Philadelphia Phillies Add to Pitching Stable in 2011 MLB Draft
In just two short years the Philadelphia Phillies went from being a team known for their intimidating offense, to a team defined by their historic starting rotation.
Even on the minor league level, the Phillies had a quartet of “baby aces” in Jared Cosart, Brody Colvin, Trevor May and Jesse Biddle. Cosart has been dealt now, but not before Biddle and possibly May had surpassed him on the organizational depth chart.
In addition to the “baby aces” the Phillie farm system has done a great job of producing talented relievers. Phillies fans are already familiar with the successes of Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes, while they will soon be getting to know Michael Schwimer, Phillippe Aumont and Justin De Fratus as well.
With the signing deadline for the 2011 draftees having passed, the Phillies draft has been regarded as a success. Many people are suggesting this is the best draft the team has had since 2008.
As has been previously covered, the Phillies made a strong effort to target infield prospects in this year’s draft. Given the previous lack of infield depth in the farm system, that is a large part of why this draft is considered so successful.
Additionally though, the Phils did a good job supplementing their already pitching rich system. This is a ranking of the top five pitchers entering the farm system from the 2011 draft.