The Philadelphia Phillies, like every other Major League team, continues to adjust to new rules changes that put an emphasis on speed and base stealing. Recently, No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller became the first Double-A Reading player since 2009 to steal 40 bases in a season.
Turns out, Miller has a teammate, another highly regarded prospect named Carson DeMartini, who is just as good on the basepaths. DeMartini, the No. 13 prospect in the organization per MLB Pipeline, has already played for three different Phillies affiliates since he was drafted last year.
With Reading, he is stealing bases in bunches and has emerged as the organization’s leader when it comes to the category. The fact that he and Miller play the same position — shortstop — gives the organization a bit of an embarrassment of riches at the position.
Carson DeMartini takes 95 over the left field wall for his second AA home run to get the score knotted at 2-2 for Reading pic.twitter.com/jSMnLD5qEA
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DeMartini was the Phillies’ fourth-round pick out of Virginia Tech last July. He received a brief glimpse professional baseball with 24 games at Class-A Clearwater. There, he slashed .315/380.548 with an .863 OPS, as he hit two home runs and drove in nine RBI. He also had five double s and two triples, along with eight stolen bases.
The Phillies sent him to High-A Jersey Shore to start this season, and he kept on running. He slashed .280/.402/.474 with an .876 OPS in 53 games as he hit eight home runs and drove in 30 RBI. He also had 10 doubles and a triple. He stole 18 bases and that was enough for the Phillies to promote him to Reading on June 9.
His slash at Reading has fallen off. He’s at .218/.311/.313 with a .624 OPS in 47 games. He also has two home runs, 16 RBI, nine doubles and a triple. He’s also stolen 24 bases and in August he has been on a binge. He’s stolen 11 bases in 10 games, including three bases in three separate games.
Per Jake Starr, Reading’s public relations director, He is second in the Eastern League in stolen bases since he made his Double-A debut on June 10. He has 42 stolen bases between Jersey Shore and Reading, making him one of the organization’s leaders in the category.
Phillies Top 10 Prospects
Feb 23, 2023; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) during photo day at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
DeMartini is just outside the Phillies’ Top 10 prospects, as ranked by MLB Pipeline. The No. 1 prospect remains pitcher Andrew Painter, who is still at Triple-A Lehigh Valley waiting for a potential call up to the Majors. Philadelphia leadership has been clear that at some point they want Painter to be a part of the 2025 rotation.
Shortstop Aidan Miller is No. 2 and Justin Crawford is No. 3. Both are former first round picks, but Crawford is closer to the Majors, as he is Painter’s teammate at Lehigh Valley. Crawford is a potential call up when rosters expand on Sept. 1. Miller is at Double-A Reading and recently passed 40 stolen bases for the season.
Second baseman Aroon Escobar is No. 4, outfielder Dante Nori is No. 4 and pitcher Moisés Chace is No. 6. Escobar is playing for High-A Jersey Shore, Nori is at Class-A Clearwater while Chace, who was acquired in a trade last year, is at Reading. Chace is a potential Major League call-up next year.
The remainder of the Top 10 includes outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. at No. 7 (Lehigh Valley), pitcher Jean Cabrera at No. 8 (Reading), outfielder Griffin Burkholder at No. 9 (Clearwater) and second baseman Devin Saltiban at No. 10 (Jersey Shore).
