Brett Phillips and A.J. Reed lead JetHawks to latest Victory

Top prospects Brett Phillips and A.J. Reed lead the Lancaster JetHawks to their most recent victory last night against the Visalia Rawhide (Diamondbacks). In the lopsided 11-3 win, Phillips went 3-for-5 with two doubles and his 14th homer of the season.

The club has now gone 5-2 over it’s last seven games and this is in large part due to the star leadoff hitter. Over that span, Brett Phillips is 16-for-37 with three homers and seven R.B.I. He’s a true stud that is now batting .336 on the year, so Lancaster should enjoy the brief time they have with him in their lineup.

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Phillips wasn’t the only star in last night’s victory. A.J. Reed hit for his second cycle of the season, going 4-for-4 and raising his season average to .323. His homer was his 15th, just four off the minor league lead. Reed was married in the offseason and it looked like the honeymoon leaked into the 2015 season as he got off to a slow start.

The former golden spikes award winner has since been completely locked in. I would think that he is a big part of the first base plans for the big club in the next couple of years, especially if Jon Singleton is dealt before the deadline.

The third in the triumvirate of left-handed hitting uber-prospects for Lancaster is Derek Fisher. The left fielder has only 16 High-A games under his belt this year after starting the season in the Quad Cities Low-A ball.

During that time, he has hit five home runs – three of the grand slam variety – and driven in 25 runs. The mix of power and speed is certainly intriguing. Fisher is 7-for-8 in steals as a JetHawk and has 15 total swipes on the minor league year.

As I have stated in previous weeks, the talent rich Astros organization could get pilfered a bit if general manager Jeff Luhnow does make a play for Cole Hamels or any other big time starter for the big club. It’s easy to pitch an idea that doesn’t include some of the best prospects that Houston has, but in reality, a trade that picks up an ace at the big league level will hurt.

Brett Phillips‘ name has already been rumored to a part of the haul that the Phillies hope to get if they complete a deal with the Astros. The fact that Vincent Velasquez and Domingo Santana were promoted recently could just be to showcase them. I, for one, find Santana to be expendable. It’s harder to say that about Velasquez, but you have to remember what you are getting in return.

With Vince’s injury history, I wouldn’t cry too much if he is part of a big deal. Houston could always say that the price is just too high and go for someone like a Scott Kazmir for a much lower price.

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