Franklyn Kilome

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked New York Mets #30 prospect in 2021
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  Ranked New York Mets #13 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The Mets exchanged veteran second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera for Kilome at the 2018 trade deadline in a deal with the Phillies. He made seven starts for Double-A Binghamton after the trade but had Tommy John surgery in October and didn't appear in a game in 2019. Before his lost year, the tall, lean Kilome had recently turned a corner in his development and had spent a full season at Double-A.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Keeping his long levers in sync has been a challenge for Kilome, but when he throws strikes his power arsenal is well suited to today's game. He fires high-spin, mid-90s fastballs that top out near 97 mph. The extension in Kilome's delivery helps the ball get on hitters quickly. His curveball is a strikeout weapon that combines velocity and top-to-bottom spin. He began to command the pitch with greater frequency in 2018 to lock up hitters with called strikes. Kilome also throws a distinct slider and has feel for a changeup but tends to rely on his top two pitches. He has tended to work with traffic on the bases because of higher than average walk rates and elevated hit rates.
  
  THE FUTURE: Kilome lacks the type of command to be a front-of-the-rotation starter, but the quality of his top two pitches would make him at attractive relief option. He should be ready for Triple-A in short order in 2020 and could factor for the big league team if things go according to plan.
• 
  Ranked New York Mets #9 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Signed by the Phillies for just $40,000 a few months shy of his 18th birthday, Kilome developed into one of the system's best pitching prospects as he added weight to his tall, skinny frame and tweaked his mechanics. Philadelphia traded him to Mets at the 2018 trade deadline for Asdrubal Cabrera. Kilome turned in three quality starts in seven tries for Double-A Binghamton after the trade but had Tommy John surgery in October and will miss all of 2019.
  
  Scouting Report: Kilome's work ethic and track record for durability--he had never missed a start or bullpen session for the Phillies--attracted the Mets, so his injury was surprising. He embodies the pitcher type the Mets have sought to acquire in recent seasons. Kilome is a 6-foot-6, power-oriented righthander with a 93-95 mph fastball that peaks at 97 mph and plays up thanks to a high spin rate and plus extension in his delivery. His curveball is a power spinner in the mid-to-high 70s that plays as plus. Kilome rounds out his arsenal with a fringy slider and changeup. His entire four-pitch arsenal is undermined by fringe-average control and high walk rates.
  
