How did every current Philadelphia Phillies player get drafted?
On July 17, Major League Baseball teams will begin drafting the stars of tomorrow, and the Philadelphia Phillies have the 17th overall pick in the first round.
But before we look forward, let’s look back on the draft history of their current roster. They’ve got several homegrown talents, quite a few former Tampa Bay Rays, and some selections made by their current president of baseball operations back when he was heading another team’s front office.
Here’s how every player got their big break…
Phillies starting pitchers
Zach Eflin
The San Diego Padres selected Zach Eflin as the 33rd overall pick in the 2012 draft. Even though he’d signed a letter of intent with UCF, he signed with the Padres instead.
In December 2014, the Padres included him in a trade package to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who immediately flipped him to the Phillies in their trade for Jimmy Rollins.
Kyle Gibson
“Gibby” was the Minnesota Twins’ first-round pick in 2009, 22nd overall, but before that, he was the Phillies’ 36th-round pick in 2006. Rather than sign with them, he played college baseball at the University of Missouri.
In a full-circle moment, the Phillies acquired Gibson at the 2021 trade deadline. He was part of a package from the Texas Rangers that also included Ian Kennedy, pitching prospect Hans Crouse, and $4 million.
Aaron Nola
The rare homegrown pitching talent in this organization, Aaron Nola has been a Phillie his entire professional career so far. In 2014, the Phillies selected him in the first round, as the 7th-overall pick.
Cristopher Sánchez
The Tampa Bay Rays signed Cristopher Sánchez as an international free agent in November 2013. They dealt him to the Phillies in November 2019.
Ranger Suárez
The Phillies signed Ranger Suárez as an international free agent in 2012 when he was only 16 years old. He made his MLB debut on July 24, 2018.
Zack Wheeler
Zack Wheeler was the San Francisco Giants’ first-round pick in 2009, selected sixth overall. He’d committed to Kennesaw State, but signed with the Giants instead. The Giants dealt him to the New York Mets in 2011, in exchange for Carlos Beltrán, and it’s with them that he made his big-league debut in June 2013. The Phillies signed him when he became a free agent following the 2019 season.