 |
| Andrew Painter posted a 0.38 ERA in his senior season. | PHOTO: Miami Herald |
The organization selected Andrew Painter with the 13th overall pick, a 6-foot-7 right-hander from Calvary Christian Academy in Florida with an impressive arsenal highlighted by a mid-90s fastball and a solid changeup. Sixty-six percent of his outs (93 in 47 innings) this season came via strikeout, and he posted an ERA of 0.38. He also earned first-team All-American honors from MaxPreps.
"He's a complete package," said Phillies scouting director Brian Barber. "This is a kid that desires to be great."
Most mock drafts projected Painter as a mid-to-late first-round selection, but the Phillies had a unique look as Painter spent two seasons playing with Dante Girardi, the son of manager Joe Girardi.
“We had an opportunity to get some inside information on some of his background and makeup,” Barber said.
“Joe was always around before practice, raking the field,” Painter said. “We’d always talk.”
Painter is orally committed to the Florida Gators, but first-round draftees usually forgo college and ink a professional contract.
The Phillies went with outfielders in the next two rounds of the draft, selecting Ethan Wilson with the second pick and Jordan Viars with the third.
Wilson hits from the left side and brings a power bat. A First-Team All-American, he hit seven homers to go along with a .313 batting average and 31 RBIs this past spring with the University of South Alabama.
“We think it’s a complete hitting package,” Barber said. “We just love the offensive potential and production. It’s high contact skills with really good barrel control and a guy who hits the ball hard. So we think it’s the complete offense package with the (ability) to hit and hit for power in the future."
Viars, who turns 18 next week, already has a sizeable frame at 6-foot-4, 215-pounds.
“This is a bat we’re super excited to bring into our system,” Barber said. “He’s really young but big and strong already and he can really hit. He drives the ball to left-center and has the ability to turn on it for power. He plays the corner outfield spots and first base, but the bat was the attraction.
“There were multiple teams on him. After we picked him, we got texts from other teams saying, ‘You stole our guy.’ We think it’s a complete hitting package.”
Barber, now in his second season with the Phillies, is hopeful these three picks will bolster a farm system often ranked in the bottom tier when it comes to impact talent.
The Phillies selected right-hander Mick Abel out of Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon, with their first pick last year, No. 15 overall. He has a 1-3 record this season with a 4.23 ERA for the low-A Clearwater Threshers, though he’s struck out 58 in 38 1/3 innings.
A look at the 2021 picks by round:
Round 1 – RHP Andrew Painter, Calvary Christian Academy, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Round 2 – OF Ethan Wilson, University of South Alabama
Round 3 – OF Jordan Viars, Rick Reedy HS, Frisco, Texas
Round 4 – RHP Micah Ottenbriet, Trenton HS, Trenton, Michigan
Round 5 – RHP Griff McGarry, University of Virginia
Round 6 – RHP Jose Pena, Tampa Prep, Tampa, Florida
Round 7 – RHP Christian McGowan, E. Oklahoma JC.
Round 8 – RHP Jason Ruffcorn, University of Oklahoma
Round 9 – OF Gavin Tonkel, Heritage HS, Brentwood, California
Round 10 – OF Logan Cerny, Troy University, Troy, Alabama
Round 11 – RHP Andrew Baker, Chipola College, Marianna, Florida
Round 12 – 3B T.J. Rumfield, Virginia Tech
Round 13 – OF Jared Carr, Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Round 14 – LHP Jose Valadez-Acuna, Veterans Memorial HS, Corpus Christi, Texas
Round 15 – LHP Matt Osterberg, St. Cloud University, St. Cloud, Minnesota
Round 16 – RHP Ty Collins, Glendale College, Glendale, California
R
Round 17 – RHP Alex Garbrick, University of South Carolina Upstate
Round 18 – RHP Malik Binns, Benedictine U Mesa, Mesa, Arizona
Round 19 – RHP Seth Halvorsen, University of Missouri
Round 20 – RHP Cam Wynne, University of Nebraska
