Adonis Medina

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #12 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Medina dominated the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2017 but has been unable to repeat that success in the years since. He spent the majority of the 2020 season at the Phillies' alternate site and made his first big league start on Sept. 20, when he allowed two runs and struck out four in four innings against the Blue Jays.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Medina features a three-pitch mix out of a clean delivery with good arm action, led by his average fastball that generally sits 92-93 mph and touches 95. He produces solid cutting action on the pitch and commands it well, with the ability to throw it to both sides of the plate. Medina's best offspeed offering is his above-average slider, which has some three-quarter break but often comes out as a slurvy pitch. Medina's changeup shows solid fade and has the potential to become plus, but he struggles to throw it for strikes. The Phillies were pleased by the progress Medina made, especially with his slider. He will need to continue improving his changeup to subdue lefthanded hitters.
  
  THE FUTURE: Medina should start 2021 in the upper minors before returning to the majors later in the season. If he can't bring his changeup along enough to start, his fastball and slider should play up in a bullpen role.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #5 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: When Medina was 18 and carving up South Atlantic League hitters, it was easy to dream of just what the athletic, live-armed righthander would become. Since then Medina has shown flashes and made a Futures Game appearance but it's hard to say Medina is a much better pitcher heading into 2020 than he was in 2017. Medina struggled mightily in the second half at Double-A Reading, where he posted a 6.75 ERA after the all-star break.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Medina still has the ingredients to end up as a solid No. 3 or No. 4 starter. He sits 91-96 mph with an above-average fastball that has average life. His slider will sporadically flash the two-plane tilt that can make it a true weapon, but too often he gets on the side of it and it becomes a slurvier pitch. His fringe-average changeup, which has long flashed plus potential, has not developed into a true weapon. Instead, more advanced hitters have found he struggles to throw it for strikes, so they can quickly recognize and eliminate the pitch from consideration. That helps explain why lefthanders hit .302/.385/.473 against him. The pieces are all still there for Medina to potentially turn into a three-pitch starter, but scouts want to see him take a step forward.
  
  THE FUTURE: Medina was added to the 40-man roster before the 2019 season, so he has two options remaining. He still has time to add polish, but the clock is ticking–if he is going to end up as a reliever, teams generally want to take advantage of a player having options.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #3 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Signed out of the Dominican Republic for $70,000 at 17, Medina had a handful of meltdown outings during the 2018 season that caused his ERA to swell but still flashed electric stuff and ranked third in the high Class A Florida League with 123 strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Medina has three pitches that grade out or at least flash plus. He throws a plus fastball that sits at 92-96 mph with late movement and can scrape 97. Medina generates good extension out front, which helps his fastball get on hitters faster than they expect. His slider has made huge strides over the last two seasons, to the point where it's now plus--a nasty swing-and-miss pitch with two-plane depth to both righthanded hitters or when he throws it to the back foot of lefties. His changeup is another pitch that flashes plus, thought it's not consistent yet. Medina is an athletic strike-thrower, though he needs to tighten his command and improve his pitch sequencing, both of which led to trouble despite his stuff last year.
  
