Samuel Aldegheri

Samuel Aldegheri, a 22-year-old left-handed pitcher born in Italy, checks in at number 23 on Fangraphs‘ list of the Phillies’ top prospects for 2024. An Italian-born pitcher hasn’t pitched in the majors in decades, but Aldegheri is determined to change that.

“When I first got here, I was scared,” Aldegheri told Tampa’s local Fox Sports affiliate in May of this year. “I remember my dad saying that if I wanted, he could bring me home and just give up. But I’m not that guy.”

Aldegheri is 6’1″ and weighs 180 lbs. Fangraphs predicts that he’ll eventually be a big-league pitcher, albeit as nothing more than a spot starter “barring an unexpected velo boost.” The website adds that Aldegheri “can climb the ladder with his fastball thanks to its angle, but at mostly 90-93 mph, it will be a vulnerable pitch against good hitters.” His strength seems to be his ability to locate all four pitches in his arsenal: fastball, slider, curveball, changeup. None of the pitches grade out particularly high, but they’re all serviceable.

Playing for Jersey Shore and Clearwater (mainly Clearwater) last season, Aldegheri posted a combined 4.84 ERA in 19 starts and 83.2 innings pitched. His WHIP was 1.35, he allowed 1.0 home run per nine, he walked 3.8 batters per nine, and he struck out 10.6 batters per nine. You can see him in action here, and you can check out Jamie and Renee’s analysis here.

Devin Saltiban

Opinions on 18-year-old shortstop Devin Saltiban are mixed, which makes sense because the young right-handed batter played just 21 games in 2023 between the MLB Draft League and the Florida Complex League. Fangraphs ranks Saltiban as the Phillies’ 20th-best prospect for 2024, while Baseball America ranks him 12th in the Phils’ system and a potential “breakout prospect.” The Phillies selected the Hawaii native in the third round of the 2023 draft and signed him for a bit over $600,000.

5’10” and 180 lbs., Saltiban played in the outfield as an amateur but shifted to shortstop in his limited time as a pro. Fangraphs describes him as a “very athletic, medium-framed infielder with above-average bat speed and exciting power potential for a middle infield defender.” Baseball America, meanwhile, indicates that Saltiban “has a smooth, simple swing that the Phillies believe should produce a combination of average and power,” and noted that his exit velocities were better than average for the typical 18-year-old. Baseball America also states that the young SS “earns above-average marks for his speed and throwing arm.”

Overall, it’s too early to confidently assess Saltiban’s potential. He slashed .333/.391/.452 in 46 plate appearances for the Florida Complex League Phils, but Fangraphs says he struggled with breaking ball recognition. Most talent evaluators seem to agree that the teenager is a highly athletic, but raw, development-project type of player.

Renee and Jamie profiled Saltiban on the podcast here.

Robert Moore

The Phillies acquired 21-year-old middle infielder Robert Moore from the Brewers’ organization after the 2023 season in exchange for second baseman Oliver Dunn. Fangraphs lists Moore (a switch-hitter) as the Phils’ 17th-best prospect for 2024, but the site’s analysis from writer Eric Longenhagen is less than flattering: “The tiny Moore struggles to hit for power and has some plate coverage issues from the left side, struggling to contact pitches on the outer third. A bounce-back candidate for the last year and change, I now see him as having more of a utility ceiling.” Jamie and Renee were similarly harsh when assessing Moore on the podcast.

It’s certainly reasonable to have doubts about Moore, who slashed just .233/.321/.361 in high-A ball last year. But just before that, the 5’9″ 170-pounder slashed .294/.378/.516 in 40 games in the Australian Baseball League. And as a sophomore at the University of Arkansas, Moore was considered a potential top-ten pick. (Following a disappointing junior year, Milwaukee ultimately selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft.)

We should temper our expectations for Moore, but he has flashed significant talent at times. It’s too soon to write him off completely.