The Philadelphia Phillies' 2026 draft class will more than likely be defined by how first-round pick Tyler Spangler responds to and recovers from the back injuries he suffered during his high school playing days. We've already had to hold our breaths with 2023 first-rounder Aidan Miller; using another top pick on a guy with similar concerns was a high-risk play by the front office.
However, Spangler isn't the only prospect who could make or break this class. The Phillies had four others picks in the top 150 this year, which they used on three college pitchers and outfielder Caden Bogenpohl, all of whom could rise quickly through the system. And yet, even they may not be the true highlights -- instead, that honor belongs to fifth-round pick Will Gasparino.
The 6-foot-6 outfielder out of UCLA has prodigious raw power, hitting 45 home runs across 175 games in college. He's also got impressive arm strength and some surprising speed, making him one of the more toolsy prospects from the draft. Naturally, getting a player with that profile in the fifth round is a boon, and MLB draft experts Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo called Gasparino the biggest steal of the round.
Will Gasparino has top-prospect potential the moment he takes the field in Phillies system
Gasparino, who comes from a baseball family (his father, Bill, was a high-ranking scout for the Dodgers), was considered by most outlets to be a top-100 prospect in this draft. It's not too surprising that he fell to the fifth round -- he struck out more than 29% against SEC competition while at Texas -- but his potential is through the roof if he can build on the improvements he made in his lone season at UCLA.
In 2026, Gasparino managed a .314/.412/.659 line with 20 home runs (34 extra-base hits), an 11.5% walk rate, a 21% strikeout rate, and a 138 wRC+. Draft expert Jamie Cameron said that his power is of the "double plus" variety, while also assuaging some concerns about his hit tool: "It's a longer swing, but the staff at UCLA have him on plane earlier and have quieted down his lower half, work that has unlocked a much better version of Gasparino."
Of course, prospects of this nature do always have a chance of busting out, and his periodic struggles against the best competition in college baseball do leave room for concern. His frame is one that can generate a ton of loud contact, but is also naturally more prone to called strikes and swings and misses.
There's a lot to like about the Phillies' overall draft class, as the front office and scouting department did a nice job mixing high-risk, high-reward picks (like Spangler and Gasparino) with a bevy of safer prospects. This was exactly the infusion of young talent this farm system has been desperate for.
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