Philadelphia Phillies' Farm System Takes a Hit in Latest MLB Pre-Season Rankings
The Phillies have long been criticized for having a top-heavy farm system, and the latest pre-season rankings of the sport's top 100 prospects only serves to reinforce that notion. With just three players from the organization making the list, the team falls behind 14 other teams that boast at least four players among the top 100.
In what comes as somewhat of a surprise, infielder Aidan Miller has leapfrogged pitching phenom Andrew Painter for the title of best prospect in the farm system. Miller, a recent first-round pick, spent most of his 2025 season in Reading and had a productive year, slashing .264/.392/.433 with 59 stolen bases. Despite Painter's impressive strikeout rate of 11.46 to 1, he struggled to find his footing in 2025 as he worked to regain stamina after undergoing Tommy John surgery the previous year.
Painter will have an opportunity to redeem himself and earn a spot in the big league rotation if he can show well in Clearwater. However, his 5-8 record with a 5.26 ERA from last season left much to be desired. The team's third top prospect, Justin Crawford, also had a solid showing, hitting .311 over 112 games in Triple-A while showcasing his defensive skills in centerfield.
On the other hand, prospects Gage Wood and Aroon Escobar are notable omissions from the list, with Wood being one of last year's first-round picks and having a strong case for making a quick trip to the majors. Escobar did land on the site's top 10 second base prospects list, but was not included in the overall top 100.
Despite the lackluster showing from some of their top prospects, there is still hope for the Phillies' farm system. Dante Nori and Gabriel Rincones will be joining the team in spring training next month, both of whom are expected to rank among the franchise's top 10 when the season begins.
The Phillies have long been criticized for having a top-heavy farm system, and the latest pre-season rankings of the sport's top 100 prospects only serves to reinforce that notion. With just three players from the organization making the list, the team falls behind 14 other teams that boast at least four players among the top 100.
In what comes as somewhat of a surprise, infielder Aidan Miller has leapfrogged pitching phenom Andrew Painter for the title of best prospect in the farm system. Miller, a recent first-round pick, spent most of his 2025 season in Reading and had a productive year, slashing .264/.392/.433 with 59 stolen bases. Despite Painter's impressive strikeout rate of 11.46 to 1, he struggled to find his footing in 2025 as he worked to regain stamina after undergoing Tommy John surgery the previous year.
Painter will have an opportunity to redeem himself and earn a spot in the big league rotation if he can show well in Clearwater. However, his 5-8 record with a 5.26 ERA from last season left much to be desired. The team's third top prospect, Justin Crawford, also had a solid showing, hitting .311 over 112 games in Triple-A while showcasing his defensive skills in centerfield.
On the other hand, prospects Gage Wood and Aroon Escobar are notable omissions from the list, with Wood being one of last year's first-round picks and having a strong case for making a quick trip to the majors. Escobar did land on the site's top 10 second base prospects list, but was not included in the overall top 100.
Despite the lackluster showing from some of their top prospects, there is still hope for the Phillies' farm system. Dante Nori and Gabriel Rincones will be joining the team in spring training next month, both of whom are expected to rank among the franchise's top 10 when the season begins.
They've always been known for being a bit stacked, but this latest ranking is pretty underwhelming. I mean, three players making the top 100? That's like, what, a quarter of their total prospects? It's almost like they're focusing more on the big league guys and not giving their minor leaguers as much attention.
their farm system is a mess rn they got like 3 players on da list lol idk wut happened 2 da rest of dem who were supposed 2 b all stars 
aidan miller is def da dark horse tho i mean he had a sick season in reading 
but painter is still prob gonna have 2 work on his stamina 
gotta root 4 him tho 
still rooting for dem tho, especially with aidan miller on the rise 
, hope painter can get back on track too 
They're supposed to be a top-heavy farm system and it's just not happening! Aidan Miller is like a total dark horse or something 
And what's up with the omissions from Wood and Escobar? They're supposed to be all-time prospects 
. I guess it's still hope for the future with Nori and Rincones joining in spring training though 
. i guess we'll just have to wait and see how dante nori and gabriel rincones do in spring training...