Prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. flashes power potential in spring chance for Phillies
Phillies prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. made the most of an early opportunity in Clearwater, Fla., on Sunday afternoon, hitting a towering home run late in a spring training game for Philadelphia.
Rincones, playing his second game in his first time at big-league camp, put on a convincing power display in Philadelphia’s 6-3 loss to Baltimore. The left-handed hitter turned on a 96-mph fastball from Orioles right-hander Dylan Coleman and launched it 391 feet over the right-field wall at BayCare Ballpark, coming off the bat at 107.1 mph. His sky-high, two-run blast left the kind of impression that a club would want to see from a non-roster invitee.
A third-round draft pick out of Florida Atlantic in 2022, Rincones has had a solid start to his professional career while navigating some injury issues. He didn’t appear in any minor-league games the year he was drafted, due to a shoulder injury, and he was limited to only 68 games last season as he dealt with a thumb injury. Still, the outfielder was productive for Double-A Reading (and in the Florida Complex League on a rehab assignment) as he batted .252/.347/.453 with 11 homers, 16 doubles and 23 stolen bases. He then played in the Arizona Fall League after the regular season.
While not a perfect hitter, Rincones hits the ball extremely hard and can do serious damage from the left side. He’s struggled against left-handed pitchers in his career, but the path to be a contributor is certainly there. Not many batters can make an impact on the ball the way he can, and there’s still some room for growth if he can remain healthy.
Rincones turns 24 next week, so 2025 will be a pivotal year in his development. He’ll have the opportunity to show he can stay on the field and continue to put up numbers in the upper levels of the minor leagues. And if he really shows out, perhaps he could even come into play in the majors later in the year if the Phillies’ relatively thin outfield needs some reinforcement. Some more big hits like on Sunday would be a big boost to his case.