  The Future: If he doesn't improve his fastball command, Kilome has the raw stuff to dominate out of the bullpen. He should assume a rotation role when he returns to the mound in 2020 and could be ready for Triple-A in short order.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #10 prospect in 2018
  The Phillies signed Kilome for $40,000 when he was a tall, skinny 17-year-old with a fast arm. As he packed on weight and made mechanical changes, he grew into a power arm who finished 2017 in Double-A Reading after an August promotion. Kilome's fastball gets on hitters quickly thanks to his extension, downhill plane and velocity that sits 93-96 mph and peaks at 99. He throws a power four-seam fastball, but he added a two-seamer to his repertoire in 2017 to help him induce weak, early-count contact to give him a chance to pitch deeper in games. One drawback was that Kilome's strikeout rate dropped from 26 percent in 2016 to 19 percent in 2017. He has a tick above-average curveball that he can use as a putaway pitch, but his struggles to coordinate the long levers in his delivery impacts his command and puts him in too many hitter's counts. He also throws a slider that tends to blend into his curveball. Kilome's changeup has shown progress with the Phillies forcing him to throw it more, but it's still a below-average pitch. Kilome has the potential to be a No. 3 or 4 starter, but to reach that potential he will have to improve his fastball command, increase his swing-and-miss rate and develop his changeup into a more reliable third pitch. He should return to Double-A to start 2018.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #7 prospect in 2017
  A gangly righthander with a quick arm when the Phillies signed him for $40,000 in 2013, Kilome has filled out, with the additional mass and delivery adjustments helping him become one of the team's top pitching prospects. In his first exposure to the cold at low Class A Lakewood in 2016, his first three starts were a disaster. He allowed 19 runs and 10 walks in 9.2 innings, but he recovered to record a 2.74 ERA with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings the rest of the way. Kilome boasts a plus fastball with good movement that sits 91-95 mph and can touch 98. He started the season throwing a spike knuckle curveball he had trouble landing in the strike zone. After his early struggles, the Phillies gave him a more standard grip on his curveball and that helped him throw it for strikes, though he still has the spike curve in his arsenal. His curve is a swing-and-miss pitch that flashes plus. His changeup is too firm and a below-average pitch he hasn't used much, so bringing it along will be important. Kilome doesn't always keep his long limbs in sync during his delivery, which leads to spotty command. If Kilome can improve his changeup and tighten his command, he can develop into a mid-rotation starter with a chance for more. High Class A Clearwater is his next stop.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #7 prospect in 2016
  When the Phillies signed Kilome for $40,000 in 2013, he was a scrawny, spindly teenager with long limbs and lots of potential. Since then, he's put on more than 50 pounds and has slowly begun to fulfill his promise. He spent the beginning of 2015 in extended spring training before moving to short-season Williamsport. He missed a little bit of time with a strain in his rib cage, but finished with five scoreless innings in a New York-Penn League playoff victory. With some meat on his bones now, the 6-foot-5 Kilome runs his fastball up into the mid-90s and has touched as high as 97 mph. He couples the pitch with an above-average hammer curveball in the mid- 70s and a below-average changeup in the low 80s that ranks as a clear third pitch right now. The Phillies have worked hard to remake Kilome's delivery, particularly when it comes to using his legs to gain more power, but he can still get out of whack at times. When that happens, his control and command suffer. After a successful season at Williamsport, Kilome should be ready to move up to low Class A Lakewood in 2016 for his first test of full-season ball. He's gotten his body into better shape to handle a full-season workload, and his consistency has improved. His potential for two plus pitches could put him at the front of a rotation if his control improves.
• 
  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #10 prospect in 2015
  Signed for $40,000 in January 2013, Kilome was a project worth embarking on at 6-foot-6 and somewhere around 150 pounds. Since then, he's added plenty of bulk, which has added velocity to his arsenal. The Phillies have overhauled the long-levered righthander's delivery, incorporating his lower half more, which takes the strain off of his arm and allows him to drive the ball downhill. The result is a pitcher the Phillies consider to have as much upside as anyone in the system. More size and a better delivery have led to a spike in Kilome's velocity, including an 89-92 mph fastball that has touched 95. Evaluators inside and outside the organization praise his ability to locate the pitch to both sides of the plate. He backs his fastball with a hard curveball in the 78-80 mph range and a changeup in the low 80s. Scouts are split as to which secondary is his best. His curve needs to be tightened at this point, and his changeup needs to develop consistency. Kilome's athleticism helps him repeat his delivery, but he does get in trouble when he overthrows and leaves the ball up. Kilome has a ceiling as a strong mid-rotation starter, but he's a long way from reaching it. He should begin 2015 in extended spring training before moving to short-season Williamsport in June, and a jump to low Class A Lakewood isn't out of the question.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked Florida State League #17 prospect in 2017
  Kilome remains more of a projection play but has started to fill out physically and fulfill some of the projections scouts and the Phillies have had for him. He's bigger than his listed 6-foot-6, 175 pounds but still has room to fill out and add velocity to his 92-94 mph fastball, which can sit 95-96 for short stretches. Kilome doesn't command his fastball as well as teammates such as Sixto Sanchez and Seranthony Dominguez. His 14 wild pitches were two off the league high, even though he was promoted to Double-A in August. Because of his iffy fastball command, Kilome still hands out too many walks and saw his strikeout rate diminish (8.0 per nine innings) in 2017. Kilome has to improve his pitch sequencing and consistency of all his stuff, but he showed improvement. Better focus helped him have more success early in games, and he learned to throw his changeup more effectively. His plus curveball remains his go-to swing-and-miss offering, but he'll have to command his fastball better to set it up.
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  Ranked South Atlantic League #8 prospect in 2016
  Like many young pitchers. Kilome had to learn the hard way that a spike curveball is a pitch that looks great in side sessions but is devilishly hard to master. Kilome hasn't completely given up on the spike curve, but working with Lakewood pitching coach Brian Sweeney he picked up the grip of a more conventional curveball that quickly became a much more useful weapon because he can throw it for swinging strikes in the zone. Kilome's fastball still is his primary weapon. He sits 92-96 mph and touches 98 with a lively fastball he struggles to control. Once he had both his fastball and curveball working, he dominated in the second half by recording a 2.77 ERA with 12.0 strikeouts per nine innings after a 1-6, 5.09 first half. While plenty of scouts think Kilome will become a long-limbed power reliever, especially since his changeup is so rudimentary, he indicated this summer that he can make adjustments.
• 
  Ranked New York-Penn League #5 prospect in 2015
  Kilome has been a project for the Phillies since he signed as an 18-year-old, but adding weight to his tall frame and incorporating his legs more into his otherwise clean delivery have done wonders for his fastball, which now bumps 97 mph. Generally, Kilome sits 92-95 mph and has shown the ability to locate the pitch to both sides of the plate. His low-80s changeup is his third-best pitch, and he must tighten his hard 78-80 mph curveball, which flashes plus but not yet consistently. "It's fringy-average," one NYP manager said. "It needs a lot more development, but it's in there.""

