Phillies Prospect Weekly: Ricketts Goes Yard Twice, Graves Deals at Double-A
By Clint Rivera ·
Broad Street Phaithful Prospect Weekly covers the last 7 days of action for the Phillies farm system.
Ricketts Posts the Week's Best Hitting Line
Caleb Ricketts (AA, C, Rank: 19) went 9-for-17 with two home runs, three RBI, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch across 17 plate appearances this week, without striking out once. A line from a catcher with a 40 hit tool warrants at least a raised eyebrow, because nothing in his season profile suggested it was coming. His season at Double-A Reading sits at .259/.313/.476 with 11 home runs across 201 plate appearances, which is a respectable power number for the level, but the approach has been the drag: a 51.6 percent swing rate paired with a 72.2 percent contact rate and a BB% under six. The zero strikeouts this week is a notable deviation from a season-long K% of 22.9 percent.
The last-30-day picture is the most encouraging stretch of his 2026: a .375/.437/.531 slash line across 71 plate appearances at Double-A, with three home runs and a K% that has dropped to 15.5 percent. His contact rate in that window sits at 69.9 percent, so the swing-and-miss hasn't vanished, but the results have ticked up. The project-able concern remains unchanged: the 40 hit tool and aggressive approach put a ceiling on what he can do offensively, and the Triple-A stint earlier this season produced a .173/.200/.315 line that looks more like the realistic outcome against better pitching. He profiles as a depth catcher, and nothing about this week changes that projection. But a nine-hit, two-homer, zero-strikeout week in Double-A is worth logging, and a strong final month at Reading gives him something to build on heading into the offseason.
Graves Keeps Generating Whiffs at Double-A
Mavis Graves (AA, LHP, Rank: 28) worked three innings this week, striking out seven across 14 batters while allowing four hits and no runs. He generated 14 whiffs on 57 pitches, which comes out to roughly one swinging miss every four pitches. This bat-missing frequency has been the consistent thread since he moved to Double-A Reading, where his ERA sits at 1.23 across 14.2 innings with a 37.9 percent strikeout rate against batters faced. Over the last 30 days, he has thrown 10.2 innings at the Double-A level without allowing an earned run, with 18 strikeouts in 48 batters faced and a 51.2 percent whiff rate. The strikeout-to-walk profile in that stretch is noisier than the raw ERA suggests: a 16.7 percent walk rate means he is not always working cleanly, and the pitch efficiency (19.8 pitches per inning over the last 30 days) reflects that.
Graves spent most of the year at High-A Jersey Shore, where he posted a 4.78 ERA across 58.1 innings with an 11.4 percent walk rate and a 33.9 percent strikeout rate. The jump to Double-A has not slowed the swing-and-miss: a 34.7 percent K% on the combined season and a 42 percent whiff rate are real. He is a 45 command grade arm working with a four-seamer sitting 92-95, a sweeper that generates chase, and a changeup that gives him something to throw against right-handers. The walk volume is the legitimate question at this level. When the sweeper finds the bottom of the zone, hitters swing through it; when the command bleeds, he is grinding counts and elevating pitch counts. A #5 starter projection feels conservative given the whiff generation, but the walks need to tighten before the ceiling rises. Another clean outing or two before the season ends would be meaningful evidence.
Quick Hits
Carson DeMartini (AA, 3B, Rank: 16) · put together another patient week, going 5-for-27 with three doubles, a walk seven times, and one RBI across 27 plate appearances. The counting stats were modest, but the approach was sharp: seven walks against five strikeouts in a single week. Over the last 30 days, his BB% is 25.0 percent across 88 plate appearances at Double-A, with a .242/.432/.500 slash line, three home runs, and six doubles. He is a 55 power grade playing more patient than aggressive, with a season-long swing rate of 40.8 percent that is among the more selective in the Reading lineup. The 19 stolen bases this year show the legs work even if the defensive profile is fringy. A year ago at Double-A he hit .202/.291/.288; the gap between that line and his current .268/.397/.463 at the same level reflects real growth.
