The Phillies knew what they wanted in this draft and they went for it. Their first six picks were all college pitchers while their first eight picks were all pitchers of some sort, with ninth rounder Matthew Ferrara representing the first position player. Philadelphia also spent the first six rounds saving money, going at or below slot with each pitcher before unloading it all on seventh rounder Matthew Fisher. It is not the world's most exciting draft class, instead focusing on high probability major league pitchers, so while first rounder Gage Wood is the only player here with true "star" upside (unless they miraculously find a way to sign twentieth rounder Landon Schaefer), there's a good chance Phillies fans see many players from this class dotting the roster in a few years. As they have tended to do lately, they reached into their own backyard several times by drafting three players from the southern half of New Jersey, one from Delaware, and one from Pittsburgh.
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Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.
Slot value: $3.49 million. Signing bonus: $3 million ($492,000 below slot value).
Getting Gage Wood near the back of the first round already feels like nice value for the Phillies, but getting him for half a million dollars below slot value feels like an outright steal. Wood did not take the typical route to the first round, though draft followers could compare his journey to Cubs 2022 first round pick Cade Horton. He spent his first two seasons as a reliever for Arkansas, taking a nice step forward as a sophomore, then jumped into the rotation this year as a junior. He exited his second start in February with shoulder problems, then got blown up by Texas A&M in his return two months later. However, he bounced back nicely with a strong, brief start against Florida and never looked back, gradually rising up draft boards to the fringes of the first round conversation by the time the College World Series came around. Taking on a red hot, cinderella Murray State club, he delivered perhaps the single best college pitching performance since Kumar Rocker's 19 strikeout no-hitter against Duke in 2019 – a 19 strikeout no-hitter of his own, just an eighth inning, two strike hit by pitch short of a perfect game. With seemingly no accessible college arms doing enough to push towards the middle of the first round, Wood was in a class of his own and the scarcity looked like it could artificially push him higher, so the Phillies are thrilled to get him at #26. It's big stuff headlined by a mid 90's fastball that peaks at 98 with angry riding life, absolutely devouring hitters at the top of the zone as it explodes towards the plate. He has a power curve in the low 80's with hard bite, a plus pitch in its own right, while his slider has taken a step forward and now appears average. At this point, he doesn't use his changeup much. Many pitchers with this kind of profile – power arms seeing significant upticks in their stuff while dealing with injuries – understandably wobble in their command. Wood, meanwhile, did not and has run just a 4.7% walk rate over the past two seasons combined. That's 125 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 78 innings. The 6' righty isn't all that tall, but he's very physical and is a bulldog on the mound, pounding the strike zone with a compact delivery and fearless conviction, holding his velocity deep into starts despite the injuries. Shoulder injuries are often much more complex than elbow and other injuries, so the Phillies will certainly be cautious with Wood despite his successful comeback in the second half of his junior year. If the injuries are indeed behind him, the Batesville, Arkansas native has a chance to follow Cliff Lee in the Arkansas prep -> Arkansas Razorback -> Phillies ace pipeline.
Slot value: $1.42 million. Signing bonus: $1.2 million ($219,100 below slot value).
My rank: #58. MLB Pipeline: #53. Baseball America: #193.
Scouts have a long history with Cade Obermueller. One of the better high school pitching prospects to come out of the state of Iowa in recent years, he ranked #124 on my 2022 draft list but decided to stay home and attend the University of Iowa in his hometown. A draft-eligible sophomore in 2024, he was more or less the same prospect he had been two years prior and found himself ranked #150 on my board that year, so he elected to return to school and see if he could put it all together. As it turns out, he finally did, improving his numbers and his stuff across the board. Obermueller now sits in the low 90's and touches 98, up a tick from last year, with tons of running life to avoid barrels. His best pitch is a massive sweeping slider that is looking more and more like a plus-plus pitch, diving across the plate and missing bats in bunches. While his fastball and slider crept forward in 2025, his changeup does remain a fringy third pitch and will be key to remaining in the rotation. Listed at an even six feet tall like Gage Wood, he's 35 pounds lighter and does not have the same durable look, though he did make 28 starts for the Hawkeyes over the past two seasons and has not had any significant health issues. Perhaps most importantly for his projection as a starting pitcher, his command took a big step forward in 2025 as he dropped his walk rate from 15.2% to 9.0%, marks roughly representing below average and average command, respectively. With a low three quarters, nearly sidearm slot, he has streamlined his delivery and can command not only his fastball but his slider as well to both sides of the plate effectively, reducing his reliever risk if his body continues to hold up. If his size and/or lack of a third pitch due force him to the bullpen, he simply becomes a fastball/slider sidearm reliever that will make for an extremely uncomfortable at bat, especially for lefties. Eligible in 2024, the Iowa City native turns 22 just after the publishing of this article and figures to move relatively quickly.
