2025 MLB Draft Speculation

[Squire]

Any of you social media stalkers figure out if the Phillies had a pre-draft group at CBP and who was there?

[fish]

“ Shortstop Devin Saltiban (third round, 2023) was placed on the injured list after a testicular injury from getting hit by a pitch this season.”

Well then, take allll the time you need Devin. That would explain some things.

[Squire]

Kiley McDaniel 2 round mock draft (7/11) - Continues to say that its Matt Fisher

Pick 26 Matthew Fisher, RHP, Evansville Memorial HS (IN)
Rank: 44

This one would be another curveball, but the Phillies likely can't get Fisher to their second pick and would be set up for an overslot move at their next pick(s), similar to what they did last year. Andrew Fischer is also mentioned here. Alec Blair (a top 100 basketball recruit in the country) and Sean Gamble are among the prep position players they could target to move down the board.

Pick 63 Philadelphia Phillies: Alec Blair, CF, De La Salle HS (CA)

[bigegypt0417]

Blair is interesting...Oklahoma recruit who is also a highly regarded basketball player...seems like you'd need to go over slot for him.

[zambonir]

Seems like it would be hard to beat out an NIL deal from an SEC school in two sports

[bigegypt0417]

I guess it's encouraging that he continued going to combines but maybe it's mote for experience.

[Squire]

I agree with this. That being said, you can rest assured that if the Phillies take him, they have an agreement.

[zambonir]

If he wants to give up basketball or has been advised it's a dead-end for him professionally that would certainly tilt things more, though the opportunity to make NIL money and still have fun as a two-sport guy for a while could still be tempting in and of itself I guess.

[julio]

If he wants to give up basketball or has been advised it's a dead-end for him professionally that would certainly tilt things more, though the opportunity to make NIL money and still have fun as a two-sport guy for a while could still be tempting in and of itself I guess.

Yeah, it would be tempting, and lucrative - assuming that Oklahoma is willing to allow him to compete in both sports. As an advisor, I would want to play devil's advocate just a bit, and point out that a single knee injury could end the kid's aspirations of a large professional payday in either sport, and pursuing both at the major-college level is not risk-free.

(Of course, kids being kids, and thinking of themselves as invincible, would suggest that such devil's advocate counseling would be a waste of time! )

[andyb]

I have every confidence that the Phillies will sign all their top picks, but I really don't want then going overslot dramatically with their limited bonus pool. That leaves them with no extra flexibility later in the draft to go mildly overslot for anybody.

Last year's strategy of spending $5 million combined on their top 2 picks looks poor at the moment. A few $100K here and there and we might have added some actual pitching somewhere - but we chose not to.

[zambonir]

Well McDaniel is just speculating about them repeating that '24 strategy here, nobody really knows if it's what they're thinking [or about whom].

[andyb]

In general I don't mind the strategy of going under on the top pick but last year we were $400K over on the combined slots for picks 1 and 2. Besides the fact that neither looks like a $2.5 million player at this point, the reality is we could not go overslot on anyone else in the draft last year. Carter Mathison was slightly above slot but that does not look good today either.

Is Titan Hayes the pitcher we like the most out of this draft at this point? That is pretty pathetic in terms of talent.

If they can get Fisher under slot and they really like him that is great. I just wish they would take the savings and make the talent at several picks better. HS pitchers don't really go dramatically underslot in the first round though like Nori who was older.

[Squire]

7/11 Baseball America Draft Podcast on the Phillies - didn't sound like they had a lot of good intel on the Phillies but mentioned

Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS, CA
Kruz Schoolcraft, LHP, Sunset HS, OR
Xavier Neyens, 3B, Mount Vernon HS, WA

Will take BPA, Upside, Risk, - wide bucket of players