Phillies: BA projects college shortstop in 2019 MLB Draft

The latest MLB mock draft has the Phillies going with another college bat

The Phillies have a strong history of taking college bats in the Major League Baseball Draft, and Baseball America (subscription required) isn’t bucking that trend.

With the 14th pick in this year’s June draft, Baseball America projects the Phillies to take Clemson shortstop Logan Davidson.

A lean and lanky switch hitter, Davidson is a mixed bag based on the video and reports available. Baseball America highlighted his struggles with using a wood bat in the summer and an inconsistent approach.

Davidson has shown power and some raw hitting tools as a career .292 hitter with 36 home runs in 159 collegiate games. The home run numbers are very impressive and he’s on pace to set a career high this season after hitting 15 last year.

The MLB Draft is so much different from any other sport since some players, even number one picks, take years to reach the big leagues. Even Bryce Harper played 109 minor league games before the Nationals called him up.

Another difference is the ability to draft the best player over need. While a lot of NFL teams say they took the number one player on their board and many stick to that mantra, if a team doesn’t need a quarterback they won’t take one in the first round even if that guy is rated higher than the left tackle they desperately need.

The Phillies don’t have a major need short-term or long-term at shortstop. Jean Segura is signed through 2022 and has an option for 2023, and prospect Luis Garcia is one of the best shortstop prospects in baseball, though he’s just 18-years-old.

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The Phillies have taken a hitter with five of their last six first round picks: Alec Bohm, Adam Haseley, Mickey Moniak, Cornelius Randolph, and J.P. Crawford. The lone pitcher was Aaron Nola.

Randolph appears to be a bust coming out of high school, hitting just .256 in about 1,500 plate appearances. Moniak picked things up after a slow start last year and Haseley could reach the big leagues if the Phillies get desperate or want him as a September call-up this year.

A benefit of drafting players out of college is that they’re usually more refined physically and mechanically. Those playing at major programs have used professional weight rooms and nutritionists, unlike the 17-year-olds who play in front of a handful of parents and scouts. College players typically move quicker because of the benefits of playing in college.

Nola is a great example of this, making only 30 minor league appearances before Philadelphia called him up in 2015.

Going back to the need versus taking the best player available, I really would like to see the Phillies take a college pitcher in the first round this year. This group of executives hasn’t done it yet, but we’ve seen the success of recent picks Nola, Walker Buehler, and Kyle Freeland from recent drafts.

Especially after trading Sixto Sanchez and Franklyn Kilome the Phillies need to add a young, top of the rotation arm. They have plenty of depth for the back of their rotation in the big leagues and Triple-A, but other than Adonis Medina they don’t have a plus-prospect pitcher.