First 5 rounds: Adam Haseley (1-8), Spencer Howard (2-45), Connor Seabold (3-83), Jake Scheiner (4-113), Ethan Lindow (5-143)
Also notable: Dalton Guthrie (6-173), Jake Holmes (11-323), David Parkinson (12-353), Colby Fitch (13-383), Shane Drohan (23-683), Quincy Nieporte (26-773), Kyle Hurt (34-1013)
The Phillies decided to play the overslot/underslot game, going overslot with their first pick, followed by three straight underslot picks, back to overslot with the fifth pick, and skipping an unsigned sixth rounder, three straight underslot to close out the first ten rounds. From the 11th to the 16th rounds, they dipped $575,000 overslot into their bonus pool. Let's look out how their strategy played out.
1-8: OF Adam Haseley (my rank: 7)
This is a great pick for the Phillies. Coming into the season, Haseley was a two-way prospect, but he was so good with the bat this spring (.390/.491/.659, 14 HR in a pitchers' park) that everyone pretty much forgot about his pitching. He's an extremely advanced bat, one that has the ability to hit for above average power and get on base at a high clip at the major league level once he gets there. If he's developed right, I even think there is more power to come, and Haseley could legitimately be a 30 HR/.300 AVG/.400 OBP type of player in a best-case scenario. While he won't be Billy Hamilton in center field, he's athletic enough to handle the middle spot and could have quite a few All Star Games in his future. Haseley signed for $5.1 million, which is $319,600 over slot.
2-45: RHP Spencer Howard (my rank: 106)
The Phillies went underslot with their next pick to counteract the Haseley pick, grabbing a solid arm from Cal Poly. Howard walked onto the team last year, then dominated as a draft-eligible sophomore this year, going 8-1 with a 1.95 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP, striking out 97 over 87.2 innings. His fastball has jumped to the low to mid 90's, and he has a hard if inconsistent slider that helps generate swings and misses. He also throws a changeup, giving him the chance to start if the Phillies decide to be patient, but his stuff will probably play up in the bullpen and he could be quicker to the big leagues that way. Howard signed for $1.15 million, which is $373,800 under slot.
3-83: RHP Connor Seabold (unranked)
The Cal State Fullerton ace enjoyed a dominant three year career for the Titans, going 23-15 with a 2.89 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP over 56 games (42 starts), striking out 294 in 280 innings. He's not all that different from former Titan ace and current Phillies prospect Thomas Eshelman, as Seabold sits in the high 80's and low 90's, but he has excellent command. He also throws a curveball and a changeup, but neither are particularly exciting, so his control will have to hold up as he moves through the ranks. He has a chance to be a back-end starter and signed for $525,000, which is $151,900 below slot.
6-173: 2B Dalton Guthrie (unranked)
Guthrie was the last cut from my top 150, having come into the season a potential top 50 pick but sliding due to lackluster performance. I wasn't a big fan of his from the beginning, but he's not a bad get here with the 173rd pick. Guthrie placed himself on the radar with a strong sophomore season at Florida, where he slashed .305/.367/.366 but struck out in just 8.1% of his plate appearances. While he did set a career high with four home runs this year, the slash line fell to .273/.349/.356, and his strikeout rate ballooned to 14%, dropping him about 100 spots or more on most draft boards. If he can bring back his command of the strike zone, he could be a solid utility man. He is the only one of the Phillies' first 19 picks that has yet to sign, but that's because his Florida Gators just won the College World Series and he was a bit preoccupied.
11-323: SS Jake Holmes (my rank: 110)
Holmes fell out of the top ten rounds because of signability, not because of a lack of talent, and the Phillies went way overslot to get him here. Holmes is a high-ceiling high school shortstop from Arizona, but he has a lot of work to do to reach his potential. He shows good power potential with the bat, but his swing mechanics need a complete overhaul as he swings down on the ball and generates power by catching it out front. He's also an athletic shortstop, one who should be able to stick at the position going forward, and if all goes right, he could be the next Jimmy Rollins for the Phillies. Holmes signed for $500,000, which is $375,000 over slot.
Others: 4th rounder Jake Scheiner wasn't listed on the BA 500, but the Houston third baseman showed big power potential by slashing .346/.432/.667 with 18 home runs for the Cougars this year, though his 41/27 strikeout to walk ratio was less than ideal. Philadelphia went overslot on 5th rounder Ethan Lindow to lure him away from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, as Lindow can get his fastball into the low 90's with a feel for a breaking ball and a changeup. However, he still needs to prove that he is durable enough to start every fifth day. 12th rounder David Parkinson had a successful two year career at Ole Miss, going 11-6 with a 3.10 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP over 36 games (23 starts) and striking out 126 in 145 innings. He's a lefty with a running fastball that sits around 90, and with a solid slider, he could be a solid bullpen option. 13th rounder Colby Fitch served as Louisville's starting catcher this year after Will Smith was drafted by the Dodgers off that position last year, and Fitch blasted 11 home runs in his power breakout. However, he also batted just .259, so his .372 on-base percentage was reliant on his 12.2% walk rate. He has a short, powerful swing, but he's likely a back-up catcher if he reaches the majors. 23rd rounder Shane Drohan cracked my top 150 at #118, but he probably won't sign here and will instead attend Florida State. Drohan is a 6'2" lefty with a fastball around 90 and a very good curveball, the latter of which could be his carrying pitch down the road. Solid combination of ceiling and floor for a high schooler. 26th rounder Quincy Nieporte was a big producer as a senior for Florida State this year, slashing .302/.378/.510 with 11 home runs for the Seminoles and striking out in a decently low 12% of his plate appearances. He will have average big league power if he makes it that far, but he turns 23 at the end of July and is physically maxed out as it is. 34th rounder Kyle Hurt ranked 98th on my list, but he'll likely attend Southern Cal with this draft spot. Hurt shows the upside of a big league starter, coming in with a low 90's fastball and a big breaking curveball. He does tip his pitches occasionally by changing his arm slot, and he's already 19, so he has a lot of work to do and will be eligible as a sophomore at USC. There were also some minor makeup questions that are probably best addressed at school rather than in pro ball.
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