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With the 17th overall selection in the 2022 MLB amateur draft, the Phillies chose high school outfielder Justin Crawford. The 18-year-old is the son of four-time big league All-Star Carl Crawford.   Listed at six-feet-three, 175-pound, Justin Crawford is a lefty batting outfielder, who projects as a top-of-the order speedster.  A graduate of well renowned Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, NV, the talented prospect is committed to play collegiate baseball at Louisianna State.   Crawford was ranked as the top high school player in Nevada and placed among the top three outfielders in the country. The elder Crawford led the American League in stolen bases four times in his career and exceed 45 steals in a season seven times, tallying 480 big league steals.  The younger Crawford jokes that he is faster than his dad. Big time speed with excellent defense, solid barrel control and a projectable frame are what make this the right pick for the Phillies. Not to...

With the 13th overall selection in the 2021 MLB Amatuer Draft, the Phillies chose Andrew Painter, a right-handed high school hurler out of Florida.   The six-foot-seven 215-pound youngster is a college commit with loads of projectability.  Credited with having an advanced gameplan while on the mound, Painter was ranked as the 18th best prospect in this year's draft.   He's equipped with an arsenal that includes a fastball with plus potential, a slider, a curve ball and a chaneup.  Known as a strike thrower, Painter draws comparisons to last year's top Phillies pick Mick Abel. Overheard on MLB Network's draft coverage... Pedro Martinez : "I really believe this kid plays exactly into the way this game is played nowadays." "He's really poised on the mound.  (He) reminds me a lot of Mark Prior in his early days.  I'm really excited about this young man." The last time the Phillies selected 13th overall was 1980, the year they won their first Worl...

The 2020 MLB amateur draft is complete and the Phillies selected a nice collection of talent. In the face of the global pandemic, Major League Baseball chose to shorten this year's draft, as a cost-cutting measure, from 40 to five rounds.  Despite the abbreviated draft this year, there is plenty to be excited about. Following the first round on Wednesday, in which the Phils selected high school hurler Mick Abel, the team waited until the third round to make their next selection.  They had to surrender their second round selection after signing qualified free agent Zack Wheeler last off-season. On Thursday with their third round pick the Phils chose college junior shortstop Casey Martin.  Projected as a borderline first rounder, the righty hitting 21-year-old notched a .311/.393/.545 slash line with 30 homers, 24 steals and 112 RBI in 143 games through his college career at Arkansas.  A super talent, Martin was a collegiate freshman All-American two years ago....

Please consider supporting my work and subscribe to  my Patreon page .  Your patronage will get you exclusive interviews and other prospect related material as well as early access to all of my other content such as this post.  Thank you. With the 15th overall selection in the 2002 MLB Amateur Draft, the Phillies chose right-handed pitcher Mick Abel out of Jesuit High School in Oregon.  The 18-year-old was widely ranked as the top high school pitcher in this year's draft. Per MLB.com, based on his build, arm strength and repertoire, he's drawn comparisons to Stephen Strasburg and Mike Soroka. Abel is the first high school pitcher from Oregon taken in the first round since the 1994 draft when the Kansas City chose Matt Smith. Due to the global Coronavirus pandemic, Abel did not pitch competitively in school this year.  However, he has been throwing bullpen session to Orioles prospect and last year's top overall draft pick Adley Rutschman, a former Or...

Here is a quick rundown of the Phillies' activity on day two of this year's MLB draft... With the 91 st overall pick in the draft, the Phillies selected shortstop Jamari Baylor.  The righty hitting high school senior out of Benedictine School in Virginia he is scouted as a five-tool player. In his scholastic season this year, Baylor sported a .412 batting average with seven home runs and 21 RBI, per Richmond.com . Reportedly, Baylor worked out for the Phillies and the Nationals last week.  The 18-year-old looks to have a strong build and is listed at five-feet-11, 190 pounds.  He is a Louisburg College commit, but has expressed interest in playing professionally. In the 4 th round, the Phillies chose Erik Miller, a lefty pitcher, with the 120 th pick in the draft.  Miller, a junior at Stanford, tallied an 8-2 record with a 3.15 ERA and 10.9 K/9 mark in 15 starts.  Miller is listed at six-foot-five, 240 pounds.  The 21-year-old was previou...

