The Philadelphia Phillies are favorites to sign a top Venezuelan prospect in shortstop William Bergolla. According to MLB Pipleline, Bergolla is the No. 4 overall international prospect in the 2021 class. You can watch his video scouting report here.

Bergolla is only 16 years old, so of course, as with any prospect, his future as a professional MLB player is certainly unknown, but the fact that the Phillies are in the mix to sign one of the five best international prospects in the 2021 class is definitely a step in the right direction for an organization that has continued to be less than average in signing and developing young talent.

Here’s some notes from MLB Pipeline’s Scouting Report:

Considered one of the top players out of Venezuela in this year’s class, Bergolla has a chance to be an everyday starter in the future because of his all-around game.

He already shows solid bat-to-ball skills and an advanced approach and understanding of the strike zone. He shows line-drive power, and more pop is expected to come as he develops and his body matures. 

Bergolla shows good footwork, soft hands, and a strong enough arm to keep him at the position as he makes his way through the Minor Leagues. He has solid range and good baseball instincts. He’s been praised for his baseball IQ and awareness on both sides of the ball. He is the son of former Major League player William Bergolla Sr., an infielder who spent the majority of his career in the Reds’ system and with various teams in Venezuela’s Winter League.

The Phillies have struggled this year at the shortstop position. Didi Gregorius, who was excellent in the shortened 2020 season, did not come back to the Phillies this year with the same results and has been inconsistent all year. Gregorius is set to make $14.5 million next year and either be moved or slid into a DH spot if the National League moves in that direction next year. In the minor leagues, the Phillies have top prospect Bryson Stott, who is projected to make the jump to the MLB as soon as next year.

The free agent market this offseason will also include premiere shortstops such as Trevor Story, Corey Seager, and Carlos Correa. No matter what direction the Phillies move next year at shortstop, potentially having a young talent such as Bergolla developing in their minor league system is the right move.

As for the Phillies, they are coming off a dominant performance against the leaders in the NL Central in the Milwaukee Brewers. Aaron Nola will be on the mound to keep things rolling tonight. The Phillies are just 1.5 games out of first place in the NL East and 2 games back for the second and final NL Wild Card spot.