Phillies stock up on position players on Day 2
Todd Zolecki
@ToddZoleckiPHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies loaded up on position players in the first two days of the 2024 MLB Draft.
After the Phils took high school outfielders Dante Nori and Griffin Burkholder in the first two rounds on Sunday, they did not select a pitcher until the eighth round on Monday, when they took Georgia Tech left-hander Camron Hill with the 252nd overall pick.
It is the latest the Phillies have gone in a Draft without selecting a pitcher. Previously, they had never gone past the sixth round (2023 and ¡®03).
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The Phils selected University of Oklahoma shortstop John Spikerman with the 100th overall pick in the third round on Monday. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 126th best prospect in the Draft. Philadelphia selected Virginia Tech shortstop Carson DeMartini with the 130th overall pick in the fourth round. Pipeline ranked him as the 93rd best prospect in the Draft.
Spikerman broke the hamate bone in his right hand this past March and rejoined Oklahoma¡¯s lineup in May. Speed is his calling card. He has 70-grade speed on the 20-80 scale. He hits the ball on the ground, but he uses his speed to beat out hits and steal bases.
DeMartini hits for power from the left side of the plate. He posted an OPS over 1.000 in each of his first two seasons with the Hokies. A right shoulder injury forced him to DH in 2023, and he eventually had surgery to repair his labrum. The power returned in ¡®24, but so did concerns about his approach.
The Phillies took Indiana outfielder Carter Mathison with the 162nd overall pick in the fifth round. Pipeline ranked him 204th. Mathison set a freshman record with 19 homers for the Hoosiers in 2022. Once projected to be a top-three-round pick, his performance dipped in each of the past two seasons. Scouts believe Mathison has 25-homer potential in the big leagues if everything works out.
Kansas catcher Kodey Shojinaga was the Phillies¡¯ choice in the sixth round (192nd overall). He batted .335 with five home runs, 46 RBIs and a .402 on-base percentage over 233 at-bats as a sophomore in 2024. He walked 25 times and struck out 22 times.
The Phillies took Presbyterian College (S.C.) outfielder Joel Dragoo in the seventh round (222nd overall).
They used their next two picks on pitchers: Hill in the eighth round and Iowa right-hander Marcus Morgan in the ninth round (282nd overall). Pipeline ranked Morgan as the 247th Draft prospect. The Phillies finished Monday by selecting Kansas State second baseman Brady Day in the 10th round (312th overall).