Bryson Stott, image- UNLVRebels.com With the 14th overall selection in the 2019 MLB amateur draft, the Phillies selected lefty batting shortstop Bryson Stott. Stott, a UNLV junior, is listed at six-foot-three and 200 pounds.  In 58 games this year in the college season, he posted a .356 average with 10 home runs, 36 RBI and 16 steals. Additionally, he boasted a .486 on base percentage. Plate discipline is said to be a feature quality for the talented youngster, who can work the count and hit to all fields.   Defensively, Stott is said to possess outstanding range and has a strong arm.  He has the skills to stay on the left side of the infield. The selection of Stott marks the fifth straight year the Phils have selected an offensive player with their top pick. A native of Las Vegas, Stott's father Derek played football at UNLV in the late '80's and early '90's. The Phillies were represented in New Jersey at the MLB draft by former pitcher Tommy Gree...

The 2018 MLB draft wrapped up on Wednesday with rounds 11 through 40.  Here are some highlights from the Phillies' day of picks. With their first pick of the third and final day of the 2018 draft, the Phillies selected right-handed pitcher Jack Perkins out of Stetson University in the 11 th round.  This year, in his junior season, the 20-year-old sported an 11-2 record with a 2.34 ERA, two complete games and a 9.2 K/9 mark in 17 games.  Listed at six-foot-three, 218 pounds, the Florida native was named to the pre-season All-ASUN conference team this year.  Last summer in the Cape Cod league he notched a 0-4 record with a 5.93 ERA in seven starts. Righty hurler James McArthur was the Phillies’ 12 th round selection.  McArthur was a teammate of Lakewood pitcher David Parkinson at Ole Miss, before the former was drafted by the Phillies in the 12 th round last year.  The six-foot-seven 235-pounder made 16 starts for the Rebels this sea...

Mickey Moniak with Lakewood in 2017 Almost daily I am engaged via Twitter or email or text messages or in person about Phillies prospects. It comes with the gig.  The player that scores the most inquiries is, as should be expected, 2016 top overall draft selection Mickey Moniak . Questions from fans that don't want to seem overly judgmental will ask, “Should we be concerned?” Others, living up to the more stereotypical Philadelphia sports fan reputation, will assert the notion, “He’s a bust!  Somebody didn't do his job right!” For the most part I have responded in defense of Moniak and others, letting people know that the youngster’s skills are real and his coaches stand by them. I’d caution fans that he was young, still a teenager, among the five youngest position players in the Class A Advanced Florida State League (per his team the Clearwater Threshers, as of the end of April), and he just needed time to catch up to the older, more mature pitching at that level....

Mickey Moniak with Lakewood last yr, Image- Jay Floyd Every couple days, usually, someone reaches out to me on Twitter to check up on the number 1 overall selection from the 2016 draft, outfielder Mickey Moniak.  I suppose I am easier to holler at than Ye Olde Google machine for some people, so... The 19-year-old has struggled throughout the first month of the regular season with Class A Advanced Clearwater.  In 22 games with the Treshers, Moniak sports a .213 batting average with four doubles, five RBI and one stolen base. The lefty batting California native tallied a .236/.284/.341 slash line with Class A Lakewood last year in his first full season as a pro player. While those stats aren't worrisome, they were not the sort of production that would convince everybody that he had definitely graduated out of the South Atlantic League. Starting the 2018 campaign at a higher level probably surprised a lot of people. Most concerning may be the overall lack of power t...

