Three young and intriguing Phillies pitchers to monitor in 2025 not named Andrew Painter

The Phillies’ stock of young pitching prospects starts with Andrew Painter. And while he’s a notch, or two, above any other pitching prospect the organization employs, there are a few others who are intriguing entering 2025.

Mick Abel

Abel is coming off the worst season of his professional career. He posted a 6.46 ERA in his first full season with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, pitching 108 2/3 innings in 24 starts.

The former first-round pick didn’t flash the same level of stuff he had in previous seasons. His command wasn’t there. Abel, who has always walked hitters at a high clip, had a 15.1% walk rate last year. The same stat was 13.5% in 2023, a season in which Abel spent most of the year at Double-A Reading.

The right-hander had a hard time recording outs in 2024. Opponents hit .275 against Abel. His strikeout rate dipped to 22.7%. It was 27.4% in 2023.

There are more questions surrounding Abel than ever before. He’s still only 23. He turns 24 in August. It’s hard to give up on a guy who was a first-round pick and is still relatively young, even though some of his shine has worn off.

Abel was added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster in November. He’ll be in spring training. How he looks over the first few months of the season will be important. If he pitches well enough, and the club needs a starter at some point, Abel could be who the Phillies call upon. If he struggles again as a starter, a move to the bullpen could be likely.

2025 is a big year for Abel.

Jean Cabrera

Cabrera, 23, is short and slim for a professional pitcher. MLB.com lists him at six feet and 145 pounds. He probably weighs more than that now, but not by a whole lot.

The right-hander made 20 appearances (19 starts) in 2024 between High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading. Most of his 106 2/3 innings came at High-A, where he made 14 starts with a 3.39 ERA and struck out 14 hitters in a start on June 12. Between both levels, Cabrera stuck out 110 batters last season.

Like Abel, the Phillies added Cabrera to their 40-man roster in November, protecting him from being selected in the Rule 5 Draft. There’s something the organization sees in him.

Cabrera has mostly been a starter so far in his career but could move to the bullpen as he moves up the ranks because of his size. He flashes a four-seam fastball that can reach the mid-to-high 90s and a plus changeup. He also throws a sinker and slider.

It’ll be interesting to see how Cabrera performs in a large sample against better minor-league hitters at Double-A and whether or not he sticks as a starter.

Moisés Chace

The Phillies acquired Chace at last year’s trade deadline in the Gregory Soto trade with the Orioles. The 21-year-old was both a starter and reliever in Baltimore’s system. The Phillies only used him as a starter.

Altogether, Chace pitched 80 1/3 innings in the minors a season ago with a 3.59 ERA. He boasted a high strikeout rate (37.1%) and a really good fastball that reached the high 90s.

He did walk a lot of hitters while in Baltimore’s system (13.5%), but in a small sample in the Phillies’ system, he walked 8.9% of the batters he faced in 28 1/3 innings.

Chace was also added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster in November. He finished last year with Double-A Reading. That’s likely where he’ll start this year. His path to the majors as a starter is long. But his fastball could make him an enticing big-league relief option late in the upcoming season, depending on how things unfold.

Chace will probably spend most, if not all, of this year in the minors developing as a starter. Look for the Phillies to try to get him to the 100-inning mark. He should be fun to watch.

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