Phillies Prospect Gabe Rincones Jr.’s Leadership Leaps Off the Page

Phillies outfield prospect Gabe Rincones Jr. spent most of his first quarter century playing the underdog card. Cut from his high school team twice, Rincones had to continue his baseball dreams via the junior college route. After a successful sophomore season at St. Petersburg Junior College put him on the map, the Padres drafted him in the 19th round of the 2021 MLB Entry Draft.

Rincones decided to bet on himself, transferring to Florida Atlantic for a final season. The gamble paid off, as he skyrocketed into the third round the following year. As he climbed through the Phillies’ system — and up their MLB Pipeline list — Rincones learned to get away from the underdog gimmick.

“I’ve leaned into it all my life, but the last year or so I’ve kinda gotten away from that. It’s refreshing, but at the same time it’s very confusing when the guys see me as… whatever prospect [rank], in Triple-A, almost the big leagues,” Rincones said. “It’s crazy for me, it actually doesn’t work in my favor to see it that way. Realize that God has put me in a position where it’s opposite what it once was, so I almost kind of have to go back to the roots, seeing myself as nothing and then surprising myself when people remind me that I’m in a good spot.”

Finding the Bright Side

That mentality underscores Rincones’ leadership, a quality perhaps more impressive than the 18 homers and 21 steals he put up in 119 games  with Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season. Despite knocking on the door of the big leagues, knee ailments pushed his 2026 debut back to early May, when he spent rehab stints with Single-A Clearwater and High-A Jersey Shore.

Rincones used the brief stops as an opportunity to reconnect with his former coaches and mentor some of the Phillies’ younger prospects.

“Coming around full circle. I had stuff to offer to the younger guys. And honestly it may not feel like it now, but I’m really grateful to have been able to go through this injury and all this time off. I would rather have been playing and doing my thing, but I’m very glad that I was able to answer some questions that the younger guys had and have a positive impact on them for those that wanted it. It was awesome,” Rincones said. 

“I remember being down there in their shoes and asking guys the same questions. All this curiosity, I could just see myself in them when they were asking this stuff about routines. So it’s awesome to be on the other side and having people actually want to know things that I had gone through. It’s just crazy to see that and be able to recognize that in real time…God doesn’t make mistakes.”

Patience at the Plate

Over the course of his four season professional career, Rincones has drawn a walk in roughly 13 percent of plate appearances, well above the eight percent league average. He said that his patient approach at the plate comes from dialing in to opponents’ fastballs, letting him lay off the less competitive pitches until he gets deeper into at-bats.

“Staying on the heater and adjusting…I know my zone, really established my zone as I get in the box. So in my head it’s like I can almost see my zone. Being okay with the balls that clip the outside: just going back and seeing on the iPad like ‘was it a strike? Was it not a strike?’” Rincones said. 

“Also just not making the same mistakes twice. Shrinking my zone and then just giving up the clips on the outside until you get to two strikes. Once you get to two strikes it’s not about me anymore, so that’s the big emphasis, specifically the last part of last year…It’s like play for the team, battle it out, win the at-bat when it gets to two strikes. It’s no longer time to do damage, if I run into one it’s completely by accident. But really just trying to win that battle when it’s not in my favor.”

Final Tune Up

As he prepares for the Phillies and the big leagues, Rincones said he’s working to improve his approach against left-handed hitting in order to become more than a platoon bat. He slashed .107.215/.107 in 56 plate appearances against lefties last season compared to a .261/.392/.480 against right-handers.

“Off lefties I know I can do it. A lot of guys believe in me, that I can do it, in this organization. And I really feel like it. My at-bats this year have been pretty professional, I feel really comfortable against them,” Rincones said. “Obviously there are matchups, and I understand that, but as a personal perspective, I think that I’m going in the right direction as far as doing things better than I did last year. Little things like chase, zone contact, things that kind of slip your mind when you’re just focused on that batting average or getting one walk at least per game.”

The Automated Balls and Strikes (ABS) system provided another adjustment Rincones had to account for, especially for a batter with a prolific eye, but he said the added accuracy — even when the reviews go against him — helps him compartmentalize, preparing for the next pitch instead of dwelling in the past.

“I know that I can’t complain ‘oh, the umpire called this a strike,’” Rincones said. “It really was a strike.”