Mick Abel

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #3 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 55/High
  
  Track Record: Abel was the Phillies’ first-round pick in the 2020 draft, which was shortened to five rounds due to the pandemic. When he was selected, he became the highest prep pick from the state of Oregon since 1994. Since turning pro, he has showcased an exciting array of pure stuff but has been hampered at times by slipshod command. In 2023, he finished second in both the system and the Double-A Eastern League in strikeouts.
  
  Scouting Report: Abel’s raw stuff is excellent, but the Phillies made a few tweaks to his arsenal in 2023. His repertoire is led by an outstanding mid-90s fastball that garnered a 29% whiff rate and showed excellent life through the zone. Now, he complements the four-seamer with a two-seamer to help him attack the inside part of the plate against righthanded hitters before shifting his focus toward the outer half. Abel’s best offspeed pitch is his low-80s curveball, which projects as plus. His slider went through several changes in 2023. First, he changed the pitch from a gyro shape to a sweeper, then split the difference and settled on a gyro slider/cutter hybrid when the sweeper blended too closely with his plus, low-80s curveball. The current version also gives him a harder breaking ball, and is most effective when it is thrown in the mid 80s or harder. His changeup has also earned plus grades from scouts outside the organization. The biggest remaining focus will be improving his control and command, which led to walk rates of worse than 5 per nine innings in a season spent mostly at Double-A Reading. To address this, the Phillies want Abel to strengthen his lower half and shorten his arm stroke.
  
  The Future: Abel finished 2023 at Triple-A, where he’ll return in 2024. If he can sharpen his strike-throwing, he could fit in the middle of a rotation.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #2 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: Abel was a decorated high school arm out of Oregon considered the top prep pitching prospect in the 2020 draft. He never got to pitch for Portland's Jesuit High as a senior because the coronavirus pandemic canceled his senior season. The Phillies drafted Abel 15th overall in 2020 and signed him for an over-slot $4.08 million. He pitched just 44.2 innings in 2021 for Low-A Clearwater due to a shoulder injury that shelved him for two months. Abel impressed in 2022 at High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading, posting 130 strikeouts to 50 walks in 108.1 innings as the organization gradually increased his workload over the season.
  
  Scouting Report: The lanky 6-foot-5, 190-pound righthander has a powerful four-pitch mix, with a plus fastball that averages over 95 mph and tops out at 99. It's a swing-and-miss offering with huge vertical break and spin rates approaching 2,500 rpm. While Abel relied on his fastball over 60% of the time in 2022, his slider was his most-used secondary. It's a hard, mid-80s offering with late diving life that was his best pitch at getting hitters to chase. It induced whiffs over 33% of the time in 2022. Though Abel's slider projects as plus, he struggled to land it at times during the season. Abel focused on incorporating his changeup more in 2022. It's a high-80s offering that topped out around 90 mph with tumble and late fading life. The pitch flashes plus, but lacks consistency. His curveball, a low-80s offering, was a distant fourth pitch. Abel has trouble repeating his delivery at times because he struggles to sync his long levers, which led to command issues.
  
  The Future: Abel will start 2023 back at Double-A Reading. He projects as a quality mid-rotation starter with a powerful arsenal who should make his MLB debut early in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #1 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Abel first emerged on the scene after striking out Riley Greene as a junior in 2019 and continued to gain steam over the next year. He ranked as the top high school pitcher in the 2020 draft class thanks to an impressive four-pitch arsenal, pitchability and the best command in the class. The Phillies were ecstatic to draft him at No. 15 overall, making him the first high school pitcher selected in the first round out of Oregon since Matt Smith in 1994. He signed with the team for $4.1 million, then joined the organization at instructional league in the fall, where he lived up to his lofty draft status. The 20-year-old righthander had an encouraging full-season debut in 2021, ranking as the top pitcher in the Low-A Southeast by league managers and pitching to a 4.43 ERA in 14 starts, while showing off an arsenal of four pitches that flashed plus. Abel missed the last two months of the season with a shoulder injury, but it wasn’t considered serious and he rejoined the team at instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Abel’s high school team didn’t take the field in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he showed no rust in his pro debut. He has an athletic build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds with projection remaining and a clean delivery. His fastball is his best pitch, sitting from 94-97 mph and topping out at 99. It’s a swing-and-miss offering with huge vertical break and averages 2,500 rpm, giving hitters headaches. Abel’s slider was voted the best breaking pitch in the 2020 prep class by scouting directors and it lived up to its reputation in 2021. It’s a firm, hard pitch that sits in the mid-to-high 80s and blends well with his fastball, diving late on hitters. He’s made significant progress improving his changeup. It’s a plus high-80s offering with tumble and fading life, giving him a third swing-and-miss weapon. Abel’s curveball is a clear fourth pitch, but it has good spin metrics and flashes plus at times. His control faltered at points, but he’s an aggressive strike-thrower, as evidenced by his 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and he tunnels his pitches off of each other with ease. Abel ran into trouble with his delivery in the middle of the season, which caused his command to worsen. He was spending his time at instructional league getting the consistency back with his delivery to allow his command to catch up to his stuff. The Phillies aren’t concerned and rave about his makeup and work ethic, and the organization firmly believes it has a future top-of-the-rotation starter.
  
