Dante Nori was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft. He finished the season as the organization’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline rankings and was rated the same by Baseball America in their most recent rankings.
He may not be as well known as Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller, but the 21-year-old outfielder showed some promise after making some adjustments in his first full professional season in 2025.
Nori appeared on The Phillies Show podcast with Todd Zolecki and Jim Salisbury recently. He spoke about some of the things he did to improve his performance over three different minor league levels during the season.
The Phillies' 2024 first-rounder struggled a bit to begin the 2025 minor league campaign. In April, Nori hit .247 and then just .218 in May. At the time, he was only 20 years old and beginning his first full professional season.
"You know, those first two months didn't go the way that you hopefully planned," Nori said about his struggles and his mindset. "But the great thing about pro baseball is you're playing six days a week. So, every day is a new day and you can do some things."
Phillies No. 6 prospect Dante Nori made small changes that helped turn his season around
In speaking to The Phillies Show crew, Nori indicated that he made two changes during the season. Both changes made significant differences in the outfielder's offensive output.
The first adjustment was moving closer to the plate. The second was an equipment change, switching to the new torpedo bats. Nori spoke about the importance of making those changes.
"You know, we got back in the lab. We're like, 'Hey, we're going to move closer on the plate.' I got a torpedo [bat] in my hands, brought the barrel closer to me," Nori explained. "You know, just basically working [on trying to] think pull side double, swing at inside pitches. ... Just go from there because every single day it's a new task."
The new bat made a difference because it changes where the barrel is located on the bat. Nori developed a fondness for the torpedo bat.
"I've always been a guy [who likes to] hit the ball deeper in the zone, more towards the hands than off the end of the bat," Nori said. "So, I'm like, 'Hey, why not bring the barrel closer to my hands and where I hit the ball the most?' And ever since then, I've never looked back."
The adjustments that he made seem to have paid off. In June and July, Nori batted over .300 and posted a .986 OPS in July.
In late August, the Northville High School product was promoted to High-A Jersey Shore. He played 11 games there, slashing .279/.396/.326. He was then promoted again to get a taste of Double-A ball. In a small, five-game sample size, Nori posted a slash line of .190/.227/.286.
It is important to note that he was more than three years younger than the average Double-A player to close out the 2025 season.
Currently, the Phillies' prospect is playing in the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Saguaros. In 11 games in the AFL, Nori has been tearing the cover off the ball. He is hitting .343 with a .911 OPS so far.
His lone home run was an inside-the-parker in which he rounded the bases in just 14.76 seconds.
It wouldn't be surprising to see Nori begin the 2026 season at Double-A to see if he can adjust to the better pitching at that level. He is not a power hitter, but his ability to get on base, his speed, and his low strikeout rate make him an ideal table setter later in his professional career.