The time is drawing nearer
The MLB Draft is tonight and the Phillies are up in the bottom half of the pickings. Usually, the bottom of a draft is a crapshoot due to most of the top, better known picks are gone by the team the Phillies are on the clock. There promises to be at least a few diamonds in need of polishing when their turn rolls around, so that brings us to our question of today.
Who are you looking at for the Phillies to pick with the #26 draft choice?
For me, the one player I’m zeroing in on is Luke Stevenson. He’s a catcher out of North Carolina, so theoretically, he’s close to the major leagues. He’d still need to get acclimated to the routines of a professional catcher, how to prepare with the pitching staff and the like, as well as getting himself set to face professional pitching. It’s an arduous task, but the life of a college catcher should have him reasonably prepared. Here’s his scouting report from MLB Pipeline:
A physical left-handed hitter, Stevenson has a propensity for hitting balls hard and launching them in the air. His power plays from left-center to the right-field foul pole and could translate into 25 homers per season. He has a reasonably disciplined approach but struggles to make contact against quality fastballs and changeups.
While Stevenson is a well-below-average runner, he has significantly improved his conditioning since high school. He has really cleaned up his receiving and become a solid defender behind the plate. His arm stands out both for pure strength and the accuracy of his throws.
I also am partial to catchers, so that might jade me a bit. Who do you have your eye on?