Phillies news: MLB Mock Drafts link team to Tyler Soderstrom

The latest round of Phillies news looks at the 2020 MLB Draft mocks

The 2020 MLB Draft is less than a week away and the latest Phillies news surrounding the draft is that no one knows how the Phillies are going to use the 15th overall pick.

In the first round of mock drafts by MLB Pipeline and Baseball America (subscription required), the Phillies were projected to take a different player in each mock.

In the latest mock drafts by both publications, there is finally a consensus pick for the Phillies.

With the 15th pick, the latest mock drafts have the Phillies taking Tyler Soderstrom, a catcher from Turlock High School in California.

Here’s what MLB Pipeline had to say about the 6’2 high school prospect:

"Soderstrom is one of the best all-around high school bats in the country and could go higher than this."

Soderstrom is a lanky left-handed hitter with lightning-fast hands and really good bat speed. His father, Steve Soderstrom, was a first round pick out of the same high school in 1993 but played only three big league games for the Giants in 1996.

Turlock High School is also the Alma Mater of Pirates prospect Kevin Kramer.

During his junior year of high school, Soderstrom hit .450 with 12 doubles and four home runs in 28 games. He only got to play five games his senior season, going 5-14 (.357) with a double and home run.

Here’s a look at Soderstrom taking some swings at the Perfect Game National Showcase last June.

This is the first time either publication has projected the Phillies to take Soderstrom. Catcher certainly isn’t a major need for the Phillies with J.T. Realmuto and a slew of catching prospects behind him. Could the Phillies, hypothetically, move him to the outfield?

Soderstrom would be the first high school player the Phillies have taken in the first round since Mickey Moniak went first overall in 2016. Since then they’ve taken three collegiate hitters (Adam Haseley, Alec Bohm, and Bryson Stott).

Before this pick there was no consistency for the Phillies in mock drafts

Baseball America’s last mock draft had Philadelphia going with Doylestown native Nick Bitsko, a pitcher from Central Bucks East High School. Another mock draft had them taking Oklahoma pitcher Cade Cavalli.

MLB Pipeline and Keith Law have had high school outfielders Robert Hassell and Austin Hendrick previously mocked to Philly, respectively.

In all of these mocks the players that have been projected to the Phillies have gone within a couple of picks of 15.

With the MLB Draft it’s typically more value than need. Philadelphia certainly doesn’t need a catcher and could benefit quicker from a high-end college pitcher.

I still think if there’s a pitcher like Cavalli available they need to go in that direction and build their starting rotation depth with high-quality arms, something they don’t have right now.