Philadelphia Phillies Unorthodox Top Prospect Looking to Make History
The historical odds are against one of the Philadelphia Phillies' top prospects, but that's not stopping him from chasing an everyday role on their Major League roster one day.
The Philadelphia Phillies are in a window where they are chasing and competing for World Series titles. That's evident by where they have finished each of the past two seasons.
With that being the main goal from everyone within the organization, there isn't a lot of focus on the minor league prospects they are trying to develop.
Utilizing their pipeline to have Major League talent ready to be called upon when needed is something that has been a focal point of the franchise in recent years, and it has paid off extremely well so far.
Bryson Stott is a rising star in the game, Alec Bohm has continued to get better on offense and defense, Johan Rojas was an immediate impact player, and Orion Kerkering projects to be the closer of the future.
That's not even taking into account the Phillies' No. 2 overall prospect, Mick Abel, who could find himself playing a role in the MLB later in the season.
But, Philadelphia has another piece in their farm system that might be one of the most interesting players they have.
6'8" outfielder/infielder Carlos De La Cruz is beginning his 2024 season back with their Double-A affiliate where he spent all of last year. They're hoping this will allow him to continue developing and turn into an intriguing option when he becomes ready for the bigs.
To do that, he'll be looking to make history.
According to Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation, only five position players listed at 6'7" or taller have played 100+ games in a season at the Major League level. Only two 6-foot-8 players have played in the MLB, with Tony Clark being the sole one that height to be a regular.
At 24 years old, this is an important year for De La Cruz with the Phillies as he'll be a minor league free agent at the end of the season. They're looking to see the power hitter cut down on his srikeouts and increase his walks.
If he does that, there's a chance he could get an opportunity at Triple-A in 2024.
With the roster already loaded as is, Philadelphia's No. 13 ranked prospect has an uphill battle to debuting with the team that originally signed him as an undrafted free agent out of high school.
But if he continues to progress, he could be a name to keep an eye on in the future if he stays with the organization.
