Mickey Moniak beginning to look like a worthy top draft pick

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Moniak was the top overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft

During their recent half-decade plummet to the bottom of the National League standings, the Philadelphia Phillies found themselves picking at a high position in the annual MLB Amateur Draft on a regular basis.

The Phillies had such a horrendous season in 2015 that their 63-99 record proved to be the worst in all of Major League Baseball. That set the club up with the #1 overall pick of the 2016 MLB Draft.

This was going to be far from a slam-dunk selection. Sure, the draft has yielded some true impact players with that first overall pick. Since the turn of the century, that top pick has produced stars in Joe Mauer, David Price, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, Gerrit Cole, and  Carlos Correa.

However, there have been as many misses as hits. Players selected #1 overall since the year 2000 also include Bryan Bullington (2002), Delmon Young (2003), Matt Bush (2004), Mark Appel (2013), and Brady Aiken (2014). Some were injury casualties. Some simply never developed as hoped.

Others made an impact, but it would be hard to say that they justified a first overall draft selection: Luke Hochevar (2006) and Tim Beckham (2008) fall into this category.

Even Justin Upton, taken first overall in 2005, has to be considered an overall disappointment when considering he was the top draft pick. Dansby Swanson, the top selection in the 2015 draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, is just emerging this year as an impact player after being traded to the Atlanta Braves.

In June of 2016, Matt Klentak was overseeing his first draft as the general manager of the Phillies. Johnny Almaraz was the club’s head of amateur scouting at the time. When MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred stepped to the podium to announce the selection, he called the name of Mickey Moniak, an outfielder from La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, California.

Phillies select Bryson Stott in first round, 40 players total, in 2019 MLB Draft

Bryson Stott was Phillies 2019 first round pick

After three days, the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft is now finally complete. 

The Philadelphia Phillies selected 40 players in total, and will now begin the process of negotiating contracts and then assigning players to their minor league system.

The Phillies, who had no second round pick this year due to the signing of free agent Bryce Harper back in late February, had an interesting first seven rounds. During that early phase of the selection process the Phillies chose three shortstops and four pitchers.

Overall, the Phillies draft prospects shake out as follows positionally: 12 left-handed pitchers, 11 right-handed pitchers, 3 catchers, 1 first baseman, 1 second baseman, 5 shortstops, 1 third baseman, 1 corner outfielder, 5 center fielders.

The Phillies selected 21-year-old shortstop Bryson Stott out of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) with their first round pick at 14th overall. Stott had been projected by most pre-draft evaluation services as a likely top ten pick, so the Phillies appear to have gotten strong value.

The second pick came in the third round, and appears on the surface to have been a bit of a reach. The Phillies made shortstop Jamari Baylor that selection at 91st overall. An 18-year-old out of a Virginia high school, Baylor had been projected by MLB as the 161st-ranked prospect, and he did not show up at all in Baseball America’s Top 200 pre-draft rankings.

Braden Halladay, eldest son of Roy, chosen by Blue Jays in 2019 MLB Draft

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Halladay surrounded by sons Braden (L) and Ryan (R) in 2014

The late Roy Halladay is justifiably beloved by the Philadelphia Phillies fan base. The big right-hander, who died tragically at the young age of just 40 while piloting his private plane in November 2017, was chosen as one of the 2018 Phillies Wall of Fame honorees after going 55-29 over parts of four seasons with the club.

‘Doc’ registered a 3.25 ERA and 1.119 WHIP mark across 103 starts with the Phillies, allowing 649 hits over 702.2 innings with a 633/137 K:BB. He also tossed a Perfect Game in a Phillies uniform, as well as one of only two postseason no-hitters in Major League Baseball history. Halladay was the 2010 NL Cy Young Award winner, finished as the runner-up for the honors the following year, and was an NL All-Star in each of those two seasons.

But as beloved as Halladay is in Philadelphia, he is at least as popular north of the border in the city of Toronto. There, Halladay pitched for parts of a dozen seasons in the uniform of the Toronto Blue Jays. He went 148-76 in Toronto and was a six-time American League All-Star. He captured the 2003 AL Cy Young Award while with Toronto, and finished among the top five in voting four more times.

