From July 11-12 the Phillies will make 21 selections in the draft and odds are that 99.9% of you (me included) will have never heard of any of them. That’s completely normal because the MLB Draft is weird. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t find out everything there is to know about these guys in hopes that one day they will either come to Philadelphia or be a part of a trade down the line. I’ll be updating all weekend.
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#36 – Tyler Spangler – SS – De La Salle HS
Spangler is a left-handed SS who doesn’t turn 19 until October. MLB compares him to Cal Ripkin Jr (and others to Corey Seager) in that he’s big at 6’3″ and 200 pounds but actually has the skills to stick at SS. This is a Top 10 talent falling to the Phillies at #36. Why? A back injury caused him to miss his entire senior season. However, he was able to participate in the MLB combine and was no worse for wear. Obviously, back injuries and baseball players are not a good thing though.
In everything I’ve read, Spangler is described as polished. His swing is polished, his plate discipline is polished, and his fielding is polished. All of that combined had him ready to be a top talent this season. Instead, he saw his rank fall and inexplicably in the Phillies range. MAJOR Aiden Miller vibes coming from this one.
Before the injury, the Phillies would have had no chance with Spangler as he was seen as a top 10 pick. Instead, the Phillies take the lottery ticket in the 30s. He is committed to Stanford. Even with the injury, he probably needs to be bought out of his commitment over slot. The Phillies don’t mess around with signability though, so assume they know his number.
There are essentially two outcomes for Spangler next season. He either shoots up the Phillies prospect ladder or he reinjures his back and everyone screams at this being a wasted pick. Just another day in the life of the Phillies draft process.
#64 – Caden Bogenpohl – OF – Missouri State
The Phillies have drafted a monster! Bogenpohl is a 6’6″ 250 pound behemoth. That sounds a lot like the last time the Phillies drafted a Missouri State Bear, Ryan Howard. He worked out just fine. As for Bogenpohl, he’s a 4th year junior so he still has eligibility, but is only 21. Assume he’s going to sign for slightly under slot.
The hitting profile doesn’t make a ton of sense. He’s obviously a beast and hits the ball extremely hard…on the ground. Hopefully that means just a few tweaks gets him hitting long flys instead of grounders again. He went from hitting 20 HRs as a freshman to just 6 this past year. The good news is that he knows how to take a walk instead of just swinging at everything. His 52 walks to just 48 strikeouts this season is promising. The OBP being higher than his slugging this past season is just plain weird.
#100 – Ruger Riojas – Starting Pitcher (R) – Texas
Riojas started as a reliever, transferred to Texas, moved to a starter where he was up and down, then shoved as a senior after going undrafted. The Phillies end up getting a high upside pitcher while still getting a low leverage prospect in terms of signability. That’s a rare win win, even if he is probably going to just go for slot value.
Riojas has a mid-90s heater that gets up to 98, but it moves all over the place just like his amazing hair. That resulted in 120 Ks in only 81 innings and an even more impressive 21 walks. Needless to say, from the picture below, people are going to love this guy.
Considering he is nearly 23 already, the expectation is for him to start the year in AA. Further, since his career high in innings before this year was 69 and he is only at 81 right now, he needs to keep pitching. They probably want him at least 100 before the year is out.
Also, he made my Top 10 Best Names this draft!
#128 – Deven Sheerin – Relief Pitcher (R) – LSU
Sheerin is another big boy at 6’5″ and 255 pounds, but this one is throwing 100. He probably grew up a Phillies fan from Reading, PA and heading to JuCo in Maryland before LSU. The righty missed all of his sophomore year due to a torn ACL playing basketball, but came back even better. A hometown reliever in the 4th round seems very much like an underslot deal, even if he is coming from a major program like the Tigers.
Stat to Know: 58Ks in 37 innings as a Junior
#135 – Jaxon Jelkin – Starting Pitcher (R) – Kentucky
A big swing by the Phillies with their comp pick as they take the very talented Jelkin who gets high praise for the spin he puts on everything. That is what they call “stuff.” At a tall and lean 6’5″ and 200 pounds, that’s a great pitchers frame that can get his fastball up to 100.
Jelkin has the talent, but he also has the story. He was dismissed from Nebraska as a freshman and had to go to JuCo where he blew out his elbow and needed Tommy John surgery. Now he seems to be recovered from both situations and was pitching in the SEC this season. His numbers are deceiving. in 97 innings, he managed 106 Ks to only 21 walks. That’s good. Unfortunately, he gave up an Aaron Nola-esque 15 HRs. That’s bad. He clearly has the goods in terms of control, but his ability to stay focused looks to be the problem.
