Two top pitching prospects were honored for their recent performances with Lehigh Valley and Reading. Michael Plassmeyer was named the Pitcher of the Month in the International League and Mick Abel picked up the Pitcher of the Week honor in the Eastern League. Plassmeyer was acquired earlier this season in a deal with San Francisco that sent catcher Austin Wynns to the Giants and Abel was drafted by the Phillies with the 15th overall pick in the 2020 Draft.
Plassmeyer had a stellar month of August as he pitched to a record of 3-0 with an ERA of 1.17 in four starts. Over those four starts, he gave up 14 hits, while issuing 10 walks in 23 innings pitched. He recorded 28 strikeouts and held opponents to a .175 batting average. No other pitcher in the International League with more than 19 innings pitched allowed fewer earned runs (three) than the left-hander.
The St. Louis, Missouri native made his major league debut for Philadelphia on August 23 against Cincinnati.
Abel is the Phillies number-two and received the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week award for his performance against Hartford, throwing five shutout innings, only allowing just one hit and three walks. Abel struck out eight on 68 pitches.
The 21-year-old is the third Fightins player to receive a league award this season and the first pitcher. It was his third start in Double-A and his best one yet.
Abel made his Baseballtown debut on August 20, throwing six innings of four hit, two run ball. He struck out eight and issued just one walk while tossing 89 pitches. He got the start again on August 28, only throwing two and two thirds innings on 75 pitches. He finished allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. Then, he struck out two.
Mick Abel is ranked 57th on MLB Pipeline’s top prospect list. He currently ranks third in the Phillies farm system with 99.0 innings thrown and second with strikeouts in 121 K’s.
Prior to joining Reading, he played all of the 2022 season so far in High-A Jersey Shore where he started 18 games and posted a 4.01 ERA to pick up eight wins. Through 85.1 innings, the righty had 103 strikeouts. In 2021, his first professional season, Abel made 14 starts for Clearwater and posted a 4.43 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 66 strikeouts through 44.2 innings with the Threshers.
Hailing from Portland, Oregon, Abel had committed to Oregon State for college. However, he signed with the Phillies after they selected him in the first round with the 15th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. In his recruiting class, Abel was rated the top pitcher in Oregon and the number-two right-handed pitcher in the country. He was named the Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons.