The 2025 Philadelphia Phillies are full of stars that are well-known across the league. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler are widely recognized names for the average baseball fan. In a rarity for the franchise, their farm system currently boasts six top-100 prospects according to MLB Pipeline, and is led by a big name in Andrew Painter.
Otto Kemp is a name that was not familiar to many MLB fans before this season, but his impressive start has put his name on the map. Kemp's meteoric rise through the Phillies' organization as an undrafted free agent is a path that is hardly ever seen in the sport. It just happens to be a path that is currently being taken by another undrafted player in the Phillies' system who has an equally impressive story.
Keaton Anthony is the next undrafted bat soaring through the Phillies' farm system
The stories of Kemp and first baseman Keaton Anthony differ in that Kemp went undrafted because of health concerns stemming from two torn ACLs. Kemp also lacked exposure to high-level talent as a Division II player at Point Loma Nazarene University. Anthony, on the other hand, was fully healthy heading into his draft year at the University of Iowa, a Big Ten school with loads of exposure to MLB scouts.
So how could an All-American who hit .372 with an 1.162 OPS in college go undrafted in 20 rounds? Anthony was caught in a May 2023 NCAA investigation of 26 Iowa student-athletes (subscription required) for breaking the NCAA's sports betting policies, as explained by The Athletic's Charlotte Varnes. Anthony and three of his Hawkeyes teammates were banned from the team while the investigation ensued.
Ultimately, it was discovered that Anthony never bet on Iowa baseball games and he was not charged, though this controversy heavily impacted his draft stock. The now-24-year-old Anthony went undrafted after thinking he could be selected as high as the third round. Current Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly was the head of player development in 2023 when the team signed Anthony, and he stated how the Phillies felt about Anthony in Varnes' article, saying he "could be a position player for us that would have a chance to play in the major leagues."
Keaton Anthony's promotion to Triple-A hasn't slowed him down
Right now, Anthony is as close to the major leagues as you can get, and he is demolishing the baseball. He's slashing .344/.394/.426 in 61 at-bats for Triple-A Lehigh Valley after being promoted from Double-A Reading, where he slashed .330/.380/.522 in 49 games, on June 11.
He even recently played hero for the IronPigs with this clutch walk-off hit with the team down to its final strike, lining a 3-2 pitch off the wall in the ninth inning:
Last night was electric ⚡ #ironpigs #ironpigsbaseball pic.twitter.com/bxrQ7pkoLV
— Lehigh Valley IronPigs (@IronPigs) July 4, 2025
He had an 18-game hit streak snapped on Sunday, but Anthony has hit at every level throughout his professional career, posting a lifetime .328/.406/.471 slash line through three years in the minors. He has just 14 career home runs so far, but they'll come in bunches, as he constantly seems to barrel balls. Anthony even won a Gold Glove in 2024 for his defense at first base, which has made him one of the most intriguing minor leaguers for the Phillies, like Kemp before him.