Brandon Phillips

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #1 prospect in 2003
  Of all the prospects the Indians reeled in with trades in 2002, Phillips was clearly the biggest trophy. Rated the Expos' No. 1 prospect before the season, he was the marquee name in the package the Indians acquired for Bartolo Colon. After settling in at Triple-A Buffalo, Phillips flashed the five-tool ability that has always excited scouts. He earned a big league cameo in September and made several eye-popping plays at second base, his new position. He moved from shortstop in deference to Omar Vizquel. Phillips is a premier athlete who projects as an all-star at either middle-infield position. As a shortstop, Phillips has drawn comparisons to a young Barry Larkin or Derek Jeter. Hitting out of a Jeff Bagwell-style crouch, Phillips has the bat speed and athletic skill to be a top-of-the-order hitter. Few middle infielders offer his combination of hitting for average and power. He has average range and plus arm strength at shortstop, and those tools play even better at second base. Phillips also has a charisma that stamps him as a special player. His confidence and flair sometimes annoy opponents. But he enjoys playing the game and doesn't hide it. Phillips sometimes tries to do too much. He'll overswing when ahead in the count. He needs to drive the ball to right-center to counter the adjustments pitchers have made to attack his holes. He's still learning how to turn the double play as a second baseman. Most important is his weight transfer as he comes across the bag, which can lead to him short-hopping throws to first. Phillips will get a long look for Cleveland's second-base job, especially with incumbent Ricky Gutierrez a question mark following spinal surgery. Even if he returns to Triple-A, it won't be long before he joins the Indians for good.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #1 prospect in 2002
  The Expos have raved about Phillips' ability since they selected him in the second round of the 1999 draft. Their enthusiasm remained strong after he hit .242-11-72 at low Class A Cape Fear in 2000, and he justified it in 2001, when he made impressive strides with his strike-zone judgment. Phillips needed just 55 games at high Class A Jupiter to equal his walk total from the previous season and was rated the Florida State League's third-best prospect. He joined Double-A Harrisburg in midseason, becoming the Senators' first teenage player since Ugueth Urbina in 1993. Phillips headed to the Arizona Fall League after the season and batted .344 while playing second base, shortstop and third base on a Scottsdale team that also featured top infield prospects Angel Berroa (Royals) and Orlando Hudson (Blue Jays). Phillips is a potential five-tool player at a premium position. He has a live, athletic body and rare natural ability. He's an above-average defender at shortstop with soft hands, solid range, superior lateral movement, excellent first-step quickness and a cannon for an arm. He has enough power on his throws to go into the hole and nail runners from short left field. At the plate, he has a line-drive swing and impressive bat speed that projects to produce more power in the future. Phillips uses the whole field, gets deep into counts and has an advanced awareness of the strike zone. He is an average runner with astute baserunning skills. Despite Phillips' ability to beat teams with his glove, bat or speed, he's still rough around the edges. He made 18 errors in 55 FSL games. Though he cut his errors down to 12 in 67 Double-A contests and was much steadier after his promotion, he still needs to show more consistency with routine plays. The Expos have an abundance of slick-fielding shortstops, but Phillips' offense separates him from the rest of the pack. Expos officials say he rises to the occasion, so they'll challenge him with a promotion to Triple-A Ottawa, where he'll start the 2002 season at age 20. With Orlando Cabrera entrenched in Montreal, Phillips will be given time to develop his skills.
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  Ranked Washington Nationals #2 prospect in 2001
  Phillips comes from a family of athletes. His mother was a basketball star at Shaw University in North Carolina, where she met his father, a running back on the football team. Brandon's older brother Jamil played in the Rangers system and his sister Porsha is a nationally ranked junior sprinter. Brandon has been compared to a young Barry Larkin. He is a high-ceiling middle infielder with a live, athletic body; an above-average shortstop with soft hands, solid range, plus arm strength and superior lateral movement. He's a line-drive hitter with plenty of bat speed and projects above-average power for his position. Phillips is an average runner with good baserunning skills. The Expos speak highly of his intelligence. For all his tools, Phillips still needs to refine his skills. He routinely makes the spectacular play, but his youth sometimes shows up in the field and he loses concentration. He's prone to not squaring up on his throws, causing throwing errors. The Expos have an abundance of slick-fielding shortstops, but he's their long-term answer. He'll begin the 2001 season at high A Jupiter and a quick ascent is a distinct possibility.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked International League #5 prospect in 2002
  Everyone who has seen Phillips play will tell you he can hit--and so will he. His bat will play whether he stays at shortstop or moves over to second to accommodate Omar Vizquel. Phillips shows good pitch recognition and balance at the plate, and he projects to grow into 20-25 homer power. Phillips is equally adept defensively. He possesses a strong arm and has the athleticism to make acrobatic plays. Throw in average to above-average speed, and Phillips' five tools compare favorably to a young Barry Larkin, his favorite player. Phillips struggled initially after Expos promoted him to Triple-A and traded him to the Indians 13 days later. But he took it all in stride with his plus makeup and great personality. "He came here with a lot of hype and had some growing pains," Buffalo manager Eric Wedge said, "but he's been everything we heard he could be and more."
