Phillies Draft Report Card

BEST PURE HITTER: The Phillies added one of the best hitters in college baseball, 3B Alec Bohm (1) with the No. 3 overall pick. Despite a slow start to his pro career, Bohm has an impressive track record of hitting at Wichita State and the Cape Cod League. OF Matt Vierling (5) has shown impressive feel for hitting out of Notre Dame.

BEST POWER: At 6-foot-5, Bohm has the strength, leverage and bat speed to generate plus power, with improved plate discipline in 2018 that helped him tap into that power with even more frequency in games. Vierling also sticks out with above-average raw power, while 3B Matt Kroon (18) and OF Luke Miller (22) both have big power too.

FASTEST RUNNER: OF Corbin Williams (24) is an 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale, blazing the 60-yard dash in 6.25 seconds.

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER: The Phillies may have found a steal in C Logan O’Hoppe (23), who had a big debut offensively in the GCL and is also a solid-average receiver with a plus arm.

BEST ATHLETE: While he’s not a super quick-twitch athlete with burner speed, SS Logan Simmons (6) has good body control at shortstop.

BEST FASTBALL: RHP Dominic Pipkin (9) is the hardest thrower in the Phillies’ draft, running his fastball up to 96 mph. RHP James McArthur (12) has a heavy fastball that’s reached 95-96 mph and RHP Tyler McKay (16) has a plus fastball as well.

BEST SECONDARY PITCH: RHP Colton Eastman (4) flashes a plus changeup that some scouts feel is his best pitch, but the Phillies think it’s his plus curveball that’s a separator with late, biting action. McArthur (12) also flashes an above-average curve.

MOST INTRIGUING BACKGROUND: Kroon is the son of Marc Kroon, who pitched in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The elder Kroon led the NPB’s Central League with 41 saves in 2008 and threw 101 mph.

CLOSEST TO MAJORS: There’s a strong track record of advanced college hitters drafted in the top 5-7 picks racing their way to the big leagues. Bohm fits that mold and could make an impact in the Philadelphia’s lineup by 2020.

BEST PRO DEBUT: The Phillies quickly and aggressively pushed Vierling to low Class A Lakewood, where he thrived, batting .293/.342/.473 in 50 games. O’Hoppe also elevated his stock with a strong introduction to pro ball in the GCL.

BEST LATE ROUND PICK: The Phillies may have gotten a late-round gem from a Long Island high school in O’Hoppe. He projects to stick behind the plate and the early returns offensively have been exciting after he batted .367/.411/.532 in 34 games in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

THE ONE WHO GOT AWAY: The Phillies used their second-to-last pick on C Matt Nelson (39), who is going to Florida State. He has a chance to be an above-average receiver with a strong arm.