The Phillies have signed their fourth- and fifth-round 2020 draft picks
While the pandemic has put a pause of the 2020 season, the Philadelphia Phillies are still adding onto their minor-league farm system. On Saturday, they announced they have agreed to terms with their fourth- and fifth-round draft picks, RHP Carson Ragsdale and outfielder Baron Radcliff, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia.
The Phillies still need to meet the August 1 deadline to also sign their first- and third-round picks, prep RHP Mick Abel and shortstop Casey Martin. Of the four picks, Abel was the only non-collegiate, having recently graduated from high school in Oregon.
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Selected 116th overall, Ragsdale has undergone Tommy John surgery but came back strong with an above-average breaking ball. He was one of the tallest players in the draft, listed at 6-foot-8.
According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Ragsdale signed for $225,000 and has a “downhill plane on 91-95 mph fastball,” along with a “downer curveball.” His slot value equaled $497,500.
In four games this year prior to the pandemic, Ragsdale had a 2.84 ERA in 19 innings with 37 strikeouts and seven walks. He throws in the low 90s with an above-average curve and a developing changeup. In his previous two seasons as a reliever, Ragsdale walked 21 batters in 31 1/3 innings.
Phillies draft pick Baron Radcliff got to tour CBP
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 18, 2020
Baron was thrilled he got that surprise FaceTime from @bryceharper3
“Just wanted to say I sat in his chair” 😂
Clubhouse is empty. Waiting for Phils to start spring training part 2 hopefully June 29
🎥 @baronradcliff pic.twitter.com/p2RzUa6vIb
In the following round, the Phillies took Radcliff 146th overall. According to Callis, the “intriguing power/speed combination” in Radcliff signed for $100,000; his pick slot value was $371,600.
Radcliff had been reported by Baseball America for having among the the best raw power in the 2020 draft, but with it comes a high strikeout rate. Due to the COVID pandemic, Radcliff was limited to just 58 at-bats in his junior season, but put together three home runs and 17 RBI while striking out 23 times.
NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman writes that Radcliff hit just .236 in college, but “put on some power displays that quickly caught the eye of Bryce Harper.”
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Also on Saturday, the Phillies confirmed the signings of two more undrafted free-agent pitchers, right-handers Blake Brown (UNC Asheville) and Buddy Hayward (Harvard University).
Since the conclusion of the 2020 draft, Brown and Hayward join a list of eight other such pitchers that have signed on the Phillies organization, including 2020 Ocean City High School graduate LHP Jake McKenna, and the University of Delaware Blue Hens alumnus RHP Billy Sullivan.