The Philadelphia Phillies are right in the thick of the National League wild card race as we reach the final few weeks of the season. If they can continue to play good baseball, while also getting stars like Bryce Harper back from injury, the Phillies will most likely have a playoff spot by the time the season ends.
The Phillies are currently holding onto the second wild card spot in the NL right now, although the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers are lurking close behind them. Philadelphia has a step on the two teams close behind them right now, but they haven't secured their playoff spot just yet.
Philadelphia will have to continue playing well, and they could get some reinforcemens in September when rosters expand. If the Phillies want to call on some of their top prospects to come up and give them a boost, it could help them finish off their run this season. With that in mind, here are three prospects that could help Philadelphia secure a playoff spot in September.
3 prospects the Philadelphia Phillies need to promote now
3. Francisco Morales
Francisco Morales appears to have finally found his home in a pitching staff this season. After struggling to succeed as a starter throughout much of his minor league career with the Phillies, Morales made the switch to the bullpen this season, and has been great for long stretches of the season.
Morales has spent most of his season in Double-A with the Reading Fighting Phils, and has been a dominant presence out of the bullpen. His stats (2-0, 1.48 ERA, 54 K, 0.86 WHIP) earned him a promotion to Triple-A, and eventually the majors as well.
Morales time with both Triple-A and the Phillies in the majors have been short-lived, and he struggled pretty significantly in both stints. Despite that, Morales has proven this season that he has great stuff during his time in Double-A, and he just needs to figure out how translate that to the higher levels. Morales should stand to benefit from more time in the majors after making his debut earlier this season, making him a very realistic promotion candidate come September.
2. Erik Miller
Erik Miller is another player who found a home in the bullpen this season. Miller has bounced back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen to start his minor league career, before finally establishing himself as a solid reliever in Double-A. Miller recently got promoted to Triple-A, and could soon find himself in the majors.
Miller has made a few starts from time to time this season, but has largely been coming out of the bullpen as a reliever. Miller's stats in Double-A (1-0, 2.23 ERA, 44 K, 1.16 WHIP) were very good, and helped him earn his promotion to Triple-A.
Miller got hit hard in his one appearence in Triple-A, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that he could immediately help Philadelphia's bullpen this season. Miller has made enough progress in the minors this season to earn himself a promotion to the majors in September, and Philadelphia's bullpen could certainly use all the help it can get.
1. Johan Rojas
It's clear that Johan Rojas has a very high ceiling as he continues to progress through the minors. He could become a five-tool player who really has no weakness if he's able to reach his full potential. Rojas hasn't been at his best in 2022, but he's done enough to earn a look in the majors as the regular season comes to a close.
Rojas earned a promotion to High-A at the end of the 2021 season, and that's where he started in 2022. He wasn't able to replicate his success there to open the season (.230 BA, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 33 SB .612 OPS) but still earned a promotion to Double-A. Rojas production hasn't changed much in Double-A (.229 BA, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 17 SB, .630 OPS) which is admittedly a bit concerning.
The thing that makes Rojas so tantilizing is his speed. He's stolen 50 bases through 105 games in the minors this season, and that immediately makes him valuable as a pinch-running threat for the Phillies, if nothing else. Rojas has upside with his bat, but he's labored through a pretty subpar season at the plate.
Calling up Rojas would be a bit of a risk given his struggles this season, but it could be a beneficial experience from the youngster. He wouldn't have to play much, and he could be seen as a pinch-run specialist for late-inning scenarios and nothing else. But it's clear that he has upside, and the Phillies should look into giving him his first taste of the majors, even as he struggles through a down year in 2022.
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