Once a highly touted Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect, Mick Abel is now having a career resurgence this season. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told 94WIP this week that Abel would be an option if the team needed to tap into their starting pitching depth due to injuries. Abel is currently on the Phillies 40-man roster after having been Rule 5 Draft eligible this past offseason. The Phillies currently have 11 minor league pitchers on their 40-man roster. Andrew Painter, who is expected to arrive in the majors this summer, is not on the 40-man roster, meaning a spot will need to be cleared. Painter being called up could complicate things for Abel.
Abel Returning To Previous Form As A Top Phillies Prospect
2025 Success At Triple-A
Abel has a 5-2 record with a 2.53 ERA in eight starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. This season, Abel has a 3.71 FIP along with a 2.68 strikeout-to-walk rate. Abel has a 26.6% strikeout rate and a career-best 9.9% walk rate this year. Additionally, Abel has a 0.78 HR/9 allowed rate this season. Abel has a 1.21 WHIP, which is tied for his career best. Opposing batters are swinging more often and making contact less often against Abel compared to 2024. Abel is leaving more runners stranded on base this year as well. Abel is generating more ground balls this year and allowing fewer line drives and fly balls. As a result, Abel has improved his HR/9 rate by 4.1%.
This year, Abel has seen his average fastball velocity increase from 94.6 mph last season to 95.6 mph this season. Abel is also less reliant on that pitch now. In 2024, Abel threw it 52.1% of the time compared to 44.7% this season. Furthermore, Abel has seen a velocity increase relative to 2024 for three of his other pitches. Abel has seen his changeup velocity slightly drop. It is not a huge concern because it is the pitch that Abel has used the least this season, having thrown it 6.9% of the time. Abel’s moving towards utilizing the slider more has been a key to his success. That pitch has seen the most significant usage and velocity increases relative to 2024.
Potential For Late Season Promotion To The Majors
He is on a rigorous workload plan this season. This makes it unlikely that the Phillies will call up Painter ahead of schedule. Abel would probably be one of the first options if the Phillies need to call up a starting pitcher before Painter comes up. However, the Phillies lack bullpen depth. As a result, Seth Johnson has been moved to the bullpen at Triple-A. Johnson has major league experience and could be an option if the Phillies move on from José Ruiz or Carlos Hernández. Both Ruiz and Hernández are out of minor league options. Ruiz is currently on the injured list, and a decision will have to be made once he is ready to return.
Some have suggested that Abel be moved to the bullpen to prepare for the majors. Abel has five pitches, which are more in line with the repertoire of a starting pitcher. That said, unless there are injuries, Abel is blocked to some extent from reaching the significant league rotation. Abel doing some bullpen work could open a path for him to get the majors sooner and have more of a role. The Phillies need to improve their right-handed bullpen options, and Abel could help with that. Abel is in his age-23 season and has been in his fifth minor league season. As a result, Abel is approaching a turning point in his career, and getting back on track is a step in the right direction.
Main Photo Credits: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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