We’re getting ever closer to the MLB draft taking place, an event that the league has tried to copy from the NFL to make it much bigger and much more important sounding to the casual baseball fan.
It’s not. It never will be either.
As we remember, the Phillies pick 26th this year thanks to their being a good team last year, something we should all want.
MLB Pipeline – Mason Neville, OF, Oregon
Neville has long intrigued scouts with his overall athleticism and offensive potential from the left side of the plate, reminding some from his high school days of a young Cody Bellinger. The raw power is very real, and a year after hitting 16 homers with a 33.5 percent strikeout rate, Neville has jumped up boards by greatly cutting down his swing-and-miss, enabling him to get to that pop even more consistently. He can drive the ball gap-to-gap with plenty of pull power. He punishes fastballs and still struggles against softer stuff, but scouts are much more bullish overall that the bat will play at the next level.
Just Baseball – Ethan Conrad, OF, Wake Forest
At the plate, Conrad has shown solid power, but hasn’t fully tapped into it this season. Despite this, he’s still excelling offensively, as he’s produced fantastic numbers. His improving plate discipline has allowed him to record an OBP of nearly .500, an impressive mark. Conrad’s swing is one of the best left-handed strokes in the draft, which should help him once he faces better pitching in professional baseball. He’s about average or slightly above-average in the field and on the bases, which have both shown room for potential improvement.
Baseball America – Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS (California)
Like [Kruz] Schoolcraft, Fien has had an up-and-down spring that is causing some teams to scratch their heads. Fien was arguably the best performer in the high school class throughout the summer circuit, and at this point in the draft, has a strong case for the best hit/power combo available. He’s a right-right high schooler who might be a corner profile, but that was the case for Aidan Miller at the time, as well—that pick has worked out nicely for the Phillies so far.
The Athletic – Jack Bauer, LHP, Lincoln-Way East HS (Illinois)
I considered putting Bauer with Detroit at No. 24 and he could end up there but this spot is a fit too. The Phillies are among the most risk-tolerant teams in the first round, and scouting director Brian Barber has yet to take a college guy with his first selection.
