I think it’s safe to say that Darrick Hall and Billy Walter were the unsung heroes of 2022 Veles banner.
think about it. Last year, the Phils lost Bryce Harper for nearly three months with a broken wrist, removing one of their powerful bats from the lineup. In stepping up AAA’s first baseman, Darrick Hall, rushed into the cleanup spot from his first game in place of Harper, and all Hall did was slug . 522 in 41 games with 9 HR and 8 doubles, keeping the offense afloat until Harper’s return.
The Phillies also lost their champion, Zack Wheeler, for the final month of the season. In the breach stepped Walther, who, in eight games starting August 20 through September 30, posted a 3.07 ERA as the team went 6-2 in those starts. Aside from six runs against the Braves, Walter has not given up more than three earned runs in any of those final eight starts, and has given up two or fewer in seven of them. Without Walther’s rotational stability, the Phils likely won’t win the final wild card spot.
Prospects matter, even for teams brimming with big-league talent like the 2023 Phillies. Hopes are high for the team this year that the game’s MVP, 19-year-old Andrew Painter, will help him at some point, with other prospects like pitchers Mike Appel and Griff McGarry Who offer hope for a new wave of youth competition promotion on the way. Also, you might be helping another team this year World Championship appearance.
In the latest Hittin’ Season, Phillies director of player development Preston Mattingly, who joined the Phillies prior to the start of last season and helped oversee Dave Dombrowski’s quest to redirect how the organization drafts and develops young players. Mattingly joins me this week to talk about a wide range of farm system topics.
You can also watch the full interview here:
One of the hottest areas of discussion… What are Fells’ plans for Andrew Painter? How are they going to determine his use if they want him with the big league club all season? Will there be a pitch limit? Mattingly indicated that there would not be.
Mattingly: “One thing I will say about it [Painter] Is that he is a very mature child both mentally and physically. Even though he’s only 19 years old, he spent the entire end of the season at Cressey’s [ ], where he spent the bulk of his career in high school, so we think he’s going to be in a really good place, and I guess he’ll tell us how far he thinks he can go, right? You see other organizations have done this with their young prospects. Let’s not put a cap on men, let’s trust what we’re seeing from a data perspective, and take it as far as we can.”
Mattingly says the team definitely has the kind of possibilities they love — large bodies with high ceilings and drop-down ascents. Painter, Abel, and McGarry definitely fall into the mix. I also asked Mattingly how many prospects he thinks should be in the top 100 teams in the league.
“I think we should have, at least, the main three… Andy Painter, Mick Appel and Griff McGarry should, for me, be on the top 100. If not, it’s hard for me to take the list seriously.” And then I think Hao Yu Lee is another guy who should be in the mix, with Justin Crawford as well.”
Interestingly, Mattingly did not mention potential quarterback Johan Rojas as a potential player in the top 100, putting him outside the top five. Gabriel Rincons has been mentioned as a potential to watch this season, and he said 22-year-old Andrew Baker could be a potential call-up for the Phils this year as well.
There will certainly be controversy and disagreement among the potential community regarding Mattingly’s views, but there is hope that the 2023 Phillies can get the same kind of help from the minor league system that they got in 2022.