If you want to understand what the Phillies look for in the draft, you don't need to guess. Brian Barber, the architect of Philadelphia's amateur scouting since 2019, has told you directly — and then spent six straight drafts proving it.
His first-round picks since taking over the draft room: Mick Abel (2020), Andrew Painter (2021), Justin Crawford (2022), Aidan Miller (2023), Dante Nori (2024), Gage Wood (2025). Every single one came out of high school except Wood, who broke the streak last summer — and even that pick was the highest-upside arm on the board, a guy Barber described as someone who "can just dominate hitters with two pitches." Before Wood, Barber was five-for-five on prep players, and he explained the logic plainly: "You have the associated risk that goes with a player that's further away from the big leagues. But we just saw the upside and potential for impact from those guys that it was something we weren't ready to shy away from."
The Phillies also have a documented preference for athleticism and projection over polish. Crawford was pure speed. Miller was a showcase star with raw power. Nori was a contact-and-speed engine the industry questioned because of his ceiling but the Phillies fell in love with because of his floor.
"In one aspect, you are what you do," Barber said of his high school-heavy track record. What they consistently do is bet on the highest-ceiling athlete available at their slot and trust their development system to close the gap.
The one consistent criticism from beat writers and analysts has been the tendency to undervalue usable power in favor of tools — speed, arm, projectability. The lack of pitching in the upper minors is also well-documented, which is why Wood in 2025 felt like a deliberate course correction. With the pick at No. 36, two names keep appearing across mock drafts — and both fit the framework almost perfectly.
2 often-mocked MLB Draft prospects who fit Phillies perfectly
Cade Townsend, RHP — Ole Miss
Townsend is the college arm that makes the most sense if the Phillies decide the Wood pick wasn't a one-year detour but the beginning of a new philosophy. A 6'1'', 185-pound sophomore right-hander from California, he arrived at Ole Miss as a top-200 prep prospect, pitched as a starter and reliever in 2025, and then made the leap that every evaluator was hoping for. In 2026, pitching as a weekend starter, he went 5-3 with a 3.81 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 59 innings — and, before a tough stretch at the end of the season, he was one of the most dominant arms in the SEC.
According to Baseball America, his fastball averages 95-96 mph and has been up to 98, but the pitch selection is what separates him. He also mixes a cutter in the low 90s, a mid-80s slider, a curveball with sharp 12-to-6 shape, and an upper-80s split. That's five pitches, all of them above average, utilized by a 21-year-old who became a full-time starter this year and watched his command jump multiple grades in the process. MLB Pipeline ranked him No. 27 in the class and sent him to Philadelphia at No. 36 in their most recent mock draft.
The honest knock is that there is some effort in his delivery, and he missed time this spring with shoulder discomfort. But, for a Phillies system that desperately needs arms in the upper minors beyond Gage Wood, and for a front office that just proved it's willing to take a college arm in the first round, Townsend arriving at No. 36 would be a hard pick to argue with.
Will Brick, C — Christian Brothers HS (Memphis, TN)
Brick is the kind of player who makes a draft room heated. He was originally Baseball America's No. 1 catcher for the 2027 class before reclassifying to 2026 at 17 years old, adding one of the more significant names to the prep pool mid-cycle. He made USA Baseball's 18U National Team that won gold in Japan, where he was named to the all-tournament team and hit .333/.474/.667. At 6'2'', 195 pounds with pop times under 1.9 seconds and a strong arm, he's the rare prep catcher who profiles as a plus defender from day one.
He's committed to Mississippi State and will be just 18 on draft day — one of the youngest players in the class, which means the developmental runway is among the longest available. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel picked him to go to the Phillies in his most recent update, and MLB Pipeline has floated him to Philadelphia multiple times as well.
Barber has repeatedly said drafting a player who can contribute within 12 months is "very low on our priorities." That mentality is exactly the reason a premium prep catcher makes sense here. Philadelphia's system is short on right-handed bats and legitimate catching depth. Brick addresses both. And if the Phillies' recent tendency toward premium athletes at premium positions means anything — Crawford in center, Miller at shortstop — then a prep catcher the industry calls one of the best defensive receivers in his class is a logical evolution of the same thesis.
The Pipeline
The Phillies' draft room under Brian Barber has been remarkably predictable, and that's not a criticism — it's a clear articulation of organizational values. They bet on high-ceiling athletes. They trust their developmental pipeline to add the rest. They pick the most impactful player on their board and they don't draft for need.
Townsend fits the continued college-arm recalibration the system desperately needs. Brick fits the prep-athlete-at-a-premium-position philosophy and patches a genuine organizational hole. Either one works. Both would feel natural from the moment Barber stepped to the podium.
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