Following their selections in the first and second rounds on Monday night, the Phillies had a busy day in rounds three through 10 on Tuesday.  Below is a list of the team's Day 2 selections and notes on each player... 3rd round- RHP Connor Seabold was selected with the 83rd overall pick out of Cal State Fullerton. This year, in his junior season, the six-foot-three 190-pounder posted an 11-5 record with a 3.01 ERA and an 8.8 K/9 mark in 17 starts. The California native could be a key factor as the Titans enter their College World Series match up against Oregon State next Saturday. How the team performs in Omaha, could delay Seabold signing with the Phillies by a week or two. According to MLB.com Seabold’s arsenal features a solid changeup and a usable, albeit fringy, breaking ball. His fastball commonly tops out around 90 MPH. 4th round- Third baseman Jake Scheiner was chosen by the Phils with the 113th pick in the draft out of the University of Houston. With the Cougar...

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.

With the 8th overall draft pick the Phillies selected first-team All-American outfielder Adam Haseley out of Virginia on Monday evening. The 21-year-old sported a .390/.491/.659 slash line in 58 games.  His batting average led the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The lefty batter drilled 16 doubles, a triple, 14 homers and 10 steals with the Cavs this year, in his junior season. Proving to be an offensive catalyst, Haseley reached base safely in 57 of his 58 games this year. Haseley is described by MLB.com's Jim Callis as one of the best pure hitters available in the MLB draft. Additionally in his college career, Haseley was a pitcher, helping his squad lock down the 2015 College World Series.  This season, he tallied a 7-1 record with a 3.58 ERA and a 10.1 K/9 mark in 11 starts. He is expected, however, to move forward as a centerfielder. Projected higher on several mock drafts from reputable outlets, Haseley may have been a surprise to the Phillies to still be ...

Image- Tug Haines Earlier this week, Phillies Nation's minor league reporter Jay Floyd (follow on Twitter @PhoulBallz ) was interviewed on the Philadelphia Sports Table Podcast. The weekly program, hosted by Jeff Warren and Len Hunsicker, focuses on the big four pro sports teams in Philly, touches on local Division 1 college athletics and more. The pair embraces the passion of the Philly sports fan base along with what the fans bring to each game, online discussions, talk radio and more. On the latest edition of the PST Podcast, Jay phoned in to discuss the Phillies' rising prospects, key story lines among the non-roster invitees heading into spring training, the future of the catcher position, a possible future ace among the organization's young talents, along with the Phils' upcoming number 1 overall draft pick as well as plenty more. The interview with Jay kicks off at about the 46:30 mark of the show and you can check it out by clicking this link .

Getting swept in a double header at home has likely never had such a positive spin as it did for the Phillies on Saturday as they lost a pair of contests against the division rival Marlins. In the opening game of the twin bill, the Phils would lose for the first time this season when leading after eight innings as flame throwing closer Kenny Giles blew just his second save opportunity since taking over the duties at the back end of the bullpen after the trade of Jonathan Papelbon . In the night cap, rookie hurler Alec Asher , acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels deal, surrendered three earned runs in two innings of work to fall to 0-6 on the season in the big leagues. The Marlins were victors by scores of 7-6 and 5-2. The Phillies solidified their worst record since 1969 with their 99th loss of the season. With one game remaining this season, the century mark isn't out of the question in the loss column. They've not lost 100 or more games since 1961 when the club dro...

Much attention from the Phillies' third day of the 2015 first-year player draft was given to nepotism. With the team selecting relatives of its general manager, its television play-by-play man as well as the sons of two current minor league coaches, the coverage made sense. There were, however, other players worth highlighting. With their initial pick of Wednesday's final day of the draft, the Phillies selected 19-year-old catcher Edgar Cabral, a JuCo player out of Mt. San Antonio College in the 11th round. The righty batter posted a .331 average with five home runs and 32 RBI in 31 games this season, according to the Mt. SAC web site. The five-foot-11 205-pounder is said to show a lot of strength, which the Phils were high on. Righty pitcher Skylar Hunter was the Phils' 11th round choice. The 21-year-old was a closer for The Citadel, where he holds the team and conference saves records. As a junior this year, the six-foot-one 205-pounder tossed 53 innings with t...

