The Philadelphia Phillies' selection of Dante Nori 27th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft came as a surprise to some, but the organization knew that they were getting a high-motor type of player whom they could develop over the course of a few seasons.
Before this past summer's draft, it was clear the front office had developed a strategy of spending first-round draft picks on young and speedy position players over the last few MLB drafts, with Nori being the latest in that trend.
In 2022, they chose outfielder Justin Crawford, who has recorded 40+ steals in each of the last three seasons and has him knocking on the doorsteps of the majors in 2026. In the following draft, they chose shortstop Aidan Miller, whose 52 stolen bases at Double-A Reading were record-setting.
Nori swiped the same number of bags this season, and his blazing speed was showcased recently during his stint in the Arizona Fall League in a highlight that Phillies fans should expect from him for years to come.
Dante Nori flaunts unbelievable speed with AFL inside-the-parker
Nori was the recipient of a lot of hype this past season as MLB Pipeline's No. 6 prospect in the Phillies' farm system. It was that hype that earned Nori a spot on the Phillies' AFL affiliate, the Surprise Saguaros. It was for the Saguaros that Nori recently hit an inside-the-park home run with the type of game-wrecking speed that you need to see to believe.
INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN!@Phillies No. 6 prospect Dante Nori darts around the bases for his first @MLBazFallLeague homer for Surprise.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) November 7, 2025
Tune in for more AFL action: https://t.co/SAPHX8mhqS pic.twitter.com/rGfrKladrt
If it seems like the 21-year-old Nori already boasts MLB-ready wheels, that's because he does. In 2025, only Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox was clocked with a faster inside-the-parker time than Nori's 14.76 seconds.
Although he struggled at the plate upon first glance with an overall slash of .261/.361/.372 across three levels from Low-A Clearwater to Reading, Nori backed up the hype with a solid summer thanks to a handful of adjustments at the plate. Nori experienced his most successful stretch as a pro by standing closer to the plate and rocking a torpedo bat, with those adjustments earning him the promotion to High-A Jersey Shore.
The last month of the season was a whirlwind for Nori, as he appeared in only 11 games for the BlueClaws before his .279 average there got him the call to Reading to get his feet wet in Double-A's Eastern League.
His average dipped to .190 in an even smaller sample size, but it's understandable if Nori isn't ready for that level yet. After all, he only recently turned 21 and is already producing jaw-dropping highlights with his legs.