Phillies take polished college shortstop Bryson Stott in 2019 MLB Draft
By John Town
The Phillies continued their trend of taking college position players in the first round, selecting UNLV shortstop Bryston Stott No. 14 overall.
After weeks of deciphering what the Phillies would do with the No. 14 pick this year, we finally have an answer as the team selected redshirt junior UNLV shortstop Bryston Stott.
Stott is the fifth straight position player selected by the team in the first round. Outfielders Cornelius Randolph, Mickey Moniak, and Adam Haseley and third baseman Alec Bohm were the previous four picks.
Some thought the club would buck the trend and take a pitcher this year after drafting so many position players. However, this year’s pitching class was viewed as rather poor, and it makes more sense to take the best player available than reach based on previous picks.
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Stott was a strong offensive performer the last two years, posting a .998 OPS in 59 games last year and a 1.085 OPS in 58 games this season. He showed excellent plate discipline as well, walking 55 times compared to striking out 39 batters.
While Stott hit well at UNLV, his potential to remain at shortstop is what helped put him into the top ten of MLB.com’s draft rankings.
His arm is above-average and can be plus, but some questions remain about his ability to remain at the position. More likely than not he will be able to stay at shortstop long-term.
Stott draws comparisons to Brandon Crawford, which is some high praise. If Stott becomes a player similar to Crawford, he will be an apt replacement for Jean Segura in a few years.
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The No. 14 pick is given an allotted bonus pool of $4.04 million. College players generally require less of a bonus to sign, which could allow the team to overspend on another player in the second or third round.
Stott is now in the running for the best shortstop in Philadelphia’s system along with 18-year-old Luis Garcia, who’s currently in Low-A Lakewood. Given Stott’s age and performance in college, Stott could get an aggressive assignment to a full-season league, either to Lakewood or High-A Clearwater. That could lead him to Double-A Reading as soon as next year if he hits.
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Stott should be a quick riser through the system after being selected No. 14 overall. If things go well, he could be in the majors towards the end of 2021 or during the 2022 season.