Philadelphia Phillies' top prospects may be involved in Tyler Mahle trade talks with Reds

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

For two years in a row, the Phillies went big high school right-hander with their first-round pick, taking Mick Abel from the Pacific Northwest in 2020, then going down to Florida to nab Painter with the No. 13 overall selection in the 2021 Draft. The Gatorade Florida high school player of the year brings exciting size, stuff and feel for pitching to the system. He made a strong, albeit brief, impression during his pro debut, striking out 12 and walking none over six innings in the Florida Complex League.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

Well known throughout his high school career in Oregon, Abel made a claim to being the best prep arm in the 2020 Draft class with a strong summer showcase showing the summer prior, even if he did tire out a bit at the end. The pandemic all but upended his senior year of high school, but the Phillies liked his combination of size, stuff and feel for pitching enough to take him No. 15 overall, making him the first high school hurler taken. His first full season was inconsistent and he missed time with a shoulder issue, though his stuff played well in Low-A when healthy.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55

Most thought O’Hoppe was destined to head to East Carolina, where his father and uncle attended, after graduating from his Long Island high school in 2018. But the Phillies’ scouting department, which has found draftable talent on Long Island consistently over the last several years, was able to sign him in the 23rd round of that June’s Draft for an over-slot bonus of $215,000. After playing rookie and short-season ball his first two summers, O’Hoppe gained invaluable experience catching at the Phillies’ alternate site in 2020, using those lessons to go from High-A to Triple-A before finishing with a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50

While the international signing periods typically opened in July before the pandemic, Rojas didn’t sign with the Phillies until January of 2018 and did so for just $10,000. He immediately showed he might be the biggest bargain of that 2017-18 class by putting up a .321/.421/.797 line in the Dominican Summer League in 2018 and hit his way across two levels of rookie ball during his United States debut the following year. He had a solid, if unspectacular, full-season debut in 2021 until he absolutely raked after getting moved up to High-A for the final month of the season.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 65 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50

An electric, if a bit mercurial high school product from California, Crouse and his first-round stuff went in the second round of the 2017 Draft to the Rangers. He’s shown the ability to dominate Minor League hitters, but only in limited innings as bone spurs shelved him for parts of the 2019 season. He had them removed that offseason, sat out 2020, but came out throwing well in Double-A in 2021 and was part of the group sent to Philadelphia in return for Spencer Howard. Crouse made his big league debut at the end of the season and got some extra work in the Arizona Fall League.