  The Future: Medina has the athleticism and delivery that point to a pitcher who should be able to make command improvements. If he can do that, he can be a mid-rotation starter, with Double-A Reading up next.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #4 prospect in 2018
  The Phillies signed Medina for $70,000 when he was a 17-year-old with a loose arm action and a fastball that hit 90 mph. Now he's a power pitcher who took a big step forward at low Class A Lakewood in 2017 by improving his offspeed arsenal, which led to an increase in his strikeout rate. Medina operates off a fastball that parks at 92-95 mph and touches 97. His fastball is his best pitch, and he combines plus velocity with late life and the ability to throw his heater for strikes. Over the past year, Medina altered his delivery to get more extension out front at his release point, which helps his fastball jump on hitters quicker than they expect. After striking out just 13 percent of batters in 2016, Medina doubled his strikeout rate to 26 percent in 2017. His changeup became a plus pitch and he introduced a slider that's a solid-average offering. Medina is a good athlete who controls the running game well. The improvement of Medina's secondary stuff gives him an opportunity to develop into a mid-rotation starter. His next step will be high Class A Clearwater in 2018.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #16 prospect in 2017
  When Medina was a 17-year-old in the Dominican Republic, he had an athletic, projectable build, a loose arm and a fastball that touched 90 mph, so the Phillies signed him for $70,000. His fastball has jumped since then and he's had success at every level, most recently in the short-season New York-Penn League in 2016, coming within two outs of a no-hitter in his third start with Williamsport. Medina has an easy, repeatable delivery with a wide release point and does a good job commanding his fastball to both sides of the plate for his age. His fastball sits 90-94 mph and can touch 96 with explosive late action through the zone. He's able to spin a curveball and mix in both a changeup and slider that all flash average, though none is a true out pitch at this point. Medina has a pitch-to-contact approach but needs to sharpen the finish and quality of his secondary offerings to improve his low strikeout rate of 4.7 per nine innings. He's a good athlete who does a good job of holding runners. Medina has a chance to be a back-end to mid-rotation starter, with low Class A Lakewood his next stop.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #9 prospect in 2016
  Signed for $70,000 as a projectable righthander when he was throwing in the 89-90 mph range, Medina caught the Phillies' eye with his athleticism and loose, quick arm. He pitched in the Dominican Summer League as a 17-year-old in 2014 and showed well. Brought to the U.S. in 2015, his stuff ticked way up, and he joins Franklyn Kilome as another steal by the Phillies' international scouting department. Medina matured physically and has seen his velocity bump up dramatically. His fastball has become a 91-94 mph weapon, with plenty of sink and hints of 97 every now and again. He couples the pitch with a curveball that has a chance to be plus, as does his changeup, which features excellent angle and sink. As with any 18-year-old, Medina needs to work on consistency and command, the latter of which ranks as well below-average. The Phillies love Medina's feel to pitch and are waiting to see him mature physically as he gets older, but are understandably very excited about his future once he gets into games under the lights. All the ingredients are present for Medina to be part of the Phillies' rotation in a few years. Much as Kilome did in 2015, Medina likely will begin 2016 in extended spring training before jumping to short-season Williamsport in June.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Eastern League #18 prospect in 2019
  Media tossed over 100 innings for the third year in a row, but the Eastern League was still a learning experience for Medina, who had an up-and-down season. While his second half performance was lackluster, Medina pitched to a 3.32 ERA in 57 innings during the first half of the season. Medina's fastball tops out in the upper 90s with movement and shows good command. He has learned to throw his changeup more often, and the pitch flashes plus potential. His slider has depth and regularly draws swings and misses. But while his slider may miss more bats, his changeup has proven to be even more effective at times. His control leaves something to be desired, but Medina's athleticism and arm talent still give him the potential of a No. 3 or No. 4 starter in the big leagues.
• 
  Ranked Florida State League #20 prospect in 2018
  Medina's progression through the system has been slow, having never pitched at more than one level per season. His 123 strikeouts ranked third in the FSL, and he added a nice bow on his year with an appearance in the Futures Game. His bread-and-butter offerings are his fastball, which sits in the mid 90s and his sharp slider, which some scouts project as a future plus pitch. His changeup has made strides, too, and could also reach plus status with further improvements. He's got more control than he does command, and he'll need to make refinements in that area before he's a slam dunk for the rotation. He'll get a big test in 2019 in the hitter's paradise that is Double-A Reading, where his ability to keep the ball on the ground will become paramount.
• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #10 prospect in 2017
  The Phillies had a very deep Lakewood rotation last year, but it was even deeper this year thanks to Sanchez, Medina, JoJo Romero and Ranger Suarez. Medina took the biggest step forward of that group as he refined his breaking ball, which helped his excellent fastball play even better. Medina's fastball is a 93-97 mph monster with outstanding sink. His slider shows lots of promise. It needs more power, but it's showing the potential to be an above-average pitch. He also throws a loopier, slower curveball and a promising changeup. But it's Medina's fastball that primarily carved up hitters in 2017. The 20-year-old finished third in the league with 133 strikeouts.
• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #11 prospect in 2016
  Medina has matured physically and added a few ticks to his then-90-mph fastball since signing as a 17-year-old. He now works consistently in the low to mid-90s, touching as high as 97 mph with some armside run and late sink. He pairs that velocity with a hard, late-breaking slider that has plus potential and an upper-80s changeup that has sinking action and should be a serviceable third pitch. Medina didn't allow an earned run in his first three starts and came two outs from a no-hitter in start No. 3. Given his stuff, he posted a curiously low strikeout rate of 4.7 per nine innings. But he did strike out three batters in his one-inning all-star game appearance and should miss more bats as he learns to command his weapons. He has mid-rotation starter upside.
• 
  Ranked Florida Complex League #18 prospect in 2015
  Medina signed for $70,000 in May 2014, when he threw 87-90 mph as a 17-year-old. He attracted Phillies scouts with his loose arm action, athleticism and feel for pitching. After an encouraging debut mostly out of the bullpen last year in the Dominican Summer League, Medina's stuff jumped this season, with his fastball sitting at 90-94 mph and reaching 97. Medina complements his fastball with feel for two secondary pitches that can be swing-and-miss weapons at times but are still inconsistent. His upper-70s curveball flashes plus with good rotation and depth when it's on, while his lively changeup has good deception and can be another potential out pitch. Once Medina is able to repeat his offspeed stuff with more frequency and gains better command of those pitches, his strikeout rate should jump. A good athlete who repeats his delivery well, Medina is a good strike-thrower with his fastball. Scouts highest on him believe he has front-end starter upside.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #84 prospect in 2018

