Mick Abel Dazzles In His First Spring Training Game For Phillies
Going into last Spring Training, all eyes were on Andrew Painter. It seemed like a lock he would be on the Opening Day notation. But after 1 outing, he was shut down, and never actually pitched a real game for the team. This year there is a different pitcher in camp looking to crack the Opening Day roster. Mick Abel may not have the hype Painter did, but his first outing might start drawing some eyeballs.
It was only 1 inning and against none of the Yankees regulars. But stuff is stuff. And Abel’s stuff looked good. He fanned 2 on his way to a perfect outing.
Mick Abel has always had stuff that gets scouts excited. It is why despite his ERA rarely dropping under 4 in the minors, he stayed around the top 50 of the MLB Top 100 Prospects list. His fastball consistently sits above 95 mph and touches 98. His arsenal also features a slider, a curve, and a circle change-up. All of which scouts believe can play the next level. A very promising sign is how often he throws strikes. His 5.1 K/BB rate last season would be elite if he duplicated it at the MLB level.
Cracking the roster as one of the 5 starters will be tough. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez are obviously locks. Taijuan Walker is pretty much a lock too. And Cristopher Sanchez is coming off a career year and should be given every chance to build on it.
But at some point, someone will get hurt. They will need either a spot starter or maybe someone to fill in for a couple of weeks. And Mick Abel should have a very good chance to have the first shot at a call-up. Especially if he continues to pitch like he did in his 1st outing.
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6 Phillies Who Could Have Breakout Seasons in 2024
Brandon Marsh
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It is time to unleash Marsh as a full-time player and see if he sinks or swims. He was one of their more consistent hitters last season. But Rob Thomson often sat him vs lefties. Granted his numbers vs lefties left a bit to be desired. But a slash line of .229/.321/.396/.717 was still better than what their platoon options gave them. We saw Thomson give Stott more run against lefties last year, now it is time to end the platoon with Marsh. He earned that chance last year with his production.
The injury may change the timetable on him playing every day. And them signing Whitt Merrifield is likely a sign that at least to start the season, Mars will sit vs lefties. But at some point we need to see what he is capable of.
Cristopher Sanchez
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When Cristopher Sanchez came up to fill in for the Phillies rotation last year, the expectation was that it would be a temporary band-aid until they could find a more long-term solution. But then he actually pitched well. He kept pitching well till the end of the season. To be honest, he was likely their most consistent starter in the 2nd half of the season. Thomson did not give him much of a chance in the playoffs. Just one start with a very short leash. But even in that game he pitched well considering. Now he may be ready to be a real starter for them.
What led to him getting so much better? He seems to have found his command. He was throwing a lot more strikes, and his 30.1% called strike rate was amongst the best in baseball. He also took a lot off of his changeup and added more spin on his slider. He is still throwing the same pitches, but they all got better, and he commanded them better. Which bolds well for it being real progress, and not just blind luck.
Orion Kerkering
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Orion Kerekring was so good in the minors last year, the Phillies were willing to give him a role in the playoffs with pretty much no MLB experience. It did not go very well. Part of that may be his inexperience, but the Phillies also made him throw way too many sliders. But despite his struggles there, he still figures to be a big part of the bullpen this upcoming season. And there is good reason to think he will do very well there.
In 53.2 innings down in the minors, he struck out 79 batters with only 12 walks. He had a 1.512 ERA, and a WHIP of only 0.89. He was filthy. When you watch him pitch, it is easy to see why. His fastball touches 100, and his slider has crazy moment. Kerekering has the stuff to be a closer. That is why MLB Execs recently voted him as the 4th best future closer among all MLB prospects.
Johan Rojas
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Johan Rojas quickly made himself into a fan favorite last season when he came up in August. He played gold glove-caliber defense and was a terror on the basepaths. But we saw in the playoffs that his bat is still a work in progress.
If he can learn to make contact, and just put the ball in play, he has a chance to be a special kind of player. The gold glove thing is not an exaggeration. He finished 14th in Defensive Runs Saved among all Major League players despite only playing 59 games. If he plays a full season, he will absolutely be in the running for the award. That speed pays off on the bases too with 14 steals.
They don’t even need him to be a good hitter. Just be an okay one. Put the ball in play and have a better approach at the plate. In the playoffs, he swung at everything. If he can be more patient, draw some walks, and find ways to get on base, that is all he needs to do. The Phillies have enough pop elsewhere. They just need him to not be a liability at the plate and that will be enough given how great his glove is.
Seranthony Dominguez
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This is more of a bounce-back candidate than a breakout candidate. But expect Dominguez to be much better this year. He was a huge part of their run in 2022. Injuries and fatigue caused him to have a down 2023. Like most relief pitchers, he can be a bit volatile. Only a select few guys are great or even good every season. And in his defense, 2022 was a huge leap in innings pitched after how much time he has missed in his career. Now he should be used to it though. And hopefully, that means we will see him be much closer to his 2022 form.
Mick Abel
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This one is more wishful thinking than based on anything concrete. But despite still not putting together a great season in the minors, scouts sing the praises of Mick Abel, because his stuff could be that good. At 21 it is probably time that his stuff starts to lead to great results though.
He will not be with the team at the start of the year. But there is next to no chance they make it through the season without an injury or two in the rotation. And with Painter recovering from Tommy John, and Griff McGarry imploding after he got to Lehigh Valley last year, it very well may be Mick Abel who gets that chance to make the jump. And like we saw with Rojas last year, a small chance can turn into a spot on the team if you play well enough.
