Baseball America is out this week with its annual ranking of what it considers the top 100 prospects in the game.
The always interesting list offers a glimpse at just how fickle the ranking of prospects can be.
J.P. Crawford, who will take over at shortstop for the Phillies in the coming season, ranks 16th on the list, not far off from his standing as BA's 19th-ranked prospect a year ago, but dramatically higher than No. 92. That's where he was on BA's midseason list in July. Crawford had slipped that far after a poor first half. He recovered in the second half, played in the majors in September and ascended to the starting shortstop job after Freddy Galvis was traded in December. Now, he finds himself in better standing with BA.
The Phillies are well represented with five players on BA's list. Atlanta leads the way with eight players. Milwaukee, San Diego, Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees have six each.
After Crawford, the Phillies come in at No. 25 with right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez, No. 31 with second baseman Scott Kingery, No. 84 with right-handed pitcher Adonis Medina, and No. 100 with outfielder Adam Haseley.
Sanchez, 19, is a power-armed strike thrower who projects to pitch at High A Clearwater with a good chance to get to Double A Reading in 2018.
Kingery, 23, projects as the Phillies' second baseman of the future. He will be in major-league spring-training camp but is expected to return to Triple A for at least a couple of months before arriving in the majors sometime in 2018.
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Medina, 21, is another power arm. He is expected to open at Clearwater.
Haseley, 21, was the Phillies' top pick in last year's draft. He was selected eighth overall out of the University of Virginia. He has strong on-base skills and projects to open the season at Clearwater, as well.
Notably absent from Baseball America's ranking is Mickey Moniak. The 19-year-old outfielder was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He ranked 46th on the list a year ago, but struggled in his first pro season, hitting just .236 with a .284 on-base percentage in 123 games at Low A Lakewood, and dropped off the list.
Phillies officials remain high on Moniak and he has plenty of time to climb the list. Nonetheless, third baseman Nick Senzel, picked by Cincinnati with the second pick in 2016 draft, one spot behind Moniak, ranks No. 7 on BA's list.
Braves' outfielder prospect Ronald Acuna is No. 1.