  The Future: It wasn’t a perfect debut for Abel, but he still stood out as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, with three plus pitches, a fourth average offering and room to keep improving. He should start the 2022 season at High-A, where he will continue to hone his changeup, curveball and delivery. He has all the ingredients to pitch in the middle to front of a big league rotation. If everything goes as planned, Abel should make his major league debut during the 2023 season.
  
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #2 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 45. Control: 55
  TRACK RECORD: Abel jumped on scouts’ radars when he struck out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene as a junior, and he kept their attention leading up to his senior year. He entered 2020 considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the nation, but his season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic before he could throw a pitch. The Phillies still made him the first prep pitcher selected when they drafted him 16th overall and signed him for $4.08 million to forgo an Oregon State commitment.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Abel has an athletic, projectable build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds and a clean delivery. His four-seam fastball is a plus pitch that sat 90-94 mph in game action and began reaching 97-100 mph during summer workouts at a facility near his home. Abel complements his fastball with a plus 82-86 mph slider as well as an 81-85 mph changeup with tumble and late fade at its best. Abel ties his potent arsenal together with above-average control. He showed how advanced he was by striking out 12 of 15 batters he faced in an informal outing against minor leaguers in Oregon.
  
  THE FUTURE: Abel has a long way to go, but he has the ceiling of a top-of-the-rotation starter. He took part in instructional league and is set to make his pro debut in 2021.

Draft Prospects

• Ranked #11 prospect in 2020 draft
  Vying to be the first prep pitcher from Oregon drafted in the first round since 1994—when the Royals drafted lefthander and first baseman Matt Smith—Abel has a tantalizing combination of present stuff, future projection and pitchability. A 6-foot-5, 180-pound righthander, Abel touched 97 mph last summer and sits in the 90-94 mph range. Aside from a fastball that’s a potentially plus offering, Abel has two quality secondaries. The first is a slider that plays firm in the 82-86 mph range and was voted by scouting directors as the best breaking ball in the prep class. He throws the pitch consistently with hard, biting action and is capable of landing it in the zone for strikes or using it as a chase pitch. Abel also throws a changeup in the 81-85 mph range that has good tumble and fading life and consistently shows above-average quality. On paper, Abel checks plenty of boxes: He has a terrific pitcher’s frame, athleticism, three above-average or better pitches and arguably the best command in the class. But because of the shortened 2020 season, Abel will be one of the most difficult prep players to assess. While teams should have lots of history with him thanks to his notoriety as an underclassman—which included striking out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene—teams have little to nothing from this spring on the Oregon State commit. His high school team didn’t play a single game, and the lack of recent information could give teams pause. If Abel had simply played this spring and been the same pitcher he was last summer, he would go somewhere in the middle of the first round. He could still go there, but the abbreviated season affects him more than most and leaves his status more questionable despite top-of-the-rotation upside.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida State League #4 prospect in 2021
  The Phillies’ 2020 first-rounder was a classic case of a pitcher whose numbers didn’t match the stuff. Though Abel’s 4.43 ERA was higher than expected, and his control and command were spotty, scouts were effusive in their praise. In Abel, scouts see the potential for a true No. 1 starter who shows a full complement of four pitches that each have the potential to be plus. His fastball sat in the mid 90s and regularly touched the 98-99 mph range. His slider and curveball, each thrown in the low 80s, generated swings and misses, and his high-80s changeup showed excellent fading action. The biggest problems at this point are his command and control, as well as a shoulder injury which cost him the last two months of the season.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #67 prospect in 2024
• Ranked Baseball America's #35 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #39 prospect in 2023
• Ranked Baseball America's #51 prospect in 2022
• Ranked Baseball America's #99 prospect in 2021

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: Abel was a decorated high school arm out of Oregon considered the top prep pitching prospect in the 2020 draft. He never got to pitch for Portland's Jesuit High as a senior because the coronavirus pandemic canceled his senior season. The Phillies drafted Abel 15th overall in 2020 and signed him for an over-slot $4.08 million. He pitched just 44.2 innings in 2021 for Low-A Clearwater due to a shoulder injury that shelved him for two months. Abel impressed in 2022 at High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading, posting 130 strikeouts to 50 walks in 108.1 innings as the organization gradually increased his workload over the season.
  
