The Philadelphia Phillies have virtually no chance at reaching the postseason this year, which will end an extremely impressive streak of five consecutive National League East division titles.
They currently trail the St. Louis Cardinals by 10 games in the wild-card race, and with just 33 games remaining, the Phillies would need a near-miracle to reach the postseason.
That being said, the following month of the season, and the Sept. 1st 40-man roster expansion, should be a perfect time for the Philadelphia Phillies to see which of their minor league players can perform well in their first taste of major league experience.
It’s taken longer than many have hoped, but the Phillies are finally allowing star pitching prospect Tyler Cloyd to make his major league debut.
Cloyd will start against the New York Mets tonight, although he is only pitching because Cy Young candidate Cole Hamels has gastrointestinal illness.
The 25-year-old Cloyd was just recently named the International League Pitcher of the Year. He has pitched in both Double-A and Triple-A this season, where he has combined to go 15-1 with a 2.26 earned run average in 167 innings.
Cloyd wasn’t a top prospect entering the season, however, and the fact that he’s already 25 years old and doesn’t throw particularly fast, topping out at 90 miles per hour, suggests that he may not be a star in the majors.
Cloyd was originally drafted in the eighteenth round by the Phillies in 2008. His debut on Wednesday night will come against the fourth place New York Mets.
This article was written by Bryn Swartz, the top writer for the Philadelphia Eagles and a featured NFL columnist on Rant Sports. Bryn has written more than 1000 articles in less than two years as a member of Rant Sports. His blog, Eagles Central, was named the 2010 Ballhyped Sports Blog of the Year. To read a portfolio of Bryn’s best work, click here.
