We are nearing the completion of the second full month of the season across MiLB which provides more of a sample size for prospects. For the Philadelphia Phillies, a good majority of their pitching talent is in the lower levels, but there was one big move last week.
We take a deeper dive into the pitching with some insight from Phillies’ Director of Pitching Development Travis Hergert.
This was quite a surprise. Not the fact that Gage Wood was promoted, as that seemed likely with how well he was throwing in Clearwater, but the fact that the organization has him skipping High-A Jersey Shore all together.
The biggest jump is typically viewed as the one between High-A and Double-A. The Phillies have Wood making the jump from Low-A to Double-A.
Here was Wood’s reaction when Threshers’ manager Aaron Barrett shared the news of his promotion.
At the start of the season, fans were asking why Wood, a college pitcher, started in Clearwater this season. Hergert broke it down, mentioning how Wood had to check some boxes with a heavier workload.
“Gage had some shoulder stuff nagging him in college, and we can control his progression in the FSL. The weather also plays a factor into it. The biggest thing for him was getting into a routine. We took him through the double start week a couple weeks ago to check that box off. As long as he keeps meeting every challenge that we set out in front of him and going out there understanding who he is and being consistent every 5-6 days, he will be just fine.”
The hard-throwing righty pitches with a lot of emotion, and that was something else Hergert and the Phillies wanted to monitor. Pitching in near empty ballparks in the Florida State league is much different than pitching in the SEC and in packed big-league ballparks in the future.
“When you are pitching in front of 10,000 people against LSU or Ole Miss, you can thrive on adrenaline. In the FSL there might be a couple thousand and other nights less than 100. You have to keep yourself composed and still pitch well, understand how to attack the game plan. I have been impressed with his work ethic, attention and purpose.”
Wood posted a 3.42 ERA in eight starts with the Threshers and in 26 1/3 innings racked up 40 strikeouts while holding opponents to a .187 batting average.
He made his Double-A debut on the road in Portland on Friday and struck out six in three innings of work, allowing four hits and one run, coming off a home run against Boston’s top prospect in Franklin Arias.
Wood makes his second start with Double-A Reading on Thursday at home.Another intriguing arm that fans should keep an eye on is Ramon Marquez, a 20-year-old the Phillies signed out of Mexico. Hergert, along with other cross checkers in the scouting department and others on the player development side watched the Mexican native throw a bullpen and immediately knew there was something there.
“From a strike throwing standpoint with three pitches and potential to add a sinker to his arsenal to help him against righties, it screams starter profile. We could stick him in a one or two inning role and let him run it up to 99-100 with two quality breaking pitches, but we are ecstatic with where he’s at.”
Marquez, the ninth-ranked prospect in the system, signed for just $10,000 in the 2025 international signing period and he might be one of the biggest steals if he continues his progress. He has a very good changeup and has gained velocity on his fastball. He partners those with a hard slider that has ticked up in movement and velocity, helping him neutralize left-handed hitters.
Across 14 innings of work with Clearwater, Marquez has 25 strikeouts to just four walks with a batting average against of .160. In his young career, he has amassed 72 punchouts in just 55 innings of work.
Wen-Hui Pan is a pitcher who might have the inside track on reaching the big leagues sooner than later.
“He probably has the best change-up in our minors, not only the action of the pitch but to land it for strikes. Splitters are more of a put away pitch where you expand it for a put away pitch, but he can drop it in the zone whenever he wants.
"He is coming out of Tommy John but also had a hernia type issue during his TJ rehab. The good news is the velo is back, the carry on the heater along with the shape and velocity on the slider and that keeps getting better. He can climb really fast.”
The No. 12 prospect in the system has recently been bumped up to High-A Jersey Shore where he has yet to allow a run in five innings of work out of the bullpen. He has four strikeouts, one walk and has allowed just three hits after he struck out 14 batters in just 6 2/3 innings with Clearwater.
There are some other pitchers that are starting to get comfortable and can see improvements in their performances and could be looked at for potential promotions.
Hergert shared some other young arms he thinks fans should keep tabs on.
RHP Matthew Fisher (No. 10 prospect), FCL
Hergert: “We’re really excited. He has lot of upside but is raw coming from the Midwest. Can really spin his sweeper. One thing they are focused on is cleaning up the 4-seam fastball. He’s working through a couple things right now but seeing the velo to start to tick up 92-94 in his Florida Complex League outings.”
LHP Mavis Graves (No. 25 prospect), High-A Jersey Shore
Hergert: “He’s had a tremendous season and he’s healthy. The quality of the fastball has been biga and he added a sweeper mid-way last year and has really found command of that pitch to both righties and lefties. His slider as well is a hard pitch with some cutting action. Also has a good change up as well to righties. Sweeper has been the unlocked pitch for him.”
RHP Luke Gabrysh, High-A Jersey Shore
Gabrysh is a local product from Wilmington, Delaware who played his college ball at St. Joe’s.
Hergert: “Has a good fastball sitting 96-98 m.p.h. to go with a sweeper and slider combo. He had a couple of tough outings running into some hard contact.”
RHP Brad Pacheco, Low-A Clearwater
Hergert: “He has great command. Can run it up to 98. He’s working on a sweeper but is a super dynamic arm."
At the time of our conversation on May 15, the pitching staffs across the organization had the third-best strikeout to walk ratio in all of MiLB, a big barometer for the organization according to Hergert.
“Every level presents challenges. Lower levels it’s consistency. They have to come to the ballpark every day with overarching goals and individual goals as well that they track. When you go up in levels, now have to emphasize best pitches in the zone. You better have pitches to get chases, swings and misses, weak contact. We want to obliterate the zone with our best stuff.”
