Phillies Minor Leaguers: Carlos De La Cruz, Nikau Puoaka-Grego, and Aroon Escobar

Carlos De La Cruz

One of 15 non-roster players who the Phillies invited to spring training this year, Carlos De La Cruz will be easy to spot in Clearwater. He’s a 6’8″ outfielder/first baseman with plus-plus power, according to Fangraphs. De La Cruz spent most of 2023 in AA, where he slashed .259/.344/.454 and hit 24 home runs in 129 games.

Despite the big guy’s big right-handed swing, Fangraphs dropped De La Cruz from its list of the top 26 Phillies prospects this year. The website ranked him ninth in the Phillies’ system last year, and other than the fickle nature of prospect-ranking generally, it’s difficult to make sense of the change. His strikeout rate was a dismal 27.5% in AA last season, but that’s actually a number that has steadily improved. De La Cruz struck out in 36.7% of his plate appearances playing single-A ball in 2021, and in 29.8% of his plate appearances across single-A and AA in 2022.

At 24 years old and 210 lbs., there’s probably even more power in De La Cruz’s future if he can put additional muscle on his frame. And his defense is strong enough to play some center field. From Fangraphs’ April 2023 prospect profile: “He could hit .190, but if he’s going to run into 25-30 bombs and play center, that’s a flawed but useful big leaguer. That is still probably going to take another couple years to happen, which is typical of athletes this size.”

Here’s De La Cruz crushing a home run to right-center during 2023 spring training.

Nikau Puoaka-Grego

19-year-old New Zealander Nikau Puoaka-Grego didn’t play in 2023 after tearing an ACL at the end of 2022. Before the injury, however, Puoaka-Grego was “perhaps the Phillies’ most exciting complex-level prospect in 2022,” according to Fangraphs, “as he made searing all-fields contact throughout extended spring training and then again during the complex season proper, walking as much as he struck out and barely ever swinging and missing.” An infielder who throws righty and hits lefty, Puoka-Grego is 5’9″ and weighs 175 lbs.

Fangraphs ranks Puoaka-Grego 15th in the Phillies system this year, the same spot they placed him last year. Mlb.com wasn’t as keen on Puoaka-Grego in their most recent rankings, listing him as the Phillies’ 26th-best prospect. Both sites are high on the youngster’s hit tool, however, with Fangraphs suggesting that it could eventually grade out as a 70 on scouts’ 20-80 rating scale. Baseball America is similarly optimistic about his bat but called him a below-average defender, at least at shortstop.

Check out Jamie and Renee’s analysis here–if only to watch Jamie struggle to pronounce Nikau Puoaka-Grego–and see the talented hitter in action here.

Aroon Escobar

Aroon Escobar is a right-handed 5’11” infielder from Venezuela. At 19 years old, it’s interesting to see him ranked 12th in the Phillies system by Fangraphs, because none of his top-line numbers jump off the page. Across two seasons (81 games) in the Dominican Summer League, Escobar slashed .225/.370/.324 with four home runs. He also stole 24 bases in 32 attempts.

Looking deeper at Escobar’s 2023 stats, however, he struck out in just 9.7% of his plate appearances and caught some bad luck with a .227 batting average on balls in play. Fangraphs calls him a “stout, versatile infield prospect with a contact-driven profile,” adding that “his lively hitting hands are short and direct to the ball, making Escobar very difficult to beat in the strike zone.” Scouts project that Escobar will develop some power, but if he is to mature into an impact player it will be because of his hit tool. Fangraphs used Jean Segura as a comp for Escobar a year ago, albeit an “extremely loose comp.”

Renee and Jamie discuss Escobar–including some interesting family ties–here, and you can view some of his game footage here.