Phillies Minor Leaguers: Emaarion Boyd, Christian McGowan, and Andrew Baker

Emaarion Boyd

The Phillies selected Emaarion Boyd out of a Mississippi high school in the 11th round of the 2022 draft. He’s 5’11” and weighs 177 lbs.

Boyd, a right-handed bat and an outfielder, is ridiculously fast. His run tool is a 70 on scouts’ 20-80 scale, and he stole 56 bases in 91 games playing single A ball in Clearwater last season. (That translates to 100 steals per 162 games.) Baseball America says he has “game-breaking speed that plays both in the outfield and on the bases.” At the plate, Boyd’s “early-career contact performance has been very impressive,” according to Fangraphs. Baseball America concurs, saying he “already has a knack for contact which allows his quickness to accentuate his offensive game and make up for a lack of thump.” Both publications believe Boyd will be a reserve outfielder in the majors.

Defensively, the Threshers deployed Boyd both in center field and the corners. You’d expect someone with his speed to play center, but scouts are concerned about his reads, routes, and ball skills. Baseball America indicates that Boyd could end up as a corner outfielder if he develops more power, adding that he “has an average arm that would fit in either corner, where he would likely be a 55-grade defender.” Fangraphs is less generous about Boyd’s arm, calling it “poor.”

At 20 years old, Boyd is definitely a player to keep an eye on. A speedy guy who makes contact with the ball can usually find a role in the majors. Check out Jamie and Renee’s analysis from the pod here, video of a nice Boyd catch here, and a postgame interview with Boyd after a walk-off Threshers win here. Baseball America ranks him 23rd in the Phillies’s system and Fangraphs puts him 14th.

Christian McGowan

RHP Christian McGowan is a player who may reach the Phillies’ big-league squad fairly quickly, most likely in a relief role. The Phillies drafted him in 2021 as a seventh-rounder, and he was playing for the IronPigs in AAA by the end of 2023. He’s 23 years old, stands 6’0″, and weighs 205.

McGowan’s fastball sits 94-96 mph and can sometimes hit 98. Baseball America says the pitch has “wicked running life that helps him get grounders by the bushel.” The site adds that McGowan throws two types of sliders, “a sweeper for whiffs and a tighter-breaking gyro to drop in for called strikes.” His changeup currently grades out as his worst pitch. Some scouts would like him to develop a splitter as a north-south weapon.

McGowan has to work on his control (currently graded a 40), but Fangraphs had this to say: “McGowan has a shot to debut in 2024 if the Phillies just ‘pen him like they did with Orion Kerkering, and he’s a virtual lock to debut in 2025 if he holds this stuff.”

Renee and Jamie discussed Christian McGowan here on the pod. He’s the Phillies’ 16th-best prospect according to Baseball America and their 11th-best prospect according to Fangraphs.

Andrew Baker

RHP Andrew Baker is one of the power-armed pitchers without control that the Phillies seem to love to collect. His fastball sits in the high 90s and touches 101 mph but, depending where you look, scouts grade his command at 30 or even 20. Says Fangraphs, “Baker’s raw stuff is nastier than all but the top couple of prospects in the Phillies system, but he walked a batter per inning in 2023 and needs to find at least one more full grade of control if he’s going to be a big leaguer at all.”

The 23-year-old Baker was an 11th-round pick in 2021, stands 6’1″, and weighs 190 lbs. In addition to the fastball, Baseball America says he’s armed with “a sweeper slider in the mid 80s and a power curveball a couple of ticks slower.” Pitching 41 innings of AA ball in 2023, Baker posted an 8.12 ERA and a 2.02 WHIP. But he struck out 14 batters per nine innings.

Renee and Tyler discussed the young fireballer here, and you can watch a bit of his footage from the Arizona Fall League here. Fangraphs ranks Baker 19th in the Phils’ system and Baseball America lists him at 27th.