Phillies Prospect Watch: Griffin Burkholder’s Hot Start to May

Phillies’ affiliates went 0-for-4 on Tuesday, May 12 but, despite the uninspiring performance across the organization, outfielder Griffin Burkholder continues to adjust to the rigors of professional baseball. The Phillies selected Burkholder out of high school in the second round of the 2024 MLB Entry Draft, but injuries derailed his 2025 campaign. After an OPS of .517 in April, Burkholder’s OPS leapt to 1.162 in the month of May; he made it on base three times on Tuesday, continuing his recent hot streak with a double, two walks and a steal.

Alirio Ferrebus went 2-for-4 with two singles, while first baseman Jaeden Calderon singled and walked, knocking in two runs.

28-year-old designated hitter Carter Kieboom accounted for most of Triple-A Lehigh Valley’s offense, going 2-for-3 with a walk in a 3-0 loss; Chuck King allowed two runs in five innings, too much for the IronPigs’ lineup to overcome.

Double-A Reading lost 9-5 despite home runs from outfielder Raylin Heredia (1-for-3 with a walk), shortstop Bryan Rincon (3-for-5) and catcher Carson Hettiger (1-for-2 with two walks). Dante Nori tacked on a double, but Brazilian starting pitcher Gabriel Barbosa gave up five runs in 5.1 innings.

The Jersey Shore BlueClaws drew seven walks and brought the tying run to the plate with no outs in the ninth inning, but a 1-for-14 performance with runners in scoring position doomed them to a 4-1 loss. Saint Joseph’s alumnus Luke Gabrysh struck out six batters in five innings, but two earned runs stuck him with the loss. The BlueClaws stole four bases as they tried to generate offense; center fielder John Spikerman drew two walks and swiped a base, while left fielder Carter Mathison managed two singles and a steal.