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Medina dominated the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2017 but has been unable to repeat that success in the years since. He spent the majority of the 2020 season at the Phillies' alternate site and made his first big league start on Sept. 20, when he allowed two runs and struck out four in four innings against the Blue Jays.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Medina features a three-pitch mix out of a clean delivery with good arm action, led by his average fastball that generally sits 92-93 mph and touches 95. He produces solid cutting action on the pitch and commands it well, with the ability to throw it to both sides of the plate. Medina's best offspeed offering is his above-average slider, which has some three-quarter break but often comes out as a slurvy pitch. Medina's changeup shows solid fade and has the potential to become plus, but he struggles to throw it for strikes. The Phillies were pleased by the progress Medina made, especially with his slider. He will need to continue improving his changeup to subdue lefthanded hitters.
  
  THE FUTURE: Medina should start 2021 in the upper minors before returning to the majors later in the season. If he can't bring his changeup along enough to start, his fastball and slider should play up in a bullpen role.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Medina dominated the low Class A South Atlantic League in 2017 but has been unable to repeat that success in the years since. He spent the majority of the 2020 season at the Phillies' alternate site and made his first big league start on Sept. 20, when he allowed two runs and struck out four in four innings against the Blue Jays.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Medina features a three-pitch mix out of a clean delivery with good arm action, led by his average fastball that generally sits 92-93 mph and touches 95. He produces solid cutting action on the pitch and commands it well, with the ability to throw it to both sides of the plate. Medina's best offspeed offering is his above-average slider, which has some three-quarter break but often comes out as a slurvy pitch. Medina's changeup shows solid fade and has the potential to become plus, but he struggles to throw it for strikes. The Phillies were pleased by the progress Medina made, especially with his slider. He will need to continue improving his changeup to subdue lefthanded hitters.
  
  THE FUTURE: Medina should start 2021 in the upper minors before returning to the majors later in the season. If he can't bring his changeup along enough to start, his fastball and slider should play up in a bullpen role.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: When Medina was 18 and carving up South Atlantic League hitters, it was easy to dream of just what the athletic, live-armed righthander would become. Since then Medina has shown flashes and made a Futures Game appearance but it’s hard to say Medina is a much better pitcher heading into 2020 than he was in 2017. Medina struggled mightily in the second half at Double-A Reading, where he posted a 6.75 ERA after the all-star break.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Medina still has the ingredients to end up as a solid No. 3 or No. 4 starter. He sits 91-96 mph with an above-average fastball that has average life. His slider will sporadically flash the two-plane tilt that can make it a true weapon, but too often he gets on the side of it and it becomes a slurvier pitch. His fringe-average changeup, which has long flashed plus potential, has not developed into a true weapon. Instead, more advanced hitters have found he struggles to throw it for strikes, so they can quickly recognize and eliminate the pitch from consideration. That helps explain why lefthanders hit .302/.385/.473 against him. The pieces are all still there for Medina to potentially turn into a three-pitch starter, but scouts want to see him take a step forward.
  
