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Grading Rounds One and Two of the Phillies 2017 MLB Draft

By John Town |
Dec 5, 2016; National Harbor, MD, USA; MLB Network personalities (L-R) Cliff Floyd and Mike Lowell speak with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill (R) on set after Hill signed a three year contract during the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2016; National Harbor, MD, USA; MLB Network personalities (L-R) Cliff Floyd and Mike Lowell speak with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill (R) on set after Hill signed a three year contract during the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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Dec 5, 2016; National Harbor, MD, USA; MLB Network personalities (L-R) Cliff Floyd and Mike Lowell speak with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill (R) on set after Hill signed a three-year contract during the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 5, 2016; National Harbor, MD, USA; MLB Network personalities (L-R) Cliff Floyd and Mike Lowell speak with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Rich Hill (R) on set after Hill signed a three-year contract during the 2016 MLB Winter Meetings at Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

With the first day of the 2017 MLB draft completed, we’ll grade each pick the Phillies made and their overall decision-making strategy.

The Phillies brought two prospects into the fold Monday night in the first two rounds of this year’s draft. Their first-round pick from last year, Mickey Moniak, jumped right to the top of their farm system and Kevin Gowdy, their 2016 second-round pick, wasn’t too far behind him as several regard him as a top-ten prospect in the system.

In the first round, the Phillies selected Virginia outfielder Adam Haseley one selection after the Diamondbacks took Haseley’s teammate, Pavin Smith, who was connected to Philadelphia many times.

In the second round, the team went with a college pitcher who could sign for below the pick’s slot value in Spencer Howard. This could give them more financial flexibility with Haseley or some of their Day Two picks.

Let’s break down each of Philadelphia’s picks from Monday night and how they stack up in the system.

Jun 24, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Virginia Cavaliers center fielder Adam Haseley (7) scores during the fifth inning against the Vanderbilt Commodores in game three of the College World Series Finals at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 24, 2015; Omaha, NE, USA; Virginia Cavaliers center fielder Adam Haseley (7) scores during the fifth inning against the Vanderbilt Commodores in game three of the College World Series Finals at TD Ameritrade Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports /

B-. . CF. Virginia. ADAM HASELEY

The Phillies were connected to the University of Virginia heavily with either Adam Haseley or Pavin Smith expected to go to Philadelphia. With Smith off the board, the Phils selected Haseley at No. 8 overall.

Regarded more as a pitcher his first two years in college, Haseley jumped onto the scene this year as a center fielder. He hit 14 home runs to go along with a .390/.491/.659 slash line in 58 games this season. In 270 plate appearances, he walked 44 times and struck out just 21 times.

There is some projection needed for his power and he may never reach average in that department. MLB.com lists him as having below-average (45 on the 20-80 scale) power, and they are usually fairly generous with their grades.

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Phillies scouting director Johnny Almaraz says he sees Haseley as a 20-25 home run player, but that will require a lot of development.

Haseley has above-average speed, stealing 10 bases in 14 opportunities this year. He has the potential to stay in center field, but it isn’t a certainty. With an average arm, left field may wind up being his future home.

With a 55 overall ranking from MLB.com, Haseley would slide in behind Mickey Moniak and Jorge Alfaro as the team’s No. 4 overall prospect.

Haseley isn’t a bad player by any means and I talked myself up to a B- grade on this one. However, I really wanted to see the team take a college pitcher with their first-round pick. J.D. Bukauskus and Alex Faedo, two pitchers I really wanted to see Philadelphia take, were on the board at No. 8, but the team decided to go the outfield route instead.

Haseley also joins what is a crowded outfield crop in Philadelphia’s minor-league system. He will have to compete with some combination of Mickey Moniak, Dylan Cozens, Nick Williams, Roman Quinn, and several other notable prospects in the future. Selecting Haseley only adds to the team’s future outfield logjam.

C+. . RHP. Cal Poly. SPENCER HOWARD

The Phillies skipped over a college pitcher in the first round of the draft despite a clamoring from the fans for a college arm. Instead, they went with one in the second round, selecting Spencer Howard from Cal Poly.

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Howard pitched two seasons with Cal Poly after redshirting his freshman year. He worked out of the bullpen in 2016 but split time in 2017 as a reliever and a starter. He had a 1.95 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 9.96 K/9, and 2.36 BB/9 in 17 games this season.

Howard has two above-average offerings in his fastball and slider. His cutter has the looks of being average, and he works in a changeup as well. Howard throws strikes consistently and control shouldn’t be much of an issue.

Where I object to this pick is how early the team picked Howard.

He was ranked No. 99 overall by MLB.com and No. 137 by Baseball America. Howard very well could have been available in the third round and his slot value would have been even lower.

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Almaraz said that Howard “has the chance to be a frontline starter” and that signing him shouldn’t be an issue. That is good to hear, but drafting a guy in the second round so signing picks in later rounds is easier doesn’t make a lot of sense. Why reach for a player who you could get later on instead of getting someone who won’t be there later?

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