Tom Brennan - MY METS PROSPECTS: #9 PHIL EVANS

Tom Brennan - MY METS PROSPECTS: #9 PHIL EVANS

When I think of Phil Evans, I am reminded a lot of TJ Rivera. Which ain't shabby.  Evans has not proven to be quite the hitter that TJ Rivera is - yet - but he is close - and Evans just turned 25 in mid-September....when TJR was the same age, he was only putting in a full season in A ball, so Evans has progressed to AAA (and now the majors) 3 years younger than TJ.

Evans also reminds me of Wilmer Flores. Flores a better but similar bat with more power, Evans better defensively while himself not a superior fielder.

Phil Evans' presence on this Mets team pleased me, while surprising most everyone else including Phil, who I was hoping would be promoted right after the AAA season ended but wasn't. 

Evans in fact had just arrived home in San Diego when Wilmer Flores fouled a pitch off his face, ending his season. TJR needed TJS, so he was unavailable to replace Flores, so Phil got the highly unexpected (but in my opinion well deserved) call up from the Mets.

Evans was drafted out of high school in the 15th round in 2011 and until late April 2016 was a mediocre bat.  I for one had written himself as a poor Mets pick.  Then the rising Jeff McNeil had a season ending sports hernia in AA in 2016 and Phil got promoted....all he did was win the AA batting title, hitting .335/.374/.485 for Binghamton.  It is amazing that he was ranked the Mets' 16th prospect after 2012, then wins a batting title in 2016 and was ranked by baseball America as the Mets' 25th prospect.  No respect.

I expected him to take AAA by storm.  But his playing time was somewhat sporadic early on, with the baffling decision to give too many at bats to older AAA journeyman. Fortunately for him, Jeff McNeil hardly played in 2017 until later in the season, so again his absence gave Phil more opportunity to play than he might have otherwise.  Evans did play more often than not, and in about 250 at bats in April, May and June, he did not perform well - was hitting in the mid .230s. Clearly, 2016's breakout hitting was an aberration.  

Until the batting champ bat showed up again in July...over the last 2+ months of 2017, Phil just clubbed the baseball: .332/.395/.520.

At that point, I was convinced Phil was a legitimate hitter with decent power and a future as an MLB utility IF/OF, or perhaps even a starter in an MLB infield.  As another positive, he also, it should be noted, does not strike out a lot, roughly at a similar rate to Flores and Rivera.

Fielding-wise, he has been pretty much had an average error rate at SS, 2nd, and 3rd, and has been errorless in 17 career games in the outfield.  So let's rate him slightly ahead of Rivera in that regard and 2 notches ahead of Flores.  With just 11 career steals, the 5'10" 225 Evans is neck and neck speed wise with Rivera, while still faster than Wilmer.

In his few at bats since his major league call up, he showed a sweet ability to rip line drives and added a big pinch hit double in a key spot, something that makes managers smile.  Let's hope Terry gets him a few starts in this final weekend series with the formerly ferocious and now feline Phillies.

I like him, and think we'll see him some in Queens in 2018.  Maybe a lot.  And maybe he'll hit.  Maybe a lot.  Maybe I'm crazy.  Maybe I'm not.  He may just be a ferocious Phil.