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Phillies draft pitcher Spencer Howard in second round

In the second round with the 45th overall selection in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, the Phillies chose righty pitcher Spencer Howard out of Cal Poly.

This season, the 20-year-old sophomore sported an 8-1 record with a 1.95 ERA and a 10 K/9 mark over 17 appearances (12 starts) with the Mustangs.

In his freshman year, 19 of Howard's 21 appearances were as a reliever when he tallied a 2.95 overall ERA.

Howard, who stands six-foot-three and weighs 225 pounds, features a solid four-pitch mix, including key offerings of a fastball, slider and a cutter that project to be average or better pitches.

The Phillies chose another hurler in the second round out of Cal Poly back in 2014, a left-hander named Matt Imhof.  Imhof retired from playing baseball following a workout accident last year that cost the youngster an eye.

The draft will continue for the Phils on Tuesday, when the third round gets going at 1pm Eastern time.

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