Jelkin has already been drafted twice including in the 14th round by the Dodgers out of JuCo back in 2023 and then in the 9th round by the Mets in 2024.
In looking up why he was dismissed from the Cornhuskers, there is not much information out there. It could even be that he left the program voluntarily. As soon as I find something out, I will get the word out.
2nd member of my Top 10 Best Names to get picked by the Phillies!
#161 – Will Gasparino – OF – UCLA
The MLB broadcast made it clear that this kid is as athletic as anything despite being 6’5″ and 220 pounds. Looking at videos though, he looks kind of goofy. Both sound very Phillies-y. He’s a California righty who spent his first two seasons at Texas before transferring to the powerhouse Bruins this season where he did a lotta bit of everything: .314 average with a solid 1:2 walk to K ratio and 20 dingers. Surprisingly few SBs though for someone who is supposed to be hyper athletic.
What quick look at the video has shown me is that this kid might be an a-hole despite what his gangly look and little boy face gives off. He’s been ejected for malicious contact on the base paths at least twice in plays that are clearly dirty. He has been ejected a few times for running his mouth too. I could go either way on this to be honest.
Cool story: Gasparino and #1 pick Bruins teammate Roch Cholowsky have known each other since they were 5 when their families vacationed together because both their fathers were scouts assigned to the Cape Cod League.
#190 – Macon Winslow – C? – UNC
21-year-old righty transferred from Duke to UNC after his sophomore year (that’s called a “heel” turn). The reason that question mark appears above is that he didn’t cut it behind the plate for the Tar Heels and spent the year DHing (he apparently has a good arm though). As a catcher, 10 HRs and more walks than strikeouts with a .282 average is pretty good. As a DH though? Not so much. This is very likely an underslot selection for a guy who likely doesn’t have a real spot on UNC next year.
Above is probably the negative version of him. For something more positive highlighting his work ethic, read this write up from the Daily Tar Heel after he transferred. Apparently, he grew up on a sod farm. If that doesn’t breed a good catcher, I don’t know what will.
#219 – Bo Rhudy – Relief Pitcher (R) – Tennessee
Rhudy is a burly righty who started Volunteering after two years at Kennesaw State in Georgia. In 32 innings this year he struck out 41 hitters and only walked 6 (combined with last year it is 85:11). The problem was 7 dingers. Despite being a reliever, his fastball only sits in the low 90s, but his extension and spin are so good that his fastball/slider combo really plays.
At 22 in November, they may stick him in AA and see what happens this year. I can’t imagine signability is much of a concern here.
#249 – Wyatt Danilowicz – Starting/Relief Pitcher (L) – Louisville
Danilowicz pitched his whole college career at Louisville, first as a reliever before moving to the rotation this season. I’m assuming the Phillies see him in the bullpen because the results were not great with a full workload. In 2025 he struck out 52 in 33 innings with a 3.78 ERA. This season though, 84 Ks in 69 innings is… nice, but a 6 ERA is not.
WD missed all of 2024 due to injury. Should be a well below slot signing.
#279 – Cooper Consiglio – Starting/Relief Pitcher (L) – NC State
Consiglio is only 20 despite just wrapping up his junior year in and out of the Wolpack rotation. The results have not been good considering he has a 7+ ERA over those seasons and with a 6.90 ERA this year, it is not improving (well, I guess technically it is, but yikes!). The results may be a tad deceiving though since he got tattooed in his final start for 8 runs in .1 innings against Auburn.
This looks like a well underslot signing.
#309 – Reece Moroney – SS – Rhode Island
The NJ native spent his collegiate career all with Rhode Island where he excelled with his defense and contact at the plate but power is not his thing. Still that contact skill is legit, check it out…
- Hitless in only 11 of 57 games as a Junior
- Reached base in 52 of 57 games
- 14 game hit streak
- finished the season with 6 straight multi-hit games
A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, but MLB notes that he will possibly move to 2nd base. Usually a 1:1 guy, his strikeouts went up and walks down in 2026 as he hit the ball harder.
#339 – Drew Titsworth – Relief Pitcher (R) – Clemson
I am not nearly mature enough at 43 years old for this name, but Titsworth is coming off a decreasingly productive career at Clemson that saw his ERA go from 3.15 as a freshman to 5.09 as a junior. Looking at video of him, the arm starts at 3/4 but then something happens and it comes out sidearm. I would say this is deceptive to hitters, but they clearly have had no problem hitting him.