Slot value: $765,400. Signing bonus: $700,000 ($65,400 below slot value).
My rank: #153. MLB Pipeline: #187. Baseball America: #98.
For their third straight college arm, Philadelphia turned to right hander Cody Bowker. Bowker began his career at Georgetown where he pitched to a 2.80 ERA over two years as a part time starter, then transferred to Vanderbilt and jumped full time into their rotation to moderate success. He works with a low 90's fastball that reaches 95, a little lighter than the other names in this Phillies class, but the pitch plays up due to his lower slot and the riding life he generates. He spins a short, sweeping slider that plays well off his fastball that could become above average in time, or he can tighten it into a cutter. There's a fringy changeup in the mix as well, but he mostly pitches off the fastball and slider. The 6'1" righty isn't huge but looks like he can stick in the rotation, with average command and a repeatable low slot delivery. The stuff is fairly light, but he has managed the success he has to this point with deception and feel for pitching as evidenced by a strong turn against top competition in the Cape Cod League (3.28 ERA, 36/7 K/BB in 35.2 IP). Bowker may be the type to sneak up prospect lists as he works through the minors and continues to keep hitters off balance as they struggle to pick the ball up out of his hand. If not, the Maine native could see his stuff tick up as a fastball/slider reliever from a tough slot. Overall, he is a very similar prospect to Cade Obermueller, just right handed with slightly lighter stuff.
Slot value: $567,000. Signing bonus: $564,500 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: #154. MLB Pipeline: #116. Baseball America: #308.
Sean Youngerman ranked one space behind Cody Bowker on my board and he'll join the Phillies one round later. Like Bowker, Youngerman is a transfer who began his career at Westmont, an NAIA power in Santa Barbara. After two successful years with the Warriors, he transferred to Oklahoma State and eventually pitched his way into the Cowboys rotation. He works with a low to mid 90's fastball that reaches 97 with riding action, sneaking by hitters with late life that leaves hitters frustrated. His loopier slider and average changeup act more as change of pace offerings than true weapons in their own right, leaving him to rely heavily on the heater. Youngerman has a traditional over the top delivery and repeats it well, showing above average command that helped him walk just eight batters all season for an elite 3.9% clip. In fact, he did not walk a single batter in his twelve relief appearances before moving to the rotation in late March. The fastball quality, size, and command give him a chance to start even with his lack of quality secondary stuff. However, he will certainly need to take a step forward with his breaking ball at minimum, because even a well commanded lively heater is not going to fool a big league lineup three times in a row.
Slot value: $257,700. Signing bonus: $1.25 million ($992,300 above slot value).
My rank: #68. MLB Pipeline: #46. Baseball America: #104.
The Phillies saved money for six rounds to go nearly a million dollars over slot and sign Matthew Fisher away from an Indiana commitment. Fisher made his way onto the scene with a strong senior season that had many analysts projecting him in the top forty picks, and while he fell to the seventh round, his signing bonus was the second highest of the Phillies' class and roughly equal to that of the #69 overall pick. Fisher sits in the low 90's with his fastball and touches 95 at peak with running action, though it can dip into the upper 80's at times. He shows good feel for spin with both a slider and a curveball that look above average, as does his changeup with good fade. The 6'3" righty creates some angle with his delivery and repeats it well, throwing all four pitches for strikes with average command. It's a big league body and a big league delivery with a big league pitch mix, all of which bodes well for his future as a big league starting pitcher. He'll need to build up his endurance and ideally grab another couple ticks in fastball velocity, but the ultimate product could be a starting pitcher with four above average pitches and above average command at peak. Fisher is a full year older than most of his graduating class, having turned 19 before his senior season of baseball even began. The Phillies are no stranger to that profile, as it was also the case with 2024 first round pick Dante Nori.
Slot value: $197,600. Signing bonus: $597,500 ($399,900 above slot value).