Now, Halladay and his family will enjoy another tie to the Blue Jays organization, at least temporarily. Braden Halladay, the 18-year-old eldest son of Roy and his wife, Brandy, was selected today by Toronto with their 32nd round pick as the 957th overall player chosen in the MLB Amateur Draft.

Toronto Blue Jays

✔@BlueJays

On Day 3 of the 2019 #MLBDraft, we’ve selected RHP Braden Halladay in the 32nd round.

Congratulations, @BradenHalladay! pic.twitter.com/64abT3vkeb

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Phillies sign top draft pick Alec Bohm

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Bohm becomes the Phillies third baseman of the future

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia Phillies announced the signing of 2018 first round draft pick Alec Bohm to a $5.85 million contract. The 21-year old third baseman out of Omaha, Nebraska and Wichita State now heads down to Clearwater, Florida to begin his minor league development.

Bohm (pronounced "Bome") is an advanced college hitter whom the Phils selected with the third overall pick in last week's 2018 MLB Draft.

If you are thinking already about when he might get to Citizens Bank Park to make his big league debut in red pinstripes, it is wholly reasonable to think that could happen early in the 2020 season, if not sooner.

It is anticipated by scouts that Bohm will hit. He has a great eye at the plate, good patience, and big time power. The question has never been with his right-handed bat. What has concerned some with the 6'5", 225-pounder is where he will end up defensively.

Phillies director of amateur scouting Johnny Almanzar, addressed this question specifically in the aftermath of his selection. Per Matt Gelb at The Athletic, Almanzar stated the following:

“We loved the bat. We loved the offensive capabilities, so we would have taken him regardless [of] whether he felt he could stay there. But we don’t believe that. We believe he can stay there. He’s a very athletic player. He’s a good third baseman and, with some instruction, I believe that he’s got the chance to be an average to an above-average third baseman at the major-league level. Very, very athletic for his size at 6-foot-5.”

Bohm hit well at Roncalli Catholic High School in Omaha, and won the Home Run Derby at the Connie Mack World Series in 2015. But he went undrafted out of high school and moved on to Wichita State.

During his collegiate career, Bohm blasted 40 doubles and 33 home runs, 16 of those homers in this past Junior season. He became an all-star in the Cape Cod League, and was named a first-team All-American by Baseball America.

Bob Brookover at Philly.com pointed out just how important it will be to the Phillies for Bohm to be able to stick at the hot corner: 

"...mostly third base has been a huge hole for the Phillies over the last 15 years. The Phillies have finished 21^st or lower in OPS at third base 12 times during that stretch, including 28^th last year. This year, the Phillies’ third basemen ranked 25^th in OPS at .698 going into Tuesday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies."

Bohm was in attendance at the draft, and it was clear in his post-selection on-air interview that he isn't particularly comfortable in front of the cameras just yet. His answers to local reporters have been just as succinct.

“It’s been a wihirlwind for me,” said Bohm per Tom McGurk at The Courier-Post. “I’m excited to get started. I just want to get out there and get some at-bats, get back into playing, it’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve played.”

That's fine. Some of that hesitation will melt away the more he faces reporters questions and matures as a person and a ball player. More importantly to Phillies fans is that Bohm speaks loudly with his bat, and that he advances to play in South Philly as quickly as possible.

Phillies lead race for top 2018 MLB Amateur Draft pick

Brady Singer could be top pick in 2018 MLB Draft

On Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies will begin playing the final full month of their 2017 schedule. The club will enter that last full month with the worst overall record in baseball.

The Phillies dropped the final two games of their most recent series against the woeful Atlanta Braves by a combined scored of 14-3. Now the club opens up a four-game weekend set with the Miami Marlins on Thursday.

That series in South Florida begins an 11-game away trek against division rivals, the Phillies longest road trip of the season. It continues with three against the New York Mets, and then a four-gamer with the Washington Nationals next weekend.

