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The Philadelphia Phillies’ first MLB debut of the season was, without question, an impressive triumph. Expectations were uncertain as Mick Abel took the mound at Citizens Bank Park for the first time on May 18.

But the highly touted pitching prospect more than rose to the occasion.

In case you missed the buzz, Abel was electric over six innings. The 23-year-old right-hander struck out nine batters without issuing a single walk, and he surprisingly outpitched Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes in a 1-0 victory. Whether fair or not, the Phillies made it clear that Abel’s stint in the majors was always intended to be short-term. According to MLB.com’s Paul Casella, he was called up for just one start to temporarily fill a rotation spot.

Despite his stellar performance, the front office stuck to its plan. Abel was sent back down, as veteran Taijuan Walker—who’s had a solid season—returned to the rotation, with Aaron Nola sidelined by an ankle issue.

Of course Mick Abel dominated in his first start back in Triple-A

After gaining a boost of confidence from his strong MLB debut, Mick Abel returned to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and made his first Triple-A start of the season this past weekend, seamlessly continuing his impressive run. On May 24, he struck out eight Buffalo Bisons batters over six innings, surrendering just three hits and one run.

So far this season, Abel holds a 6-2 record with a 2.41 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over nine starts for the IronPigs. He’s averaging 10.15 strikeouts per nine innings, though generating strikeouts has never been his main issue — his standing as a top prospect has slipped due to command problems.

The Phillies’ 2020 first-round pick has long battled control issues, resulting in inconsistent performances, high walk rates, and inflated ERAs. Once ranked No. 2 among Phillies prospects by MLB Pipeline from 2021 through 2024, Abel fell to No. 8 entering this season — a reflection of his struggles.

In 2024, he posted a 6.46 ERA and 1.81 WHIP at Lehigh Valley, walking an alarming 6.46 batters per nine innings. That followed a 5.16 BB/9 rate in 2023, mostly at Double-A Reading. In fact, Abel had never posted a BB/9 below 4.00 at any professional level — until now.

This season, he’s lowered his walk rate to 3.96 BB/9. While still not ideal, it marks real progress, especially in light of his MLB debut performance. Although he issued four walks in his recent Triple-A start, it’s clear he didn’t have the same intensity as his major league outing — where he looked as sharp as ever. If that version of Abel represents his ceiling, the Phillies may still have something special.