Major League Baseball held its annual first-year player draft on Saturday and the Philadelphia Phillies reeled in an exciting high school shortstop by the name of Tyler Spangler. The hulking, athletic Spangler could become a superstar if everything breaks right, and the Phillies are hoping he can be a part of winning teams for years to come. There’s just one problem: much like Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller, Spangler is struggling with serious back injuries.
The Phillies’ farm system is a complete disaster, as Baseball America placed it 29th out of 30 in their updated rankings last week. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has presided over an era in which the club has continually failed to develop top prospects, with formerly lauded youngsters like Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter failing to live up to expectations this year.
2023 first-round selection Aidan Miller remains a mystery, as the infielder skyrocketed up prospect rankings with a dynamite 2025 campaign, but has yet to appear in a single game this year due to a mystifying back injury. The 22-year-old remains a top-100 prospect with plenty of time to right the ship, but he underwent surgery last month and will remain sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Hopefully Tyler Spangler and Aidan Miller can both put their back issues behind them in Phillies future
In light of the Miller situation, as well as Painter failing to regain his form post-Tommy John surgery, Phillies fans are making a habit of sweating the health of their prospects. This year’s top draft pick isn’t going to do anything to assuage those issues, as Spangler, a California high school product, missed his entire senior season with an undisclosed back injury.
Phillies assistant general manager Brian Barber threw cold water on any worries about Spangler’s health, stating, “We have an extensive medical review on the player and just felt comfortable taking him. We’ve looked at everything that there is to look at there and felt completely comfortable taking the player.” Fans are wearing out their rosaries praying that Barber’s optimism pays off.
If Spangler can get back to normal, the Phils may have found themselves a heck of a score at pick number 36. The lefty swinger cuts an intimidating presence in the batter's box, standing 6’3” with room to grow. MLB.com credits him with a great eye and the ability to spray the ball to all fields, with power to come as he matures.
Most intriguing to Phillies fans will be the comparisons Spangler is already receiving at just 18 years of age. The youngster is drawing rave reviews as a potential Corey Seager-esque shortstop, with even the great Cal Ripken Jr.’s name being mentioned.
It’s a bit of a stretch to suggest that a kid three years away from the legal drinking age is destined to rub shoulders with the greatest shortstop of all time, but it’s still reassuring to hear those kinds of all-time greats could be the ceiling. Tyler Spangler won’t be helping the Phillies in the majors any time soon, or perhaps at all if his back doesn’t cooperate, but there are far worse things than taking Hall of Fame upside on day one of the draft.
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