Entering play on  Thursday, the Phillies sport a record of 49-83. The San Francisco Giants (82), Chicago White Sox (79), and Cincinnati Reds (77) are currently closest to the Phillies in the loss column.

Should they finish with the worst record, it will be for the second time in three years. In 2015 the Phillies finished 63-99, the worst record by any Phillies team since the year that I was born. That 1961 squad dropped 107 games, and currently stands as the worst Phillies team in more than 70 years.

Baseball's Boone family has much to celebrate on Father's Day

Bob, Bret, Ray, and Aaron Boone (L-R)

When I was a kid, my hometown MLB team, the Philadelphia Phillies, introduced a young catcher by the name of Bob Boone.

Boone was 24-years old when he made his Phillies debut in September of 1972. It was the start of a full decade stretch as the Fightin’ Phils primary catcher. During that time the club would capture five NL East crowns, counting the first-half of the 1981 split-season.

Boone was the starting catcher for the 1980 World Series champions, receiving the pitch that Tug McGraw would throw past Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals to clinch that first-ever title in franchise history.

Traded to the then California (now Los Angeles) Angels for the 1982 season, Boone would ultimately play into his 40’s.

In 2005, Boone was elected to the Phillies Wall of Fame, the seventh member of that 1980 championship team so honored.

RELATED STORY: Philography: Bob Boone

At some point while I was growing up, I learned that Boonie was a second-generation big leaguer. His father, Ray Boone, was an infielder who had spent 13 seasons in Major League Baseball.

The elder Boone came up as a shortstop with the Cleveland Indians in 1948. He would play in 974 of his 1,373 big league games on the left side of the infield. Boone played in 464 games at short and in 510 games at third base. He also appeared in 285 games at first base, and played second base once.

The two Boones were a rarity in the annals of MLB history. They were just the third father-son combination to become big league all-stars. Ray was an AL All-Star in 1954 and 1956 while with the Detroit Tigers. Bob would make the NL All-Star team three times (1976, 78, 79) and was also a 1983 AL All-Star while with the Angels.

MLB Draft first rounders not guaranteed success

Last night's first round of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft was full of excitement and anticipation for the teams and families involved. 

However, history shows that most of those selected will prove to be forgettable choices.

As an example, a look back at the draft from exactly a decade ago reveals such varied results. There were a couple of superstars in that 2007 MLB Draft, and a few other star-caliber players. There were also some who carved out a small niche for themselves in the big leagues.

But there were also a bunch of never-weres mixed into the selection process. Each one of those misses was considered to be a strong prospect at the time they were drafted.

The Tampa Bay Rays held the first overall pick in 2007, and there really wasn't much of a choice. Left-handed pitcher David Price from Vanderbilt had been considered a near lock for that top selection for months.

With the second pick, the Kansas City Royals chose a left-side infielder from Chatsworth High School in California. The surprise was that the Royals selection was Mike Moustakas rather than Chris Dominguez. 'Moose' had put on a big time power display that spring to pass his more heavily scouted teammate.

Twins have tough decision with top pick in 2017 MLB Draft

At some point before 7:00pm EDT on Monday night, the Minnesota Twins brain trust will make a difficult decision. 

That decision is likely to have a big impact on the organization during the decade of the 2020’s.

Both general manager Thad Levine and president of baseball operations Derek Falvey are in their first seasons in those roles. The future of the organization is now in their hands. On Monday night, they begin putting their stamp on that future.

After earning the worst record in Major League Baseball a year ago, the Twins hold the top pick in the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft.

John Shipley had a Q&A with Falvey published at winonadailynews.com recently. Falvey stated the following in relation to the draft process.

“…the lifeblood of an organization like ours — for any organization, for that matter, but particularly for small and mid-size market teams — is that you need to build through the draft and through development. So, I look at it as, whether we’re picking first, fifth, 10th, 20th doesn’t matter; it’s important for us to get a lot of value out of each draft. It doesn’t just come with Pick 1. We need to be thinking about how we can accumulate as much value as possible.”

