Phillies Early Draft Preview
The Philadelphia Phillies hold the first overall pick in the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft this coming June, and have been scouting a number of players.
Over the course of the off-season, our Alexis Girardo has been examining many of the top high school and college prospects being looked at closely by the Phils in anticipation of that top selection.
Below is a link retrospective to those pieces, in case you missed any or all when first released, to help you become better acquainted with the possible new Phillies impact prospect.
Also provided below are links to other draft related content provided by myself and other writers here at TBOH in anticipation of that #1 draft selection.
Enjoy the candidates that we have examined to this point. I have included a descriptive snippet of the player from each piece. Click on their name to read the entire piece. The prospects are presented in alphabetical order by last name.
JASON GROOME – “Groome is committed to play college ball at Vanderbilt, but all that could change if he is selected early in the June 2016 MLB draft. Fangraphs had him listed at #1 on their Top 15 prospects in the 2015-2016 draft showcase this past summer. Groome is 6’6 and 220 lbs, and touches 97 mph on his fastball with ease. He also features a solid curve and change-up as secondary pitches.”
ALEC HANSEN – “Hansen stands 6’7 and weighs in at 235 lbs., a dominating presence on the pitching mound. His fastball can reach 100 mph and sits easily at around 95. He also features a solid change, and an improving curve that could evolve into a true out pitch.”
DELVIN PEREZ – “Last month MLB.com did a profile on Perez where they quoted a scout who spoke highly of his elite defense and speed, and how his offensive development will determine whether he will become a perennial all-star in the big leagues.“
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RILEY PINT – “Pint finished his junior year of high school in the Kansas City suburbs with a 2.20ERA, along with 45 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched. Standing already at 6’5, 195lbs, he could potentially still add more to his frame as he continues to mature physically.”
A.J. PUK – “Listed at #1 on Baseball America’s Top 20 Team USA Baseball Collegiate National Team prospect list in August, Puk throws a mid-90s fastball and features a change-up and slider as his secondary pitches. At 6’7, Puk is able to maintain good downward action, and he stays low in the strike zone.”
COREY RAY – “Ray has excellent contact hitting ability, and power potential. He plays all three outfield positions well and has a strong arm. He also is considered a fantastic baserunner with plus speed.”
BUDDY REED – “Reed is 20 years old, and will be completing his junior year at Florida prior to the draft. He is a switch-hitter with terrific contact ability, batting .305 for the Gators during the 2015 regular season. He also showed some pop with 4 homers, 18 doubles, and 5 triples.”
BLAKE RUTHERFORD – “Rutherford could be the type of player to make a quick impact with a rebuilding team such as the Phillies. He appears to have the tools to be a difference maker in a contending lineup. If he continues to put up strong offensive numbers during his senior season, it would not be a surprise for the Phillies to take him at number one overall next June.”
In addition to this regular series from Alexis, our own Ethan Witte took “A 2nd Look at A.J. Puk“ back at the beginning of March in which Ethan stated after watching Puk pitch that he “still needs a lot of work on his control and pitch selection.”
As we move through the spring, into the regular season, and draw closer to the actual MLB Amateur Draft, we will ramp up coverage by narrowing our focus to those players who emerge as clear front-runners in the next couple of months.