The 2024 Philadelphia Phillies Draft Picks, UDFAs, and Signings

[julio]

Have the Phillies given up on pitchers? This is crazy. We have hitters in the minors. Did we really need all these OFs?

The draft is 20 rounds; we're through five. It's a bit early for seppuku.

[phillychuck]

It's never too early for seppuku in Philly. In fact we are late, if anything.

[andyb]

The draft is 20 rounds; we're through five. It's a bit early for seppuku.

It is a real concern that we have stopped drafting pitchers early though and our pipeline is relatively thin. Guessing we'll draft a big college arm or two with control issues, but are we really getting good pitching prospects after the 5th round on a regular basis?

[Purduke]

Seems to be from an "athletic" family -- that being, a family involved in athletics. Father played BB at Indiana and now NBA coach, momran track at Indiana and nowisa personal trainer for WBB players. Grandad played and coached baseball at Indiana (and supposedly was the guy who recruited Schwarber). I say that because it used to be somewhat common tohold akid back a year if you wanted to give him an extra year to develop if he was targetting a scholarship. Seems to have been replaced by sending kids to IMG or prep school these days -- but maybe his faimily is old school.

Kid is definately pumped up (noinference). Reminds mea little of Lenny D.

[phillychuck]

Hoping for WAY overslot/high bonus guys in the 11th and 12th and/or maybe 13th rounds--more like 2nd-3rd round talent. Don't know where we are saving that money, though.

[phillychuck]

Kid is definately pumped up (noinference). Reminds mea little of Lenny D.

I'd take the Lenny D. performance without the drugs and personality...

[Squire]

In the 6th Round of the 2024 Future Outfielders of America Draft, the Philadelphia Phillies select:

Kodey Shojinaga, C, University of Kansas, SO

Mlb.com unranked
BA #311

[Austinfan]

I think if they liked the available pitchers, they'd have taken one.

The focus on CF/SS reflects that these are the best athletes, so everything else held equal, they are most likely to either stay at a premium spot or be above average defensively at corner OF, 2B or 3B (RF and 3B depending on arm strength).

When you take a HS/college player who lacks athleticism, you're looking at LF, 2B, 1B and DH in the majors, and that generally requires a much better hitter. So chances of ending up with zero WAR player is much higher. It's also easier to sign both starters and bench players who hit at those spots - trying finding a CF with a .800 OPS!

[andyb]

I think if they liked the available pitchers, they'd have taken one.

Well the baseball draft is so wide open that it is impossible to say they did not like all the available options. It also does not change the fact that our pitching depth is really thin, especially with Abel not progressing.

[phillychuck]

This bromide about SSs and CFs being the best athletes has always been true, it's not a revelation that would change drafting strategy in 2024. And we have never picked this many OF in any other draft in the first 6 rounds.

[julio]

Well the baseball draft is so wide open that it is impossible to say they did not like all the available options. It also does not change the fact that our pitching depth is really thin, especially with Abel not progressing.

Mick Abel is not progressing, to be sure, but he's in AAA. Drafting a pitcher anywhere but the top of Round 1 (where we have no pick) isn't going to address a need for a guy in AAA who is ready to step into the majors.

[phillychuck]

Mlb.com unranked
BA #311

Every player we have picked so far has been consensus ranked below the pick number, some way below. Seems we may have succumbed to the "smartest guy in the room" strategy.

[fish]

Kodey Shojinaga

Jim Callis says “I don’t think he can catch. There is some bat to ball skills but you are going to have to figure the rest of it out”

Starting to sound like his last thought pretty much sums up this draft. Clearly position over pitcher is an active working philosophy for them. Or Matt Klentak has taken the draft room hostage.

Another year of filling out rotations with undrafted seniors.

[andyb]

Drafting a pitcher anywhere but the top of Round 1 (where we have no pick) isn't going to address a need for a guy in AAA who is ready to step into the majors.

That is not why you draft pitching though. Apart from the rare polished college arm you are drafting volume because half of them will get hurt and a bunch will never develop the command or offspeed stuff to progress. Didn't the Angels use every pick a couple of years ago on pitchers? Volume of pitching prospects is important. I love that Klassen and Aldegheri and Cabrera have developed into better prospects But they are not good enough to really change our depth situation.

We address the AAA depth question by spending money on guys like Turnbull and Allard and hope they work out. Systemic depth is a different thing.

[allentown]

One bad draft, which this appears to be, won't lead me to seppuku, but I expect the quality in a draft to come by round 5 or in round 11. Beyond round 13, I expect zilch. The majority of $ goes to first rounder, so that is where to expect the draft's impact to be. Not this year!

[andyb]

I would 100% trust Squire and Fish to run a draft for the Phillies. I still remember Squire almost screaming anyone but Hewitt... and then we picked Hewitt.

That draft was a little similar to this draft picking 3 outfielders in a row with similar profiles. At least one of them made the majors.....primarily as a pitcher. Anthony Gose after Hewitt and Collier). So secretly the top of our draft this year is bound to yield a pitcher.

[phillychuck]

Phils announced Shojinaga as a catcher, so I'd think they think he can catch. He has a good build for catching, and apparently is a good enough athlete and player in general that he adapted instantly to playing 2B at Kansas. He has really good on-base skills. this is actually a pick that intrigues me; I hope they can sign him.

[allentown]

Drafting a pitcher anywhere but the top of Round 1 (where we have no pick) isn't going to address a need for a guy in AAA who is ready to step into the majors.

That would be an unrealistic expectation. I just want more pitching prospects in the pipeline and the Phillies have turned away from that in the draft and internationally. Even Hamels started in low minors. Injuries were involved but it took him a while. As an elite, control-oriented college pitcher, even Nola didn't start in AAA.

[julio]

Drafting a pitcher anywhere but the top of Round 1 (where we have no pick) isn't going to address a need for a guy in AAA who is ready to step into the majors.

That would be an unrealistic expectation. I just want more pitching prospects in the pipeline and the Phillies have turned away from that in the draft and internationally. Even Hamels started in low minors. Injuries were involved but it took him a while. As an elite, control-oriented college pitcher, even Nola didn't start in AAA.

That was more or less my point - andyb cited Mick Abel's struggles as a reason we should be pursuing pitching in the draft, and I saw that citation as irrelevant.

[Austinfan]

Not true, both Burkholder and Martini were ranked above where we picked.

Spikerman and Martini both were limited this season due to injury, Spikerman a hamate in March, Martini coming off a labrum surgery.

Mathison sounds like a "we can fix this" gamble on his swing mechanics, power and athleticism is there.