The draft will begin tomorrow night, with pre-draft coverage and then the complete first round being broadcast on the MLB Network beginning at 6:00pm EDT.

Phillies Draft Prediction: Pitcher A.J. Puk

It's time for me to end speculation as to whom I believe the Phillies should select with that #1 overall draft selection. For me, that pick is University of Florida left-handed pitcher A.J. Puk.

Puk is a Junior majoring in Criminology at Florida, but his degree is likely going to have to wait a bit. After he is selected at or near the top of the draft, someone is going to be throwing millions of dollars at him and his family.

At 6'7", 230 pounds, and with a fastball that has regularly hit the upper-90's, comfortably sitting in the mid-90's, Puk is no finesse left-hander. This is an advanced 21-year old who, much as with Aaron Nola before him, should not take very much developmental time at all.

With a pitcher like Puk, you are talking a summer of 2017 big league debut in all likelihood. At that point he would join Nola and Vincent Velasquez, as well as whatever others emerge from among the talented young arms the Phillies have percolating in the minors in making up an all-under-25 rotation.

New GM Matt Klentak emphasized pitching as soon as he took the reigns: “If you can pitch, you have a chance,” he said during his introductory news conference. “That will absolutely become an organizational focus for us, to add pitching at every turn. In trades, through waiver claims, in the draft, internationally, free agency. However we need to do it, we will add pitching, pitching, pitching. Because if you can pitch, you have a chance to win every night.”

Klentak is absolutely right. And frankly, you never have enough. Anyone who points to the Phillies recent arms buildup that now includes Nola, Velasquez, and Jerad Eickhoff at the big league level, and pitchers such as Jake Thompson, Zach Eflin, Mark Appel, Ben Lively, Franklyn Kilome, Ricardo Pinto and more in the minors and thinks they have enough simply does not know this game.

As talented as these pitchers are, and as promising as their future looks, both as individuals and as a group, the fact is that all of them will not work out. Some will break down physically. Some will simply plateau, and be fortunate to find a bullpen role in the big leagues. Some may become valuable relief arms for the Phillies.

The Phillies will feel very fortunate if, a couple of years from now, four or five of these young pitchers are actually in their rotation, are healthy, and are productive winners. Most teams never find such a mix from their farm system.

As both a Freshman and Sophomore, Puk was named to the All-SEC Academic Honor Roll. Last spring, he came up big in the postseason for the Gators, compiling a 1.54 ERA in four starts, with a 2-1 record and 30 strikeouts in 23.1 innings.

Last summer, both Baseball America and Perfect Game, two of the top prospect evaluation sources in the sport, named Puk as the top prospect on USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team. This season, Puk allowed just 36 hits in 50.1 innings over 11 starts, with a 71/25 K:BB ratio.

The selection of Puk is certainly no slam-dunk. Frankly, no one could tell you right now exactly who the Phillies will select with any certainty. There are no Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg types at the top of this draft, clear #1 picks.

“We will take the best player — high school, college, position player, pitcher,” Klentak said back in the fall, and there are other possibilities.

The leading candidates aside from Puk at this point appear to be high school pitchers Jason Groome and Riley Pint, college outfielders Corey Ray and Kyle Lewis, college 3rd baseman Nick Senzel, high school shortstop Delvin Perez, and high school outfielders Blake Rutherford and Mickey Moniak.

This is my pick, not the Phillies. I have always been big on college players over high schoolers, especially where pitching is concerned. To me, Puk is a left-handed version of Nola, as far as nearness to big league ready, and may even have a tad higher ceiling.

That's my pick. Later in the month, our entire staff will weigh in with their selections. And as we hit the beginning of June, you can expect even more coverage of the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft, especially where it concerns our Fightin' Phils.

Who do you think the club should select, and why? Feel free to leave us a comment. 

Phillies Early 2016 MLB Draft Preview

Over the course of the off-season, Alexis Girardo at TBOH has been examining many of the top high school and college prospects being looked at closely by the Phils in anticipation of that top selection.