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Mets picked up Kilome at the 2018 trade deadline when they shipped Asdrubal Cabrera to the Phillies. He had reached Double-A as a starter but had Tommy John surgery that offseason and missed all of 2019. Kilome returned to the mound in 2020 and made his big league debut, working 11.1 relief innings in which he allowed five home runs, 14 runs and a .298 opponent average.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Kilome gets good extension on his mid-90s fastball, but the pitch lacks standout horizontal or vertical movement that would help it play up. His secondary pitches play down as a result. Kilome throws a curveball and changeup that did not look sharp in his 2020 return to the mound. He spent time in the offseason working to add velocity and to develop a splitter that he could use as a chase pitch that would require less feel. Kilome struggles to repeat his delivery and to hold runners because he’s slow to the plate.
  
  THE FUTURE: Kilome has one minor league option remaining and figures to spend 2021 as an extra arm who can work low-leverage relief.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Mets exchanged veteran second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera for Kilome at the 2018 trade deadline in a deal with the Phillies. He made seven starts for Double-A Binghamton after the trade but had Tommy John surgery in October and didn’t appear in a game in 2019. Before his lost year, the tall, lean Kilome had recently turned a corner in his development and had spent a full season at Double-A.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Keeping his long levers in sync has been a challenge for Kilome, but when he throws strikes his power arsenal is well suited to today’s game. He fires high-spin, mid-90s fastballs that top out near 97 mph. The extension in Kilome’s delivery helps the ball get on hitters quickly. His curveball is a strikeout weapon that combines velocity and top-to-bottom spin. He began to command the pitch with greater frequency in 2018 to lock up hitters with called strikes. Kilome also throws a distinct slider and has feel for a changeup but tends to rely on his top two pitches. He has tended to work with traffic on the bases because of higher than average walk rates and elevated hit rates.
  
  THE FUTURE: Kilome lacks the type of command to be a front-of-the-rotation starter, but the quality of his top two pitches would make him at attractive relief option. He should be ready for Triple-A in short order in 2020 and could factor for the big league team if things go according to plan.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Mets exchanged veteran second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera for Kilome at the 2018 trade deadline in a deal with the Phillies. He made seven starts for Double-A Binghamton after the trade but had Tommy John surgery in October and didn't appear in a game in 2019. Before his lost year, the tall, lean Kilome had recently turned a corner in his development and had spent a full season at Double-A.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Keeping his long levers in sync has been a challenge for Kilome, but when he throws strikes his power arsenal is well suited to today's game. He fires high-spin, mid-90s fastballs that top out near 97 mph. The extension in Kilome's delivery helps the ball get on hitters quickly. His curveball is a strikeout weapon that combines velocity and top-to-bottom spin. He began to command the pitch with greater frequency in 2018 to lock up hitters with called strikes. Kilome also throws a distinct slider and has feel for a changeup but tends to rely on his top two pitches. He has tended to work with traffic on the bases because of higher than average walk rates and elevated hit rates.
  
  THE FUTURE: Kilome lacks the type of command to be a front-of-the-rotation starter, but the quality of his top two pitches would make him at attractive relief option. He should be ready for Triple-A in short order in 2020 and could factor for the big league team if things go according to plan.
• December, 2016 Scouting Report
  Background: A gangly righthander with a quick arm when the Phillies signed him for $40,000 in 2013, Kilome has filled out, with the additional mass and delivery adjustments helping him become one of the team's top pitching prospects. In his first exposure to the cold at low Class A Lakewood in 2016, his first three starts were a disaster. He allowed 19 runs and 10 walks in 9.2 innings--but he recovered to record a 2.74 ERA with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings the rest of the way. Scouting Report: Kilome pitches with a plus fastball with good movement that sits at 91-95 mph and can touch 98. He started the season throwing a spike knuckle curveball, a pitch with sharp, hard break but one he had trouble landing in the strike zone. After his early struggles, the Phillies gave him a more standard grip on his curveball and that helped him throw it for strikes, though he still has the spike curve in his arsenal. His curve is a swing-and-miss pitch that flashes plus. His changeup is too firm and a below-average pitch he hasn't used much, so bringing that pitch along will be important. Kilome doesn't always keep his long limbs in sync during his delivery, which leads to spotty command.
  
  The Future: If Kilome can improve his changeup and tighten his command, he can develop into a mid-rotation starter with a chance for more. High Class A Clearwater is his next stop.