  Scouting Report: The lanky 6-foot-5, 190-pound righthander has a powerful four-pitch mix, with a plus fastball that averages over 95 mph and tops out at 99. It's a swing-and-miss offering with huge vertical break and spin rates approaching 2,500 rpm. While Abel relied on his fastball over 60% of the time in 2022, his slider was his most-used secondary. It's a hard, mid-80s offering with late diving life that was his best pitch at getting hitters to chase. It induced whiffs over 33% of the time in 2022. Though Abel's slider projects as plus, he struggled to land it at times during the season. Abel focused on incorporating his changeup more in 2022. It's a high-80s offering that topped out around 90 mph with tumble and late fading life. The pitch flashes plus, but lacks consistency. His curveball, a low-80s offering, was a distant fourth pitch. Abel has trouble repeating his delivery at times because he struggles to sync his long levers, which led to command issues.
  
  The Future: Abel will start 2023 back at Double-A Reading. He projects as a quality mid-rotation starter with a powerful arsenal who should make his MLB debut early in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 60/High
  
  Track Record: Abel was a decorated high school arm out of Oregon considered the top prep pitching prospect in the 2020 draft. He never got to pitch for Portland's Jesuit High as a senior because the coronavirus pandemic canceled his senior season. The Phillies drafted Abel 15th overall in 2020 and signed him for an over-slot $4.08 million. He pitched just 44.2 innings in 2021 for Low-A Clearwater due to a shoulder injury that shelved him for two months. Abel impressed in 2022 at High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading, posting 130 strikeouts to 50 walks in 108.1 innings as the organization gradually increased his workload over the season.
  
  Scouting Report: The lanky 6-foot-5, 190-pound righthander has a powerful four-pitch mix, with a plus fastball that averages over 95 mph and tops out at 99. It's a swing-and-miss offering with huge vertical break and spin rates approaching 2,500 rpm. While Abel relied on his fastball over 60% of the time in 2022, his slider was his most-used secondary. It's a hard, mid-80s offering with late diving life that was his best pitch at getting hitters to chase. It induced whiffs over 33% of the time in 2022. Though Abel's slider projects as plus, he struggled to land it at times during the season. Abel focused on incorporating his changeup more in 2022. It's a high-80s offering that topped out around 90 mph with tumble and late fading life. The pitch flashes plus, but lacks consistency. His curveball, a low-80s offering, was a distant fourth pitch. Abel has trouble repeating his delivery at times because he struggles to sync his long levers, which led to command issues.
  
  The Future: Abel will start 2023 back at Double-A Reading. He projects as a quality mid-rotation starter with a powerful arsenal who should make his MLB debut early in 2024.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 55. Control: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 60/High
  
  Track Record: Abel first emerged on the scene after striking out Riley Greene as a junior in 2019 and continued to gain steam over the next year. He ranked as the top high school pitcher in the 2020 draft class thanks to an impressive four-pitch arsenal, pitchability and the best command in the class. The Phillies were ecstatic to draft him at No. 15 overall, making him the first high school pitcher selected in the first round out of Oregon since Matt Smith in 1994. He joined the organization at instructional league in the fall, where he lived up to his lofty draft status. The 20-year-old righthander had an encouraging full-season debut in 2021, ranking as the top pitcher in the Low-A Southeast by league managers and pitching to a 4.43 ERA in 14 starts. Abel missed the last two months of the season with a shoulder injury, but it wasn&#39t considered serious and he rejoined the team at instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Abel&#39s high school team didn&#39t take the field in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he showed no rust in his pro debut. He has an athletic build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds with projection remaining and a clean delivery. His fastball is his best pitch, sitting from 94-97 mph and topping out at 99. It&#39s a swing-and-miss pitch with huge vertical break and averages 2,500 rpm, giving hitters headaches. Abel&#39s slider was voted the best breaking pitch in the 2020 prep class by scouting directors and it lived up to its reputation in 2021. It&#39s a firm, hard pitch that sits in the mid-to-high 80s and blends well with his fastball, diving late on hitters. He&#39s made significant progress improving his changeup. It&#39s a plus high-80s offering with tumble and fading life, giving him a third swing-and-miss weapon. Abel&#39s curveball is a clear fourth pitch, but it has good spin metrics and flashes plus at times. His control faltered at points, but he&#39s an aggressive strike-thrower, as evidenced by his 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and he tunnels his pitches off of each other with ease. Abel ran into trouble with his delivery in the middle of the season, which caused his command to worsen. He was spending his time at instructional league getting the consistency back with his delivery to allow his command to catch up to his stuff. The Phillies aren&#39t concerned and rave about his makeup and work ethic, and the organization firmly believes it has a future top-of-the-rotation starter.
  