Below is a link retrospective to those pieces, in case you missed any or all when first released, to help you become better acquainted with the possible new Phillies impact prospect.

Also provided below are links to other draft related content provided by myself and other writers here at TBOH in anticipation of that #1 draft selection.

Enjoy the candidates that we have examined to this point. I have included a descriptive snippet of the player from each piece. Click on their name to read the entire piece. The prospects are presented in alphabetical order by last name.

JASON GROOME – “Groome is committed to play college ball at Vanderbilt, but all that could change if he is selected early in the June 2016 MLB draft.  Fangraphs had him listed at #1 on their Top 15 prospects in the 2015-2016 draft showcase this past summer. Groome is 6’6 and 220 lbs, and touches 97 mph on his fastball with ease. He also features a solid curve and change-up as secondary pitches.”

Phillies Select Cornelius Randolph in 2015 MLB Draft

When the Phillies turn came around to select 10th overall in tonight's 2015 MLB First-Year Player Draft, a number of players tied to them were off the board. 

For instance, just this afternoon at TBOH, I speculated on the club selecting from among outfielders Kyle Tucker, Andrew Benintendi, and Ian Happ.

The three outfielders all went off the board prior to the Phillies selection in what was a mild surprise to me, as I thought at least one would still be there. 

Tucker went #5 overall as the 2nd pick of the Houston Astros, who also selected 2nd overall. Benintendi went at #7 to Boston, and finally Happ went to the Cubs at #9, just before the Phillies turn.

With those three outfielders gone, and the three top shortstops gone as expected (those went 1-2-3 for a first ever), and with the three top arms gone in Dillon Tate, Tyler Jay, and Carson Fulmer, the Phillies brain trust had some work to do to come up with a good pick at that point. I believe they did well.

With the 10th overall pick, the Phils selected shortstop Cornelius Randolph out of Griffin High School in Griffin, Georgia. 

Listed at 5'11 and 205 pounds, Randolph turned 18 years old less than a week ago. He bats lefty and fields righthanded, and is also a Clemson University signee, though it is highly doubtful now that he ever steps foot on campus.

Randolph plays shortstop, and the Phillies might let him play there at the beginning. But with J.P. Crawford as the future of the organization at that position, and with Maikel Franco the 3rd base future, I woudn't be surprised if they moved Randolph immediately to left field, allowing his bat to fully develop.

This is a bat-first selection. Randolph is going to hit his way to Citizens Bank Park, and that bat for both average and power is likely to be able to play at the left field position, where pop is a premium.

Harold Reynolds dropped a Tony Gwynn comparison on him following the selection, but the Phils are likely hoping he sacrifices a bit of Gwynn's batting average and develops more power than the Padres great.

The following is the MLB.com scouting report on Randolph:

Name: Cornelius Randolph
Position: SS
School: Griffin HS (Ga.)
Rank on Draft Top 200: 19
DOB: 06/02/1997
Bats: L Throws: R
Height: 6'1" Weight: 190 lbs.
College commitment: Clemson

Tools
Future grades on 20-80 scouting scale
30: Well below average
40: Below average
50: Average
60: Above average
70-80: Well above average

Hit: 55
Power: 55
Run: 40
Arm: 55
Field: 40
Overall: 55

Stats (through June 2)
Avg: .526
AB: 76
2B: 11
HR: 7
SLG: .934

Scouting report
Griffin (Ga.) High has produced a pair of big league infielders in Jeff Treadway andTim Beckham, and it may have a third on the way in Randolph. He's Griffin's best prospect since Beckham and profiles as more of an impact hitter than the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 Draft has become. Randolph has the tools and approach to hit for power and average. He offers bat speed, strength and patience from the left side of the plate. He uses the entire field and has better pitch recognition than most high schoolers. Currently a shortstop, Randolph will move to a less challenging position at the next level. The Clemson recruit has good hands but lacks the quickness to play in the middle infield. His arm hasn't been as strong this spring, when he has dealt with biceps tendinitis, but it and his bat would profile well at third base.