I'll be upfront and honest: when the Phillies went on the clock at No. 36 Saturday night, I had one name in my head. Caden Sorrell — the Texas A&M outfielder with the family bloodline that runs straight back to Philadelphia, the SEC superstar, the storyline that writes itself. So when the Phillies selected another high-school shortstop, I was a bit salty. But after seeing Tyler Spangler's Perfect Game profile and watching his interviews, looking at his movement patterns and baseball mannerisms, I came around fast. While it's always fun to play GM and sit in my ivory tower — making real life decisions on the future of franchise is a whole different reality. Here's my take on the Day 1 picks.
Phillies Draft Grades for Day 1, Tyler Spangler Health Risk and Beyond
Pick No. 36 — Tyler Spangler, SS, De La Salle HS (Concordville, CA) | Grade: A-
The Phillies went right back to their wheelhouse — a high-ceiling prep athlete at a premium defensive position. Spangler is a 6'3'' left-handed hitter who missed his entire senior season with a back injury, which raised eyebrows given that Aidan Miller has been sidelined all year with his own back issue. The parallel is uncomfortable, but Spangler showed enough at the MLB Draft Combine to ease the concern.
Watch the videos and the comp that jumps out isn't just the frame — it's the demeanor. He talks about aspiring to hit like Barry Bonds, mentions Corey Seager when asked about his game, and his swing pattern and movement through the zone remind me of Seager too. The industry has floated a young Cal Ripken Jr. type given the size, the instincts and what MLB.com calls a "throwback approach." He's more polish than flash right now, with clean barrel contact and advanced zone awareness. He probably ends up at third base long-term, but the bat is the carrying tool and it looks the part.
This is exactly the kind of prep athlete the Phillies had bet on for five consecutive years before Gage Wood last summer. Overall, I like the pick. He is a Stanford commit, oozing with confidence and kid who seems genuinely ready for professional baseball.
Pick No. 64 — Caden Bogenpohl, OF, Missouri State | Grade: C+
I'll be honest — this one puzzles me. Bogenpohl is a 6'6'', 245-pound left-handed masher who broke Ryan Howard's freshman home run record at Missouri State with 20 bombs in 2024. When I first saw his highlight videos, the Yordan Álvarez comparisons were automatic — the raw power could grade 60 or 70. I absolutely get it.
But he hit 13 homers as a sophomore and just 6 as a junior while his batting average and slugging percentage both declined. That's a trajectory that goes the wrong way at a time when a hitter should be peaking. Aiden Robbins — a right-handed power-speed bat out of Texas with first-round buzz — was still on the board and grew up in the area and could get to the big leagues quickly. I'd have rather had Robbins.
Reports are that Bogenpohl had a tremendous private workout with the Phillies and they nearly took him at No. 36. so they clearly believe in what they saw. If he figures it out and hits 40 homers in the big leagues one day to replace Kyle Schwarber, I'll gladly look like an idiot. I just don't love declining production as a junior as a signal you want to bet a second-round pick on, especially with some of the others names they passed on.
Pick No. 100 — Ruger Riojas, RHP, Texas | Grade: A
This is the pick of the day for me. I cover the SEC closely through my Substack power rankings, and Riojas was one of the most interesting arms I watched this spring. The way he pitched early in the year had me projecting a mid-rotation big leaguer immediately — multiple pitches, multiple arm slots, elite athleticism on the mound. He can deploy five-plus pitches and has the feel to shape his fastball in different ways depending on the matchup. He's got a good personality and I think Philadelphia fans will genuinely enjoy him if he reaches the big leagues. This was a steal in the third round.
Pick No. 128 — Deven Sheerin, RHP, LSU | Grade: B+
The Phillies went back to the SEC for their second arm, and Sheerin is exactly the kind of value pick you make in the fourth round. He was LSU's go-to arm out of the bullpen down the stretch — their stopper on a staff that was struggling — and he flashed plus stuff: a mid-to-upper 90s fastball that has touched 100 from a low three-quarters arm slot that creates real funk for hitters. Sheerin is 6'5" and 255 pounds and uses the big frame and a cross-fire delivery to generate swings and misses and weak contact. Depending on how he refines his secondary offerings, he could have upside as a high-leverage reliver, potentially moving very quickly through the minor leagues and contributing to the major-league team sooner than later.
Pick No. 135 — Jaxon Jelkin, RHP, Kentucky | Grade: B+
Nearly 24 years old, Jelkin was one of the draft's biggest wild cards, and I was genuinely high on him all year — top-two-round stuff in my evaluation. He went 8-3 across 17 appearances for Kentucky as their Friday night starter in 2026, earning All-SEC honors, but character questions followed him after he was dismissed from Houston early in his college career. At his best, Jelkin reminds me of a young Rick Porcello — lanky but athletic, similar deliveries and pitch profiles. Jelkin sits in the mid-90s (with reports saying he touched triple digits in the fall) and utilizes a low 90s cutter, as well as a sweeper/slider type breaking ball. From what I watched all year, this kid has the stuff and demeanor of a frontline starter and seemed liked a great teammate — late in the season Jelkin pitched on short rest in critical games for the Wildcats to put them in a position to get to the NCAA tournament. If this is a case of letting a boy grow into a man, and Jelkin's character and maturity issues are behind him, the Phillies may have gotten a top 50 talent at pick 135.
The Overall Grade: B+
The Phillies got a potential cornerstone at No. 36, dare I say the next Schwarber in the second round, and three quality arms in rounds three and four that address the system's most documented need. Riojas alone might make this day a success and what if Spangler turns into a franchise piece? If Jelkin figures it out, this draft class has a real ceiling to its first five picks. The Bogenpohl question mark is real — but one puzzling pick in five doesn't ruin a day that otherwise delivered exactly what this organization needed.
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