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  Ranked Eastern League #2 prospect in 2002
  Until Reyes arrived in Binghamton at midseason, Phillips was the consensus pick as the EL's most dynamic prospect. Like Reyes, he made a lasting impression in March during big league camp. The key player for the Indians in the June trade of Bartolo Colon, Phillips instantly became a cornerstone of Cleveland's rebuilding efforts. He might have to move to second base with Omar Vizquel on the Tribe, but Phillips has the arm and range to handle the defensively responsibilities at shortstop. Like many young middle infielders, he needs more consistency. He's even more exciting as an offensive threat, hitting for average, projecting to have 20-homer power and owning basestealing speed. "He has excellent tools at a premium position," an AL scout said. "He has a chance to hit for power and he's above average with his glove, and that makes Omar Vizquel replaceable in Cleveland."
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  Ranked Eastern League #12 prospect in 2001
  The Expos have developed plenty of five-tool outfielders but haven't had the same success with infielders. Phillips may change that. He joined Harrisburg in midseason, becoming the Senators' youngest player since Ugueth Urbina in 1993. Phillips quickly became the Senators' best all-around player as well. His combination of offense and defense separates him from other shortstops Montreal has sent through the Eastern League, such as offense-minded Mark Grudzielanek or the defense-first duo of Orlando Cabrera and Tomas de la Rosa. "He's a Jimmy Rollins-type of guy," Dorante said. "He has some occasional power. He can run the bases. He can play defense. And I think Phillips will be more of a threat at the plate than Jimmy Rollins."
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  Ranked Florida State League #3 prospect in 2001
  The Expos expected big things from Phillips, whose 2000 campaign indicated a breakthrough season was on the horizon, but even they were surprised with how quickly it happened. After hitting .242-11-72 at low Class A Cape Fear in 2000, he made his most impressive strides with his strike-zone judgment. He needed just 55 games in Jupiter to equal his walk total for all of the previous season. He's also developing more power and stole 30 bases between the FSL and Double-A. "He's rough around the edges," Trembley said. "But the ball makes a different sound off of his bat." Defensively, Phillips owns a cannon arm and displays excellent first-step quickness. He made 18 errors in 55 FSL games, but was much steadier after his promotion. "He's driven to be the best," Jupiter manager Tim Leiper said. "When he sees other players playing well, he wants to do better. He can beat you with his glove, bat or on the bases."
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #8 prospect in 2000
  Despite some erratic nights, Phillips was named the SAL’s best defensive shortstop in a midseason poll of league managers. Offensively, he struck out too often but gained extra bases with his pop and speed. A superior athlete who makes dazzling plays, Phillips was the most dynamic infield prospect in the league by a wide margin. "He made all the plays all year and more than held his own for them in the No. 3 hole," Legg said. "He has a tremendously high ceiling. I could see him playing second base at the highest levels, but his bat will propel him as far as he wants to go." Phillips is personable and eager to learn. He comes from athletic stock, as his father played wide receiver at Shaw (N.C.) University and his mother was a power forward on the school’s basketball team.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #7 prospect in 2003
• Ranked Baseball America's #20 prospect in 2002

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Despite some erratic nights, Phillips was named the SAL’s best defensive shortstop in a midseason poll of league managers. Offensively, he struck out too often but gained extra bases with his pop and speed. A superior athlete who makes dazzling plays, Phillips was the most dynamic infield prospect in the league by a wide margin. "He made all the plays all year and more than held his own for them in the No. 3 hole," Legg said. "He has a tremendously high ceiling. I could see him playing second base at the highest levels, but his bat will propel him as far as he wants to go." Phillips is personable and eager to learn. He comes from athletic stock, as his father played wide receiver at Shaw (N.C.) University and his mother was a power forward on the school’s basketball team.