  THE FUTURE: Medina was added to the 40-man roster before the 2019 season, so he has two options remaining. He still has time to add polish, but the clock is ticking–if he is going to end up as a reliever, teams generally want to take advantage of a player having options.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: When Medina was 18 and carving up South Atlantic League hitters, it was easy to dream of just what the athletic, live-armed righthander would become. Since then Medina has shown flashes and made a Futures Game appearance but it's hard to say Medina is a much better pitcher heading into 2020 than he was in 2017. Medina struggled mightily in the second half at Double-A Reading, where he posted a 6.75 ERA after the all-star break.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Medina still has the ingredients to end up as a solid No. 3 or No. 4 starter. He sits 91-96 mph with an above-average fastball that has average life. His slider will sporadically flash the two-plane tilt that can make it a true weapon, but too often he gets on the side of it and it becomes a slurvier pitch. His fringe-average changeup, which has long flashed plus potential, has not developed into a true weapon. Instead, more advanced hitters have found he struggles to throw it for strikes, so they can quickly recognize and eliminate the pitch from consideration. That helps explain why lefthanders hit .302/.385/.473 against him. The pieces are all still there for Medina to potentially turn into a three-pitch starter, but scouts want to see him take a step forward.
  
  THE FUTURE: Medina was added to the 40-man roster before the 2019 season, so he has two options remaining. He still has time to add polish, but the clock is ticking–if he is going to end up as a reliever, teams generally want to take advantage of a player having options.
• December, 2018 Scouting Report
  Media tossed over 100 innings for the third year in a row, but the Eastern League was still a learning experience for Medina, who had an up-and-down season. While his second half performance was lackluster, Medina pitched to a 3.32 ERA in 57 innings during the first half of the season. Medina's fastball tops out in the upper 90s with movement and shows good command. He has learned to throw his changeup more often, and the pitch flashes plus potential. His slider has depth and regularly draws swings and misses. But while his slider may miss more bats, his changeup has proven to be even more effective at times. His control leaves something to be desired, but Medina's athleticism and arm talent still give him the potential of a No. 3 or No. 4 starter in the big leagues.
• July, 2018 Scouting Report
  A pair of meltdown starts in April and a couple more sprinkled later in the season left Medina with a bloated ERA, but he still shows the stuff to be a mid-rotation starter. He’s sitting in the low-to-mid 90s with his fastball, putting hitters away with an above-average changeup and a solid-average slider. Medina has gotten into trouble when he has tried to lean too heavily on his offspeed pitches and when his fastball command has escaped him, but he has the attributes to fix those issues.
• December, 2017 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Phillies signed Medina for $70,000 when he was a 17-year-old with a loose arm action and a fastball that hit 90 mph. Now he's a power arm who took a big step forward at low Class A Lakewood in 2017 by improving his offspeed arsenal, which led to an increase in his strikeout rate. Scouting Report: Medina operates off a fastball that parks at 92-95 mph and touches 97. His fastball is his best pitch, and he combines plus velocity with late life and the ability to throw his heater for strikes. Over the past year, Medina altered his delivery to get more extension out front at his release point, which helps his fastball jump on hitters faster than they expect. After striking out just 13 percent of batters in 2016, Medina doubled his strikeout rate to 26 percent in 2017. His changeup became a plus pitch and he introduced a slider that's a solid-average offering. Medina is a good athlete who controls the running game well. The Future: The improvement of Medina's secondary stuff gives him an opportunity to develop into a mid-rotation starter. His next step will be high Class A Clearwater.