Tuesday brought a flurry of transactions ahead of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs’ final series of the 2025 season.
INF/OF Felix Reyes, who won the Eastern League batting title with a .335 average, made his Triple-A debut against the Syracuse Mets. The designated hitter got his first hit in his second at-bat, a hard grounder to right field in the fourth inning of Lehigh Valley’s 4-3 loss at Coca-Cola Park.
Reyes, who won the EL batting crown by a whopping 29 points, later hit his first Triple-A home run in the sixth and singled in the eighth. His average is the league’s highest since 2016. The 24-year-old ranks third among all full-season minor leaguers entering the final week of the Triple-A regular season.
The Dominican Republic native also led the Eastern League in slugging percentage (.572), OPS (.937), doubles (34), extra-base hits (53) and total bases (210). He was tied for eighth in home runs (15), tied for seventh in RBIs (65), sixth in on-base percentage (.365) and tied for second with 123 hits.
Reading’s team MVP spent all of 2024 with high-A Jersey Shore, where he hit .243 in 85 games.
Fellow Fightins infielder Erick Brito also was promoted to Triple-A. He spent the previous two-plus months in Reading after batting .258 in 46 games to start this year with Lehigh Valley.
IronPigs infielder Rafael Lantigua was called up the Phillies to replace INF Edmundo Sosa, who was put on the 10-day IL with a right groin strain. Lehigh Valley OF Brewer Hicklen was DFA’d to make room for Lantigua on the 40-man roster. Lantigua slashed .232/.359/.333 in 124 games with the IronPigs.
Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter will make his final start of the season on Wednesday. The Lehigh Valley right-hander is 5-5 with a 5.35 ERA, 117 strikeouts and 45 walks in 114 combined innings including two outings with low-A Clearwater to begin the year.
Philadelphia’s No. 2 prospect Aidan Miller hit the first pitch he saw in his first at-bat at Coca-Cola Park on Tuesday for a solo home run, a 108-mph laser that was just high enough to get over the left-field wall in the first inning.
Miller is batting .300 with a 1.050 OPS with seven walks, five strikeouts and five stolen bases in six attempts in his first six games with the IronPigs at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Former top-5 Phillies prospect Griff McGarry will make his 2025 Triple-A debut on Thursday. The right-hander was 1-4 with a 3.25 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 17 starts with Double-A Reading. He struck out 103 and walked 45 in 72 innings. The 26-year-old was 2-1 with a 4.70 ERA and one save in 29 appearances last season with the IronPigs.
The IronPigs were eliminated from playoff contention with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s win at Buffalo despite having the International League’s best overall record at 85-58.
Fightins’ season awards
Reading announced the following team awards for 2025: Stolen Base Leader Award: shortstop Aidan Miller (Eastern League- and Phillies organization-leading 52); Community Service Award: pitcher Tommy McCollum (3.20 ERA in 37 appearances); Unsung Hero Award: pitcher Chuck King (4.38 ERA in 23 starts); Strikeout Leader Award: Jean Cabrera (127 in 137 innings); Clutch Player Award: Alex Binelas (.339 average with runners in scoring position, .500 with the bases loaded, .345 with runners in scoring position and two outs); Big Stick Award: Felix Reyes (15 home runs); Pitcher of the Year Award: Jean Cabrera (3.81 ERA, 127 strikeouts in 137 innings across 26 starts).
The Fightin Phils open up their 2026 home schedule on Tuesday, April 7, against the Hartford Yard Goats.
How they scored
Top 1: Jett Williams hit a bloop double the opposite way, took third on Luis Torrens’ grounder and scored on a balk by IronPigs starting pitcher Alan Rangel. Mets 1-0
Bottom 1: Aidan Miller’s first Triple-A home run on the first pitch he saw came with one out. Tied 1-1
Top 5: Jose Azocar doubled, stole third and scored on Kevin Parada’s single. After Parada was caught stealing, Luke Ritter hit his 10th home run of the season. Mets 3-1
Top 6: Ryan Clifford walked to lead off and scored on Jared Young’s one-out double to left-center field. Mets 4-1
Bottom 6: Christian Arroyo singled to lead off and scored on Felix Reyes’ first Triple-A home run. Mets 4-3
Up next
RHP Andrew Painter (5-5, 5.35 ERA) vs. LHP Brandon Waddell (3-9, 5.05) in a 6:45 p.m. start Wednesday from Coca-Cola Park.
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
Source: Berkshire mont