The Philadelphia Phillies found a hidden gem at the trade deadline last year when they acquired pitcher Moisés Chace from the Baltimore Orioles. That deal saw Gregory Soto go to the Orioles, and Chace and Seth Johnson came to the Phillies. Johnson appeared in the majors for the Phillies last season. Meanwhile, Chace worked his way onto the 40-man roster this offseason. Chace was added to the 40-man roster in part because he was Rule 5 Draft eligible. He will get the opportunity to pitch in major league spring training for the first time in his career. Chace will be a player to watch in spring training. The Phillies have multiple highly ranked pitching prospects participating in spring training.
Anticipating a Breakout Season for an Up-and-Coming Phillies Player
Chace pitched at High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading for the Phillies last season. At High-A Chace had a 1-1 record with a 4.15 ERA and a 1.60 FIP in two starts. Chace had a 37.1% strikeout rate and an 8.6% walk rate. Chace was then promoted to Double-A, where he finished the 2024 season. At Double-A Chace had a 2-1 record with a 3.66 ERA and a 2.87 FIP in four starts. Chace had a 45.5% strikeout rate and a 9.1% walk rate at Double-A. After joining the Phillies organization, Chace recorded walk rates under 10% for the first time in the minor leagues outside of the complex league. Chace has exclusively been a starter with the Phillies after having pitched out of the bullpen occasionally for the Orioles.
Rise In Rankings
FanGraphs ranked Chace as the 15th-best prospect in the Phillies organization at the end of the 2024 season. According to FanGraphs, Chace is now ranked as the third-best prospect in the Phillies organization. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN ranked Chace as the 90th-best prospect in baseball. Additionally, McDaniel ranked Chace as the No. 3 prospect in the Phillies organization. Chace is ranked ahead of top outfield prospect Justin Crawford and rising catching prospect Eduardo Tait by McDaniel and FanGraphs. To add MLB Pipeline ranked Chace 23rd in the Phillies farm system in their final 2024 rankings. Chace will probably be ranked higher than 23rd in the first 2025 MLB Pipeline team Top 30 rankings soon.
Potential Timeline For Major League Debut
FanGraphs projects that Chace will reach the majors this season. Chace is already on the 40-man roster, which increases his chances to pitch in the majors this year. Chace has a chance to make an impression in spring training. As seen last year with the Phillies fifth starter carousel, pitching depth is essential. There will also be a competition for a bullpen spot during spring training. McDaniel wrote in his prospect rankings that Chace could potentially pitch out of the bullpen for the Phillies later in the regular season. Furthermore, McDaniel added that Chace does not have a clear long-term role. Chace has also not pitched in Triple-A yet. However, that is not as much of a factor as it used to be.
Main Photo Credits: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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