My rank: unranked MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Matthew Ferrara was coming to the Keystone State one way or another, so the Phillies paid up to stop him short of a trip across the state to the University of Pittsburgh with a fourth round-caliber signing bonus. The first bat drafted by the team, he brings the upside you like to see in a prep shortstop and is trending hard in the right direction. Undersized through much of his high school career, he has gotten bigger and stronger as of late and has grown into real impact. It's a whippy, leveraged right handed swing that shows average raw power now but projects to get to above average in time. He's twitchy and strong and getting stronger. The hit tool is relatively unproven but the Phillies are convicted that he'll hit. As he's added strength, Ferrara has looked like a better fit perhaps at third base than shortstop, though he could end up at any number of positions around the infield. He's nearly fifteen months younger than Matthew Fisher and offers a little extra projection due to his youth. The Phillies see a potential 20 home run bat at the hot corner in a local kid who grew up just fifty miles east of Philadelphia in Toms River, New Jersey.
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Tyler Bowen gives the Phillies another semi-local kid, hailing from the small town of Dagsboro in Slower Lower Delaware just west of the more well-known beach resort Bethany Beach. Relatively unheralded out of Indian River High School, he headed south to Division II Lander University in South Carolina, a school which had just eleven players drafted in its history prior to this season (which is still not bat for a D-II school). Ironically, not only did Lander see two players go in this draft – they both went to the Phillies. Now, Bowen will join Montana native Richie Cortese working up through the system. Bowen has been a reliever for three years at Lander, where his power fastball sits mid 90's and touches 99 at peak with riding life. He adds a sharp curveball that looks above average when he gets it over the plate. The 6' righty is a pure reliever prospect with just the two pitches and below average command that led to a 19.0% walk rate over his first two years in Greenwood, though it dropped to a more playable 13.2% in 2025. He'll look to stay in the zone just enough to overpower hitters with his fastball/curveball combination. Set to turn 23 in the offseason, improved command could carry him quickly towards Philadelphia.
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #218.
It's unclear if the Phillies will sign him, but they picked up a true hometown kid in the sixteenth round. Logan Dawson hails from Audubon, New Jersey, a Philadelphia suburb just across the river and attended Eastern High School in Voorhees Township. He grew up a Phillies fan and for his sake I hope a deal can get done. The Phillies have already spent virtually their entire bonus pool even before signing eighth rounder Brian Walters, though the 5% overage gives them nearly $400,000 extra if they choose to use it. If they do and Walters signs for a lower number, they could offer Dawson upwards of $500,000 to stay home rather than attend Boston College and that may be enough. He's three inches taller than Matthew Ferrara and bats left handed, but he otherwise has a somewhat similar profile. He generates great leverage on the ball and channels his strength into above average raw power, elevating with authority and looking to tap 20+ home run power down the line. He's a disciplined hitter too that should adjust well to pro (or ACC) ball from an approach standpoint, though his pure bat to ball is below average at this point. In a small sixteen game sample with Trenton in the MLB Draft League, he walked in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances but struggled mightily with contact, leading to a wacky .097/.310/.097 slash line. Pitchers at the next level will attack him in the zone knowing his contact concerns and that walk rate will drop unless he can find a way to make more in-zone contact. He has shown well at shortstop to this point and should stick there in the short term, though long term he is more likely a third baseman. Dawson is old for the class and was already 19 on draft day.
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
One last local guy for the Phillies. Matthew Potok grew up just ten miles from Matthew Ferrara, attending Jackson Memorial High School in Jackson, Central Jersey. Coastal Carolina recruits well from that area and brought him down along with Orioles comp pick Caden Bodine (Haddon Heights), where he worked his way into the rotation full time by his sophomore year in 2023. After missing 2024 with Tommy John surgery, he returned as a key reliever for the College World Series Finals-bound Chanticleers, though he appeared just twice in the month of June. Potok sits in the low 90's with his fastball and touches 96, working between a riding four seamer and a sinker. He shows an average slider with short, tight break, having added power in his new bullpen role and now reaching the upper 80's at peak. There is a sparsely used changeup as well, but as a reliever, he lived more on the fastball/slider combination. While he doesn't throw nearly as hard as Tyler Bowen above him on this list, he shows above average command and has run very low walk rates throughout his career. He will have success in pro ball by repeating his simple delivery and consistently staying ahead of hitters in the count. If he can grab another tick or two on his fastball, even better.
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