Get to know every Philadelphia Phillies 2021 draft pick
Phillies Sixth-Round Pick: Jose Peña Jr.
Another prep arm pick by the Phillies, RHP Jose Peña Jr. boasts a solid velocity on his fastball, “great spin” on his curveball, and a changeup that “needs a lot of work.”
Making his professional debut in the rookie-level FCL after signing with the org, Peña compiled a 13.50 ERA over four appearances. He allowed two earned runs twice, and but had two scoreless games.
Phillies Seventh-Round Pick: Christian McGowan
Christian McGowan is one of the hardest throwers in this Phillies’ draft class; according to Phillies Minor Thoughts, his fastball can get up to 99 mph. McGowan is another pitcher who could either develop into a starter or a reliever.
McGowan pitched in four games on the farm this season, making one start at the rookie level before joining Low-A Clearwater and making three relief appearances. Opposing batters only managed to hit .118 against him.
Overall, McGowan had a scoreless first season, with eight strikeouts over five shutout innings between the two levels.
Phillies Eighth-Round Pick: Jason Ruffcorn
Jason Ruffcorn definitely has my favorite name of any pick so far.
At 23 years old, Ruffcorn is significantly older than many of his fellow draft picks. He also has five years of college pitching experience, a fastball that hits 98 on the gun, and two mediocre pitches in his slider and changeup.
Ruffcorn made his professional debut in Clearwater, and compiled a 5.84 ERA over 12 relief appearances. He earned three saves in four opportunities and had eight scoreless games.
If his surname sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the son of former MLB pitcher Scott Ruffcorn, who spent five years in the majors, including his last season with the Phillies in 1997.
https://twitter.com/PitchingNinja/status/1372006770034507776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1372006770034507776%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fphilliesminorthoughts.com%2Fphillies-select-jason-ruffcorn-in-the-8th-round-of-the-2021-draft%2F
Phillies Ninth-Round Pick: Gavin Tonkel
Another unranked prospect with a fun name, Gavin Tonkel was the 265th overall pick in the draft.
After hitting up the almost-elderly (by comparison) Ruffcorn in the eighth round, the Phillies went back to teenagers by selecting Tonkel in the ninth. He was one of the most unknown players in the draft, but had impressed Phillies scouts with his speed and raw power.
In his final season of high school ball at Heritage High in Brentwood, CA, Tonkel went 11-for-12 in stolen base attempts. You could certainly say the Phillies have a need for speed; the most stolen bases by Phillies big-leaguers this season was a tie between Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto, who each stole 13.
Beginning his professional career with 11 games in the FCL, Tonkel hit .261/.419/.304 with a .724 OPS, a double, five runs scored, and two batted in. He also went 2-for-3 in stolen base attempts.
Phillies Tenth-Round Pick: Logan Cerny
Logan Cerny was actually ranked higher than the Phillies’ sixth and seventh-round picks, but the Phillies didn’t grab him until the tenth round.
He felt like a steal for the Phillies, as Cerny hit .332/.424/.694 with 15 home runs and 47 RBI in 2021.
Unfortunately, Cerny has already been traded to the Astros in exchange for catcher Garrett Stubbs, so if he lives up to his projections, it won’t be in Philadelphia.