  The Future: It wasn&#39t a perfect debut for Abel, but he still stood out as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, with three plus pitches, a fourth average offering and room to keep improving. He should start the 2022 season at High-A, where he will continue to hone his changeup, curveball and delivery. He has all the ingredients to pitch in the middle to front of a big league rotation.
  
  Scouting Grades:
  Fastball: 65. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Control: 55.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Abel first emerged on the scene after striking out Riley Greene as a junior in 2019 and continued to gain steam over the next year. He ranked as the top high school pitcher in the 2020 draft class thanks to an impressive four-pitch arsenal, pitchability and the best command in the class. The Phillies were ecstatic to draft him at No. 15 overall, making him the first high school pitcher selected in the first round out of Oregon since Matt Smith in 1994. He signed with the team for $4.1 million, then joined the organization at instructional league in the fall, where he lived up to his lofty draft status. The 20-year-old righthander had an encouraging full-season debut in 2021, ranking as the top pitcher in the Low-A Southeast by league managers and pitching to a 4.43 ERA in 14 starts, while showing off an arsenal of four pitches that flashed plus. Abel missed the last two months of the season with a shoulder injury, but it wasn’t considered serious and he rejoined the team at instructional league.
  
  Scouting Report: Abel’s high school team didn’t take the field in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but he showed no rust in his pro debut. He has an athletic build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds with projection remaining and a clean delivery. His fastball is his best pitch, sitting from 94-97 mph and topping out at 99. It’s a swing-and-miss offering with huge vertical break and averages 2,500 rpm, giving hitters headaches. Abel’s slider was voted the best breaking pitch in the 2020 prep class by scouting directors and it lived up to its reputation in 2021. It’s a firm, hard pitch that sits in the mid-to-high 80s and blends well with his fastball, diving late on hitters. He’s made significant progress improving his changeup. It’s a plus high-80s offering with tumble and fading life, giving him a third swing-and-miss weapon. Abel’s curveball is a clear fourth pitch, but it has good spin metrics and flashes plus at times. His control faltered at points, but he’s an aggressive strike-thrower, as evidenced by his 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and he tunnels his pitches off of each other with ease. Abel ran into trouble with his delivery in the middle of the season, which caused his command to worsen. He was spending his time at instructional league getting the consistency back with his delivery to allow his command to catch up to his stuff. The Phillies aren’t concerned and rave about his makeup and work ethic, and the organization firmly believes it has a future top-of-the-rotation starter.
  
  The Future: It wasn’t a perfect debut for Abel, but he still stood out as one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, with three plus pitches, a fourth average offering and room to keep improving. He should start the 2022 season at High-A, where he will continue to hone his changeup, curveball and delivery. He has all the ingredients to pitch in the middle to front of a big league rotation. If everything goes as planned, Abel should make his major league debut during the 2023 season.
  
• October, 2021 Scouting Report
  The Phillies’ 2020 first-rounder was a classic case of a pitcher whose numbers didn’t match the stuff. Though Abel’s 4.43 ERA was higher than expected, and his control and command were spotty, scouts were effusive in their praise. In Abel, scouts see the potential for a true No. 1 starter who shows a full complement of four pitches that each have the potential to be plus. His fastball sat in the mid 90s and regularly touched the 98-99 mph range. His slider and curveball, each thrown in the low 80s, generated swings and misses, and his high-80s changeup showed excellent fading action. The biggest problems at this point are his command and control, as well as a shoulder injury which cost him the last two months of the season.
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 45. Control: 55
  TRACK RECORD: Abel jumped on scouts' radars when he struck out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene as a junior, and he kept their attention leading up to his senior year. He entered 2020 considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the nation, but his season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic before he could throw a pitch. The Phillies still made him the first prep pitcher selected when they drafted him 16th overall and signed him for $4.08 million to forgo an Oregon State commitment.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Abel has an athletic, projectable build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds and a clean delivery. His four-seam fastball is a plus pitch that sat 90-94 mph in game action and began reaching 97-100 mph during summer workouts at a facility near his home. Abel complements his fastball with a plus 82-86 mph slider as well as an 81-85 mph changeup with tumble and late fade at its best. Abel ties his potent arsenal together with above-average control. He showed how advanced he was by striking out 12 of 15 batters he faced in an informal outing against minor leaguers in Oregon.
  
