Phillies: How many picks do they have in the MLB Draft?
The Phillies will be without one of their biggest draft picks in the MLB Draft this year.
After winning 80 games last season the Phillies enter the 2019 MLB Draft with the 14th overall pick. It’ll be the first time they’ll take a player outside of the top-10 since picking J.P. Crawford 16th overall in 2013.
With 40 rounds in the MLB Draft, general manager Matt Klentak, scouting director Johnny Alvarez, and the rest of the front office have 39 picks to work with.
By signing Bryce Harper to his historic contract the club forfeited their second round pick, which would have been in the high 50 to low 60 range. Getting a superstar like Harper was more than worth a lottery ticket in the second round.
Here are their top picks in the MLB Draft:
Philadelphia Phillies
14
Forfeited
91
120
150
180
210
240
270
300
330
360
390
420
450
480
510
540
570
600
630
660
690
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720
750
780
810
840
870
900
930
960
990
1020
1050
1080
1100
1130
1160
1190
That’s a lot of draft picks, some of whom will sign and some won’t, betting on themselves that they’ll move up in the draft after another season.
Unlike other sports, baseball teams won’t look at need, and instead, be looking at the best player for their organization. They’ve taken a hitter atop their last four drafts and taken a college bat with their last two first round picks.
Historically, Philadelphia has taken a high school player with a high ceiling, using 15 of their last 20 first round picks on a high schooler. The organization hasn’t had a first round pick reach the majors since Aaron Nola coming out of the 2014 draft.
Their four first round picks since then (Cornelius Randolph, Mickey Moniak, Adam Haseley, and Alec Bohm) are still developing, and with the exception of Randolph, they likely have a chance to be impact players.
Next. 5 options with the 14th picks. dark
From 1999-2014 only 8 of the 17 players has appeared in 50 major league games or more. Of the remaining 9 players who didn’t appear in 50 games, five never played in the big leagues: Shane Watson, Mitch Gueller, Larry Greene, Anthony Hewitt, and Zach Collier.
Three of the eight players who played in 50 games or more won a World Series in 2008: Chase Utley, Brett Myers, and Cole Hamels.
Joe Savery, Kyle Drabek, Adrian Cardenas, and Greg Golson each have career WAR’s in the negatives.