With their first pick on Tuesday, the Phillies took high school shortstop Luke Williams out of California. The 18-year-old was selected 83rd overall. In his senior season this year, the six-foot-one 185-pounder sported a .315 batting average with four homers, 19 RBI and 26 stolen bases. He is rated as a plus runner and hits to all fields. Williams could remain as a shortstop and is said to have the tools to man center field. An athletic youngster, he also was a varsity wide receiver at Dana Hills High School. Williams, a righty batter, is committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the same school that produced last year's second round pick Matt Imhof. The Phils took Kyle Martin in the 4th round (114th overall) out of South Carolina. As a senior this year with the Gamecocks, the lefty batting first baseman notched a .350 average with 14 homers and 56 RBI in 57 games. Additionally, he earned first-team All-SEC honors and was a second team All-American with his impressinve 1.090 O...

With their second pick in the 2015 MLB amateur draft (48th overall), the Phillies selected righty batting second baseman Scott Kingery on Monday night. A talented hitter, the five-foot-10 180-pounder was near the top of the NCAA in batting average for much of the season. Remarkably, Kingery, who was a walk-on as a freshman, was named Pac-12 Player of the Year. This year in his junior season, the 21-year-old posted a .392/.423/.561 slash line while driving in 36 runs and stealing 11 bases in 54 games. In three seasons with the Wildcats, Kingery batted .351 while driving in 80 runs and stealing 38 bases in 149 games. Kingery is said to have a short stroke with an ability to spray line drives to all fields. Scouts have him profiling as a top-of-the-order contributor. Considerable speed is also said to be a key tool for the Phoenix native. Defensively, the youngster played the majority of his sophomore season in center field and was a shortstop in high school, but the Phillies ...

With the 10th overall pick in this year's MLB amateur draft, the Phillies chose Cornelius Randolph, a shortstop with Griffin High School in Georgia. Listed at five-foot-11, 205 pounds, Randolph turned 18-year-old just last week.  From MLB.com's draft tracker : Griffin (Ga.) High has produced a pair of big league infielders in Jeff Treadway and Tim Beckham, and it may have a third on the way in Randolph. He's Griffin's best prospect since Beckham and profiles as more of an impact hitter than the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 Draft has become. Randolph has the tools and approach to hit for power and average. He offers bat speed, strength and patience from the left side of the plate. He uses the entire field and has better pitch recognition than most high schoolers. Currently a shortstop, Randolph will move to a less challenging position at the next level. The Clemson recruit has good hands but lacks the quickness to play in the middle infield. His arm ha...

Catcher Andrew Knapp was selected by the Phillies in the 2nd round of the 2013 draft out of the University of California. In a half-season in the organization, the 21-year-old posted very good numbers, batting .253 with four home runs, 23 RBI and seven steals in 62 games for the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters. Prior to being drafted by the Phillies last year, Knapp led the Cal Golden Bears in batting average with a .350 mark, and slammed eight homers with 41 RBI in his junior season, proving himself worthy of the ranking as a Preseason All-American by Baseball America. This off-season the Phillies announced that the switch-hitting Knapp had undergone Tommy John surgery on his right elbow and would miss considerable time recovering. This weekend, the six-foot-one 190-pounder took some time to answer questions about his first pro season, his recovery and more. Read ahead for that full interview. - Andrew, what was your draft experience like last year? What wer...

With family and local ties, Mark Leiter Jr. is one of the best stories out of this year's Phillies draft class.  The son of former Phils hurler Mark Leiter Sr., nephew of former big leaguer Al Leiter as well as Kurt Leiter who was also a pro pitcher and a product of Toms River North High School and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Leiter Jr. has been enjoying success since he was selected in the 22nd round this year. In 13 outings to start his professional career, the 22-year-old had gone 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA before earning a promotion from the Gulf Coast League Phillies to Class A Lakewood recently.  Leiter, who stands six feet tall and weighs around 195 pounds, has not allowed a run and has struck out 12 while walking only two in two starts (11 innings) since joining the BlueClaws. Last week I spoke with the right-hander, who grew up as a Phillies fan, about his draft experience, coming from a baseball pedigree and his family's hobby of collecting baseball c...