Broad Street Phaithful Prospect Weekly: Escobar Goes Deep Twice, DeMartini's Walk Rate Keeps Climbing
By Clint Rivera ·
Broad Street Phaithful Prospect Weekly covers the last 7 days of action for the Phillies farm system.
Escobar's Best Week of the Season
Aroon Escobar (AA, 2B, Rank: 9) went 7-for-26 with two home runs, two doubles, three RBI, two walks, and two hit-by-pitches across 26 plate appearances this week, with just four strikeouts. For a player carrying a 40 power grade and a season slash of .225/.329/.333 through 562 plate appearances at Double-A, back-to-back home runs in a single week is a notable deviation. He is a contact-oriented second baseman whose carrying tools are bat-to-ball skill and strike-zone awareness, with the power always playing more as a theoretical floor than an actual contributor. This week the power showed up.
Over his last 30 days at Double-A, Escobar is slashing .217/.337/.410 with three home runs, five doubles, a triple, 12 walks, and a 16.3 percent strikeout rate across 98 plate appearances, which is a more aggressive offensive posture than his season line suggests. His contact rate in that stretch sits at 72.8 percent against a 47.9 percent swing rate, numbers that are consistent with the season profile. What has shifted is the extra-base output: the slugging in the last 30 days is nearly 80 points above his season mark. The 21-year-old came up through the system last year posting a .270/.361/.413 line across three levels, and the first half of 2026 at Double-A has been a step backward in results if not in process. A second-division projection at second base still fits, but the September power uptick is worth tracking heading into the offseason evaluation.
DeMartini Keeps Getting on Base
Carson DeMartini (AA, 3B, Rank: 18) went 6-for-26 at the plate this week, adding a double, a triple, a home run, six RBI, six walks, and a hit-by-pitch. The power came in a variety of forms, but the walk total is the real headline: six free passes in 26 plate appearances from a player whose profile has long centered on the tension between pull-side power and swing-and-miss against advanced pitching. Over the last 30 days at Double-A, he is slashing .290/.473/.580 with three home runs, seven doubles, two triples, 15 RBI, and a 24.7 percent walk rate across 93 plate appearances. His swing rate in that window has dropped to 34.8 percent, the most selective stretch of his professional career.
The context matters. DeMartini came to Double-A in 2025 and hit .202/.291/.288 across 292 plate appearances, a rough introduction to upper-level pitching that put real doubt on the offensive projection. He came back in 2026 and has rebuilt the line considerably: a .273/.409/.481 slash with eight home runs and a 17.8 percent walk rate through 225 plate appearances at Reading. He is a 45 hit, 55 power profile whose steepening walk rate is doing a lot of work. His contact rate across the season sits at 71.7 percent, which is below average, and that gap between walk rate and contact quality is the central tension in his projection. A second-division regular outcome at third base is the honest ceiling, but the on-base production is real, and a player who reaches base at a .473 clip over a 30-day stretch at Double-A has done something meaningful regardless of what the swing looks like.
Quick Hits
Gabriel Rincones Jr. (AAA, RF, Rank: 10) · drove in three on seven hits, including two home runs, across 22 plate appearances this week. It is his third multi-homer game in the last 30 days, a stretch where he is slashing .305/.379/.559 with three home runs and six doubles in 66 plate appearances at Triple-A. The 60 power grade is showing up consistently in Lehigh Valley. The strikeout rate over that stretch is 19.7 percent, down sharply from the 32.6 percent mark he posted across 89 plate appearances at the major league level earlier this season. A left-handed platoon corner profile is still the honest read, but the September Triple-A production keeps his name in the conversation for a roster spot down the stretch.
Bryan Rincon (AA, SS, Rank: 15) · had a low-contact week, going 4-for-24 with a double, a homer, two RBI, six walks, and a hit-by-pitch. The walks are the story: he has posted a 18.4 percent walk rate over his last 30 days at Double-A, paired with a .292/.439/.562 slash line and six home runs across 114 plate appearances. He was at .181 in High-A last year with 103 strikeouts. The glove-first utility profile remains the likely landing spot, but 24 home runs at Double-A through September from a switch-hitting shortstop with a 60 arm and 60 field grade is a line that keeps complicating the conservative scouting estimate.
Aidan Miller (AA, SS, Rank: 1) · making his way back from a lengthy absense, Miller was promoted to Double-A Reading on September 8. In three games since returning from the IL, he is 3-for-9 with two doubles and two RBI. He carries a 55 hit and 55 power grade with an everyday third-base projection. Miller's rehab has been cautious. He's yet to play in back-to-back days. It will be good for him to get some reps and go home for the offseason with some wind at his sails.
Dante Nori (AA, OF, Rank: 8) · was reinstated from the IL and went 7-for-28 across the week with two doubles, a triple, three walks, and one RBI. He is a plus-to-elite speed center fielder with a 55 hit tool, and his return came with some pop: per outside reports, his first game back on September 10 included a home run, two RBI, and a stolen base. Over his last 30 days at Double-A, his contact rate is 87.3 percent against a 49.5 percent swing rate, which is consistent with his contact-forward profile. The power (.219/.329/.315 over the last 30 days at Double-A) is still modest, but the legs and the glove are the drivers. Good to see him back for Reading's playoff push.
Will Gasparino (A, OF, Rank: 4) · went 2-for-13 with a triple, two RBI, and five strikeouts this week, a rough stretch that pops up with a 45 hit tool and a developing approach. He is a 60 speed, 55 power profile whose upside in center field is real, but the bat still has a ways to go: his contact rate sits at 71.3 percent over the last 30 days with a 14.3 percent walk rate in 77 plate appearances. A tough week does not change the athleticism-driven ceiling, and he is only 21 playing in Low-A.
Brad Pacheco (A, RHP, Rank: 17) · turned in 5.1 innings this week, allowing one earned run on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts. He generated 13 whiffs on 96 pitches and threw 47 for strikes. Over his last 30 days at Low-A, he has posted a 3.71 ERA across 17 innings with a 31.9 percent strikeout rate and 11.1 percent walk rate. A 94-97 four-seamer with a slider and sweeper combination give him a #4 starter projection; the four-walk outing is a reminder that the command (50 grade) still has room to sharpen.
Gage Wood (AA, RHP, Rank: 2) · went five innings this week, allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts, generating 11 whiffs on 78 pitches. He threw only 36 of those for strikes, a 46 percent strike rate that is well below his season mark. For a 65-grade four-seamer arm with a legitimate curveball and a #3 starter projection, the control hiccup was the main concern; the seven hits and two runs were survivable. Over the last 30 days at Double-A, his ERA sits at 4.50 across 24 innings with a 31.4 percent strikeout rate, and the 14 home runs allowed on the season remain the persistent red flag for a power arm working to tighten fastball location within the zone.