Two Phillies are headed to the Futures Game

The Futures Game is always a must watch event for any baseball fan. We love to look beyond the horizon at what is coming up in the minor leagues, debating prospects in terms of trade value, potential to help the current big league club, etc. This game give people a chance to see what the best prospects in the game look like, if only for a fleeting moment in the game.

This year, the Phillies are sending two representatives to the game from their minor league system.

Both Abel and Crawford are former first round picks that look like they’ll pan out for the team, something that hasn’t always been true in the past (hello Greg Golson). On the season, Abel is pitching to a 4.53 ERA across 55 ²⁄₃ innings in Reading, walking a few too many hitters, but allowing only a .198 batting average against. He hasn’t quite taken the leap some thought he might this year, but the talent is still clearly evident.

Crawford has been excellent in Clearwater, hitting .346/.395/.456 in 202 plate appearances, chipping in 32 stolen bases as well. Some of the more advanced numbers on Crawford suggest development is still in order, but for now, the team has to be thrilled with what they have so far.

The pair likely won’t play too much, what with a ton of other prospects to get into the game, but it is nice to see more than one Phillies prospect in the game. Hopefully, it’s a sign of better things to come on the team’s player development front.