tait, pitcher Alexis De La Cruz and outfielder Jalvin Arias.

The other prospects on the list included New York Yankees outfielder Brian Sanchez, Detroit Tigers shortstop Franyerber Montilla, Yankees second baseman Abraham Ramirez, Colorado Rockies outfielder Robert Calaz, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Alexander Albertus, Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brailer Guerrero, Miami Marlins first baseman Julio Henriquez, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Richard Ramirez and Dodgers outfielder Eduardo Quintero.