Tommy Joseph

Joseph was outrighted off the Phillies 40-man roster after the 2015 season, but he went unclaimed and looked to prove himself as a first baseman after years of missed at-bats in the minors due to the numerous concussions he suffered while catching. He produced immediately after a mid-May promotion to the big leagues, hitting .323 with seven home runs and a 1.010 OPS in his first 21 games while leaping Ryan Howard on the depth chart. Joseph slumped badly from mid-June into early July as pitchers adjusted to him by throwing more offspeed stuff. He adjusted back, hitting .259 with 10 home runs and an .829 OPS over 162 at-bats in the second half. Joseph walked at a 3.7 percent clip in the first half, but improved that to 8.6 percent while also cutting his strikeout rate from 24.7 percent to 18.9 percent after the All-Star break. Joseph was lethal against lefties last season, and more than held his own against righties. With Ryan Howard out of the picture, Joseph could offer 30-homer pop in his first full season as the everyday first baseman.

Joseph was once considered one of the top prospects in the Phillies' system, but that was due more to a dearth of talent than his actual potential. He has struggled with numerous injuries since he was acquired from the Giants in the Hunter Pence deal, and was limited to 27 games in 2014 due to complications from another concussion in addition a wrist injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery. It is hard to recommend him as a dynasty prospect given his inability to stay on the field, but the tools that once made him a decent prospect are still there. The Phillies will likely be happy if they can just keep Joseph on the field for a full season this year.

Joseph played in just 36 games last season as he struggled to come back from a concussion that he suffered in early May. He met with three specialists in the offseason and received clearance to return to catching. The Phillies sent him to the Dominican Winter League during the offseason to make up for some of the lost development time. Joseph saw his prospect status dim last season because of the missed time, but he was also struggling at the plate prior to the concussion. However, given the limited number of games played, his 2013 season should be considered a lost year. He still has some upside and will likely be undervalued in prospect drafts this spring, although the long-term deal given to Carlos Ruiz this winter does not bode well for Joseph's path to playing time in Philadelphia.

Joseph immediately became the Phillies' top hitting prospect after his acquisition from the Giants in the Hunter Pence deal at the trade deadline. He projects as a regular at the big league level and should hit for power. He does need to make some improvements with his plate discipline, but at only 21 years old there is still time for that to happen. Look for Joseph to eventually replace Carlos Ruiz as the primary backstop in Philadelphia.

Joseph showed pop in the hitter-friendly California League in 2011, but his plate discipline still leaves plenty to be desired and the Giants have no reason to rush him with Buster Posey entrenched as their franchise catcher.