  THE FUTURE: Abel has a long way to go, but he has the ceiling of a top-of-the-rotation starter. He took part in instructional league and is set to make his pro debut in 2021.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 45. Control: 55
  TRACK RECORD: Abel jumped on scouts’ radars when he struck out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene as a junior, and he kept their attention leading up to his senior year. He entered 2020 considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the nation, but his season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic before he could throw a pitch. The Phillies still made him the first prep pitcher selected when they drafted him 16th overall and signed him for $4.08 million to forgo an Oregon State commitment.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Abel has an athletic, projectable build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds and a clean delivery. His four-seam fastball is a plus pitch that sat 90-94 mph in game action and began reaching 97-100 mph during summer workouts at a facility near his home. Abel complements his fastball with a plus 82-86 mph slider as well as an 81-85 mph changeup with tumble and late fade at its best. Abel ties his potent arsenal together with above-average control. He showed how advanced he was by striking out 12 of 15 batters he faced in an informal outing against minor leaguers in Oregon.
  
  THE FUTURE: Abel has a long way to go, but he has the ceiling of a top-of-the-rotation starter. He took part in instructional league and is set to make his pro debut in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 60. Slider: 60. Changeup: 50. Curveball: 45. Control: 55
  TRACK RECORD: Abel jumped on scouts’ radars when he struck out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene as a junior, and he kept their attention leading up to his senior year. He entered 2020 considered arguably the top high school pitcher in the nation, but his season was canceled by the coronavirus pandemic before he could throw a pitch. The Phillies still made him the first prep pitcher selected when they drafted him 16th overall and signed him for $4.08 million to forgo an Oregon State commitment.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Abel has an athletic, projectable build at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds and a clean delivery. His four-seam fastball is a plus pitch that sat 90-94 mph in game action and began reaching 97-100 mph during summer workouts at a facility near his home. Abel complements his fastball with a plus 82-86 mph slider as well as an 81-85 mph changeup with tumble and late fade at its best. Abel ties his potent arsenal together with above-average control. He showed how advanced he was by striking out 12 of 15 batters he faced in an informal outing against minor leaguers in Oregon.
  
  THE FUTURE: Abel has a long way to go, but he has the ceiling of a top-of-the-rotation starter. He took part in instructional league and is set to make his pro debut in 2021.
• December, 2019 Scouting Report
  Vying to be the first prep pitcher from Oregon drafted in the first round since 1994—when the Royals drafted lefthander and first baseman Matt Smith—Abel has a tantalizing combination of present stuff, future projection and pitchability. A 6-foot-5, 180-pound righthander, Abel touched 97 mph last summer and sits in the 90-94 mph range. Aside from a fastball that’s a potentially plus offering, Abel has two quality secondaries. The first is a slider that plays firm in the 82-86 mph range and was voted by scouting directors as the best breaking ball in the prep class. He throws the pitch consistently with hard, biting action and is capable of landing it in the zone for strikes or using it as a chase pitch. Abel also throws a changeup in the 81-85 mph range that has good tumble and fading life and consistently shows above-average quality. On paper, Abel checks plenty of boxes: He has a terrific pitcher’s frame, athleticism, three above-average or better pitches and arguably the best command in the class. But because of the shortened 2020 season, Abel will be one of the most difficult prep players to assess. While teams should have lots of history with him thanks to his notoriety as an underclassman—which included striking out 2019 No. 5 overall pick Riley Greene—teams have little to nothing from this spring on the Oregon State commit. His high school team didn’t play a single game, and the lack of recent information could give teams pause. If Abel had simply played this spring and been the same pitcher he was last summer, he would go somewhere in the middle of the first round. He could still go there, but the abbreviated season affects him more than most and leaves his status more questionable despite top-of-the-rotation upside.