CLEARWATER – Spring Training is finally here and with it, comes big debuts and revelations for all teams around the league. Phillies top pitching prospect, Mick Abel, is one player in the spotlight looking to get back to basics and make his pro debut this season.
Mick, Mick, Hooray!
Abel’s introduction to MLB came when he was selected 15h overall in the first round of the 2020 June Amateur Draft. The lengthy right-hander sports a fastball that sits 95-98 mph consistently with the ability to top 100 and compliments that with three offspeed pitches in a slider, curveball, and sinker. He once stated that he could “throw either option in any quadrant regardless of the count and could make his slider look better with a loose grip or tighten it up to produce more velocity”.
Needless to say, this guy was garnishing plenty of attention from scouts at Jesuit HS with comparisons to Justin Verlander and Stephen Strasburg. He became the first pitcher selected for the Phillies in the first round since Aaron Nola in 2014 and the first drafted out of high school in the organization since 2010. He had no ceiling in sight and gained the positioning as one of the top 50 prospects in the league.
Fast forward to 2024, he’s struggled to limit walks per nine innings pitched as well as keeping his ERA below 3.86 over the past three seasons in the minors. Abel cited command issues as the main reason for being unsuccessful and said that objectively, lowering walks is his biggest goal for the upcoming year. He walked 65 batters in 113 1/3 IP throughout Double-A and Triple-A in 2023.
What’s In Store For Phillies’ Mick Abel
The Phils arguably sport the best 1-2 combo of Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler in an already solid rotation so Abel’s opportunity to join it after Spring Training is extremely minimal. Not to mention, Major League clubs have a known ability to take advantage of walks so that would be no different for Abel if he got promoted regardless of how good he is at his best.
The biggest key here is for him to remain in the minors to start the season and allow him to focus on his yearly goal. Still, he could have the chance to get the call-up at any point in time if there was a rotational need so make sure to follow along on this up-and-comers journey.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
