Even with one game left to play this year, the Phillies will pick No. 8 in next year’s MLB draft. It’s far too early to tell, but they should still be able to acquire a solid prospect.
While several teams look to clinch a playoff spot in today’s action, the Phillies clinched a different spot last night. With two games separating them and the teams above and below them, they are locked in at the No. 8 pick in next year’s draft. Credit to /u/PintosLonges on the Phillies subreddit on pointed out this information.
The eighth-overall pick is obviously worst than last year’s, when they selected outfielder Mickey Moniak with the first pick. However, it is better than 2015’s, where the team picked up Cornelius Randolph with the No. 10 pick.
This is actually the first time the Phillies posses the No. 8 pick in the draft. They picked seventh in 1986 and 2014 and ninth in 1966, but never eighth.
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Cookiedabookie of SB Nation’s Minor League Ball released an early Top 50 ranking of the 2017 draft class in August. With eight months between now and the draft, many of these players could move up the list or completely fall off. For example, Mickey Moniak was behind Blake Rutherford, another California outfielder, this time last year. Since then, he came out as the best outfielder from Cali, and at least to Klentak and Co., the best player available in the draft.
For our purposes, the Phillies have a good shot at the players ranked between five and ten on this list:
"5. Alex Faedo RHP JR Florida6. Hagen Danner RHP HS Huntington Beach, CA Commitment: UCLA7. Alejandro Toral 1B HS Archbishop McCarthy, FL Commitment: Miami8. J.J. Schwarz C JR Florida9. Alex Scherff RHP HS Prestonwood Christian Academy, TX Commitment: Arizona State10. Hunter Greene RHP HS Notre Dame, CA Commitment: UCLA"
In my opinion, the club would be wise to go for a pitcher in this draft. However, seeing a catcher right at No. 8 also intrigues me.
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If I had to pick between these five, I would go with Alex Faedo, a righty from the University of Florida. Baseball America ranked him as the best prospect from this year’s Collegiate National Team. His best pitch is a wipeout slider with a fastball that sits right at 93. Faedo has a 2.0 BB/9 in his college career, but he has to build confidence on the inside of the plate.
The Phils, have plenty of pitching talent in the lower-minors, but Faedo is a more polished prospect who can jump right into the full-season leagues and follow a similar trajectory to Aaron Nola.
However, if Faedo is gone by that point, then the team should select his teammate, catcher J.J. Schwarz. He played for the CNT in 2015 alongside 2016 top draft picks A.J. Puk and Corey Ray. Schwarz provides a solid combination of plus raw power and contact ability to be an impact hitter at the plate. He can become average behind the plate at the major-league level, but it will take some work.
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Regardless of how the draft shakes out come June of next year, the Phillies should be able to select a talented prospect with the No. 8 pick.