Phillies 2016 Draft Picks: How Did the First 20 Fare?
By John Town
The Phillies selected numerous players in the draft last season, most of which went on to join the team’s minor-league system. How did those players fare?
The Phillies reached the ultimate level of poor play by finishing with the worst record in all of baseball in 2015. Their final record that year was 63-99, one game worse than the Cincinnati Reds. By being the worst team in baseball in 2015, the Phillies “earned” the ability to pick first out of all 30 teams in the 2016 amateur draft.
The only other time Philadelphia picked first in the draft was back in 1998, when the team selected then-first baseman Pat Burrell. As we all know, Burrell later moved to the outfield and became part of the first Phillies World Series team in nearly 30 years.
While No. 1 pick Mickey Moniak will certainly garner the most attention and have the highest bar to reach, their were still plenty more rounds in the draft with plenty of those players opting to go pro with the Phillies. Let’s examine how the first 20 players selected did in their first season as professionals.