In his favor is that he just turned 21, and has a great pitchers frame at 6’3″ and 215 pounds. The fastball is in the mid 90s.
#369 – Christian Coppola – Relief Pitcher (R) – St. Joseph’s (yes, that one)
Another local boy! Not only is he from St. Joes, but he was even born in the same hospital as me in South Jersey and went to Ceder Creek HS in Egg Harbor Township. Coppola began his career as a starter at Rutgers, but a transfer to Arizona first then St. Joes has him coming out of the pen now.
At 22, his junior year finally saw him arrive with 69Ks in 37 innings and only 2 HRs allowed. Some of these guys have gaudy strikeout numbers but with miserable HR rates. Not with Coppola at least. Had an immaculate inning against Saint Louis earlier in the year.
Not to be confused with the Coppola family, though I would like to start that rumor by claiming he is related to Nic Cage.
#399 – Brayden Bakes – OF – Illinois State
So, Brayden Bakes had himself a year. In his 2nd season with Illinois State, Bakes hit .393 with more walks than Ks, 22 doubles, and 16 HRs. He’s also only 5’9″ and a stocky 195 pounds. What the hell is that??? He’s another one with some fun batting stats:
- Hit in 46 out of 57 games
- On base in 51 out of 57
- Two 6+ streaks of multi-hit games (6 and 8)
He has a twin brother!!! They are/were teammates in college and both hit grand slams in the same game this season. Ryan Bakes is a catcher still waiting for his name to be called as of now.
#429 – Patrick Clemmey – Pitcher (L) – Avon Old Farms HS
The Phillies have finally gone the high school route with a lefty pitcher committed to Georgia. Despite being just 18, Clemmey is 6’5″ and 220 pounds with a fastball already up to 95 and a very good curveball apparently. This is after having Tommy John surgery already in HS. This is probably the big overslot signing the Phillies have been saving for.
#459 – Owen Clyne – SS – George Mason
Clyne can hit, much like his fellow Atlantic 10-er Reece Maroney above. He had separate 11 and 13 game hit streaks this season in route to a .335 average and more walks than Ks. The Phillies seem to have a type right now: good contact and powerless.
He was named All-ECAC Shortstop and led George Mason in essentially every category.
#489 – Matt Quintanar – Catcher – Texas Tech
Quintanar had two solid seasons playing JuCo ball before transferring to the Red Raiders for his junior season. When he finally got his chance, he didn’t miss it. Quintanar was a good hitter for two years and then didn’t miss a beat against tougher competition this year, hitting .323 with 20 walks to only 17 Ks starting pretty much every day. His skill behind the plate is considered very good,
#519 – Adam Troy – Relief Pitcher (R) – USC
First of all, it is completely ridiculous that a guy named Troy pitched for USC. Second, this was the guy who his coach didn’t trust to lock down his Super Regional against UNC. His coach took him out with a 3-0 count after getting an out and walking a batter. The next guy promptly blew it. That’s how Troy’s college pitching career ended. Needless to say, I don’t think Troy is going back to the Trojans, despite the perfect name.
He apparently enjoys the movie A River Runs Through It, and I think this goes without saying, who doesn’t?
#549 – Lane Haworth – OF – University of Texas San Antonio
The former Wichita State Shocker tanked his sophomore year after a promising freshman season and transferred to UTSA. Thankfully, he regained his form with a .315 AVG and more walks than Ks (again). At least this one has some power. We are fully in the just organizational guys portion of the draft. He played RB in high school.
#579 – Braeden Lipoff – C – Gloucester Catholic High School
Lots of boxes checked here:
- High School Player
- VERY Local Kid from Woolwich, NJ which is right over the river
- Catcher
Lipoff is committed to East Carolina, but considering how close he is to home, they obviously know him and think they can sign him. Plus, he absolutely has to be a Phillies fan, right? Perfect Game has him ranked as the 18th best catcher in the country coming out of high school. That will play.
He hit .400+ throughout high school with power and speed.
#609 (what a great zip code) – Justin Lee – Relief Pitcher (R) – UCLA
Rounding out this year’s draft is a second player from the Bruins. Not a bad place to pick from considering they went like 52-8 this season. Lee was playing himself off the team before a solid junior season got him back on the radar somewhat with a 3.26 ERA.
Photo: SportsVideo.org
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