Gage Wood (AA, RHP, Rank: 1) · went four innings this week, allowing two earned runs on four hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts. The strikeout number pops on a short outing; the 15 whiffs he generated on 86 pitches and the 10 punchouts in 20 batters faced reflect the stuff being very much present. The issue this week was a strike rate of 48 of 86 pitches, which is below his 52.4 percent season mark and ties into a broader last-30-day concern: a 5.64 ERA across 22.1 innings at Double-A, with 14 earned runs and three home runs allowed. The season ERA sits at 4.81 at Double-A, and the home run rate has been the persistent drag on a profile that otherwise generates a 34.1 percent strikeout rate and a 6.5 percent walk rate. A 65-grade fastball with carry and a 55 curveball give him real out pitches; the cutter and slider staying inconsistent is what keeps the ERA elevated. The ceiling projection remains a #3 starter with an all-star outcome possible, but the home run exposure is worth monitoring as he pushes toward a full starter workload.
Dante Nori (AA, OF, Rank: 9) · had a rough week at the plate, going 4-for-28 with two RBI, six walks, and three strikeouts across 28 plate appearances. The contact wasn't there: no extra-base hits in a profile built around a 55 hit tool and 65 speed. Over the last 30 days at Double-A, he is hitting .188 across 57 plate appearances with a 15.8 percent walk rate and a 12.3 percent K% that shows he is not expanding the zone much. The power has simply not played at Double-A: three home runs in 273 plate appearances at Reading this year, with a slugging percentage of .355. His value is in the speed and the glove, and the everyday projection holds because those tools are real, but the bat needs to produce more damage than it has at this level.
Aroon Escobar (AA, 2B, Rank: 8) · went 6-for-27 with a double, five RBI, and three walks in 27 plate appearances. It was a serviceable week in terms of RBI production, though the power output has been the ongoing issue at Double-A this year: nine home runs in 536 plate appearances with a slugging percentage of .317. His season K% of 16.4 percent and 12.1 percent walk rate show a contact-first approach that can generate results, but without more impact, the second-division projection depends entirely on the bat holding up. The last 30 days at Double-A show a .198 average across 103 plate appearances, which is below where this profile needs to be to sustain an everyday conversation.
Will Gasparino (A, OF, Rank: 4) · did not do a lot with the bat this week, going 3-for-20, but drew seven walks and a hit-by-pitch across 20 plate appearances. In 88 plate appearances at Low-A Clearwater this season, he is posting a 14.8 percent walk rate with a 39 percent swing rate that ranks among the more patient approaches in the system. He is a 60 athlete with 55 power and a 60 speed grade at 21 years old, still finding his footing in professional ball. The walks keep him on base when the hit tool lags, and for a player who projects to center field as an everyday second-division type, that patience matters.
Cade Obermueller (A+, LHP, Rank: 10) · had a difficult outing this week, recording just 1.2 innings while allowing four earned runs on one hit and five walks against no strikeouts. He threw 19 of 55 pitches for strikes. It fits an ugly last-30-day stretch: a 9.64 ERA in 14 innings at High-A Jersey Shore, with 20 walks and a 26.0 percent walk rate against batters faced. The command has cratered after a strong first half at Low-A Clearwater, where he posted a 2.78 ERA with an 11.5 percent walk rate. He carries a 55 slider and a plausible #5 starter projection, but the current High-A numbers reflect a pitcher who hasn't found a repeatable release point. The first-half form at Clearwater was real enough to maintain patience here.
Bryan Rincon (AA, SS, Rank: 22) · went 2-for-32 with two home runs, three RBI, nine walks, and a hit-by-pitch across 32 plate appearances. A two-hit week sounds rough, but the nine walks kept him on base and the two home runs gave him 23 on the season, which is well above what his 45 power grade would suggest. His season-long BB% of 17.4 percent and K% of 21.0 percent at Double-A reflect a highly selective hitter who finds ways to contribute even in down contact weeks. Over the last 30 days, he is slashing .308/.458/.549 across 118 plate appearances with a 20.3 percent walk rate. The 60 glove and 60 arm remain the foundation, but the offensive profile has genuinely outperformed the grades this year.
Matthew Ferrara (A, SS, Rank: 25) · went 9-for-21 with a double, four walks, and three strikeouts across 21 plate appearances at Low-A Clearwater. Over the last 30 days, he is hitting .345 across 99 plate appearances at Low-A with a 9.1 percent walk rate and a 17.2 percent K%. At 19 years old, the contact rate has improved meaningfully from his debut in professional ball last year, when he hit .130 in a brief Low-A look. The 45 hit tool and utility infielder projection still frame the ceiling conservatively, but a stretch of this kind at Low-A is the right developmental arc for a teenage shortstop in his first full season.