Starlyn Caba, the 18-year-old shortstop off to a good start in the Florida Complex League, has been recognized on a national level for his potential. On Sunday, he was named the No. 100 overall prospect in organized baseball by MLB Pipeline after Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers lost his prospect eligibility due to his big-league status.
The Phillies now have five prospects in their system in Pipeline’s Top 100 as Caba joins Andrew Painter (No. 19), Aidan Miller (No. 48), Mick Abel (No. 61) and Justin Crawford (No. 63).
Painter, 21, remains high on the list despite undergoing Tommy John surgery last year, unlikely to pitch in 2024. A 2021 first rounder, he has ace-level upside and seemed destined to make the rotation as a 19-year-old out of spring training last season before getting hurt.
Last year’s first-round pick out of high school, Miller, 19, has shown to be a menacing gap-to-gap hitter in Single-A Clearwater. He has a .950 OPS with 13 doubles and four home runs in 28 games and has been able to stick as a shortstop early in his professional career.
Abel, a 2020 No. 1 pick out of high school, has real major-league rotation potential but has been trending downward. The 22-year-old has struggled with control and has a 6.21 ERA in eight starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley this year, but still has the stuff to be a contributor if he can improve his command.
Son of former All-Star Carl Crawford, Justin Crawford was a first rounder out of high school in 2022. The 20-year-old has a solid hit tool with impact center field defense and speed on the bases, but he tends to hit the ball on the ground too often. He’s batting .279 with a .707 OPS in High-A Jersey Shore.
The newest member of the list, Caba is a switch-hitting infielder who should stick at shortstop and only keep developing at the plate. He has an .869 OPS in 14 games in the FCL.
