Adonis Medina

The Phillies held onto Medina through their flurry of moves last offseason, likely indicating big hopes for his future. The team is now stuck hoping those previous evaluations were accurate, as his performance took a significant step back in 2019, his first season for Double-A Reading. His ERA jumped from 4.12 the season prior at High-A Clearwater to 4.95, while his strikeout rate plunged dramatically from 26.1% to 17.5%. Judging just by those numbers, Medina would no longer appear to be much of a prospect, but it would be unwise to completely give up on a player who had previously been projected to have three plus pitches. His 2019 was bad enough that buying low probably doesn't make sense in most formats, but his pedigree warrants keeping tabs on him in dynasty leagues that allow in-season pickups. As a member of the 40-man roster, he could break through this year in the big-league bullpen.

The rumored headliner in a Manny Machado trade before the Dodgers topped the offer, Medina flashed tantalizing upside during a second straight 100-plus-inning season. There were bumps along the way, but he had three starts with 10-plus strikeouts, utilizing a 93-95 mph fastball with good life, a low-80s slider and an 88-mph changeup -- all of which could be plus pitches. If we forget about his rough April, Medina had a 3.59 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 117:31 K:BB in 102.2 innings. He had five starts with game scores under 25 (really bad), with several of those coming directly after some of his longest outings of the season, prompting questions about how the 6-foot-1, 175-pound righty would hold up over a 170- or 180-inning MLB season. Medina turned 22 in December and will make his Double-A debut this year, so he is relatively old for a prospect who never went to college. He will be electric in the big leagues, but his eventual role remains unclear.

He was excellent at preventing runs in rookie and short-season ball, but Medina didn't give us a full taste of his upside until he reached Low-A. His strikeout rate jumped from 12.8 percent to 26.3 percent -- the third best mark in the Sally League. He commands a plus mid-90s fastball with late life, already boasts one of the best changeups in the minors, and made huge strides last year with his slider, which has emerged as another potentially plus offering. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Medina doesn't have prototypical size, but he is an excellent athlete who gets good extension on his pitches. His BB/9 improved from 3.43 to 2.43 in the second half, showing an ability to make more than one adjustment as a 20-year-old. Young pitchers with his feel and makeup are rare, so it would be irresponsible to say with confidence what his ceiling is. He will head to High-A for the first time, but could be pushed aggressively, setting him up to contribute in the big-league rotation in 2019.

Medina entered last season with a bit of hype around him after a solid 2015 in the Gulf Coast League. He was moved up to short-season Williamsport last year, where he had a 2.92 ERA and a 34:24 K:BB in 64.2 innings. The strikeout rate is underwhelming from a pitcher who can hit the mid-90s with his fastball and is said to have a good feel for his changeup and curveball. Of course, Medina is just 19 years old and has shown a groundball tilt in his brief time pitching professionally. He has time to make adjustments and build on some of the solid foundation pieces in his arsenal, and he doesn't profile as a front-of-the-rotation pitcher, but Medina could still end up as a solid mid-rotation starter if he makes it to the majors.