Phillies Prospect Watch: Bryan Rincon Erupts Onto Top Prospect List

Phillies minor league affiliates went 1-1 on Sunday, Sept. 13, with shortstop Bryan Rincon (3-for-4 with a walk and five RBI) announcing his arrival on the MLB Pipeline Top 100 with a splash. Rincon earned the last spot on the list earlier this week as graduations opened a place for him, and didn’t waste any time showing why he deserved the honor.

Rincon slugged a pair of home runs, helping Double-A Reading win 17-7 and putting his season total at 26. The Phillies drafted him out of high school in the 14th round of the 2022 draft and he packed on major power this offseason, his OPS (.927) climbing nearly 200 points above his previous best mark.

Third baseman Carson DeMartini (2-for-3 with a double and a walk), catcher/left fielder Luis Caicuto (4-for-5 with two doubles) and second baseman Aroon Escobar (2-for-2 with a double) also joined the homer onslaught, while shortstop Raider Tello (1-for-4 with a walk) added a double. The Fightin Phils punched their ticket to the Double-A postseason for the first time since 2019 earlier this week, and will host the Hartford Yard Goats in Game 1 of the best-of-three series at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

Triple-A Lehigh Valley lost 8-7, giving up two decisive runs in the top of the ninth. Right fielder Colby Thomas, a former third round pick of the A’s, doubled twice. First baseman Keaton Anthony doubled and homered, and Kameron Misner continued his late season hot streak with a double of his own. However, IronPigs starter Casey Lawrence got knocked around for five runs in five innings, and a burst of offense in the middle innings didn’t give the bullpen enough of a cushion to preserve the win.