The jump from the Florida State League to the Eastern League is viewed by some Phillies officials as one of the greater challenges for a young player, specifically a young starting pitcher. It is a jump from a pitcher’s league to a hitter’s league. The weather is colder. The stadiums are smaller, the crowds bigger.
“The hitters are better,” lefthander Cole Irvin said. “They’re more patient. The strike zone is a little bit smaller. But it’s supposed to be that way because you’re trying to get ready for the big leagues.”
That is what makes the potential rotation at double-A Reading one of the more fascinating units to follow in 2018.