#OnDeck: Phillies' prospect Quinn 'felt great' in outfield during fall league
Phillies prospect Roman Quinn is looking forward to his first full professional season in the outfield.
Roman Quinn played centerfield at Port St. Joe High School, but it wasn't until last summer - upon top prospect J.P. Crawford's promotion to high A Clearwater - when Quinn shifted from shortstop back to the outfield.
This season, Quinn's first full year as a professional centerfielder, will be an important one in the prospect's development. Six weeks in the Arizona Fall League provided him more repetitions at the position, where he's able to put his speed to use.
"I felt great in the outfield," he said Wednesday while in town for the Phillies' annual prospect education program.
"There were a couple balls I ran down out there (in Arizona) that made me feel good about myself. I felt comfortable out there, man."
Quinn, 21, was an AFL standout for the Scottsdale Scorpions. He hit .250 over 24 games but led the league in stolen bases - he swiped 14 on 16 attempts - and scored the second-most runs (19). His walks (16) equaled his strikeouts. He and fellow Phillies prospect Nefi Ogando, a right-handed relief pitcher, played in the league's All-Star Game.
Depending, of course, on how he performs during spring training, he's most likely to spend 2015 at double A Reading. Each of his first three years as a pro has seen him spend the entire season at one level, though two of his campaigns were shortened because of injury.
Quinn missed the end of his single A season after he was hit by a pitch on the wrist. A ruptured achilles in late October 2013 cost him the first six weeks of last season. He said he's felt 100 percent from that injury since July, around the All-Star Break.
"It's been a great offseason," he said. "I learned a lot during the Arizona Fall League. It was a great experience. … I'm just excited about this year, man."