They owned one of baseball’s smallest bonus pools, and their farm system needed an infusion of impact talent after years of trades designed to sustain a championship-caliber major-league roster.
One draft could not solve both. But it could reveal how the organization intended to attack them.
The answer was risk.
Philadelphia used the 36th overall selection on Tyler Spangler, a 6-foot-3 shortstop from De La Salle High School in California who missed his entire senior season because of a back injury. It was an aggressive choice, but Phillies assistant general manager Brian Barber made clear that the organization did not enter it blindly.
“Any time a player has an injury, there’s always pause,” Barber told reporters via Zoom Saturday night. He added that the Phillies conducted an extensive medical review and were comfortable with the information they received.
That matters because Spangler is the defining player in this class. Had he played a full senior season, his combination of bat-to-ball ability, strike-zone awareness, size and projection might have placed him much higher on draft boards. The Phillies instead accepted the medical uncertainty in exchange for a player they believe offers first-round offensive upside.
“We just think he’s a very good player,” Barber said.
The Phillies believe Spangler can remain at shortstop, although his eventual position matters less than whether his left-handed bat develops as projected. His present approach is built more around hitting than power, but the frame suggests more damage could come as he matures.
Philadelphia doubled down on physical upside with Missouri State outfielder Caden Bogenpohl at No. 64.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound left-handed hitter owns exceptional raw power, but his home-run production dropped from 20 as a freshman to six as a junior. The Phillies brought him to Clearwater for a private workout, identified mechanical issues and later saw progress at the MLB Draft Combine.
“He put on an absolute show there,” Barber said.
That selection captures the broader philosophy of the class. The Phillies were willing to accept unfinished players when the underlying tools were difficult to find elsewhere. Fifth-round outfielder Will Gasparino, another 6-foot-6 athlete, fits the same model with power, speed and the ability to remain in center field.
The pitching selections carried a different purpose.
Texas right-hander Ruger Riojas offers a five-pitch mix, multiple arm angles and a fastball that can reach 98 mph. His age might suggest a quicker move to the bullpen, but the Phillies do not view him merely as a relief prospect.
“We completely see Ruger as a starting pitcher,” Barber said.
LSU right-hander Deven Sheerin, an Exeter Township High School product, brings the loudest pure stuff in the class. His fastball has touched 100 mph, and his slider generates swings and misses. Barber described the arsenal as “completely ‘wow’ stuff,” while projecting Sheerin as a potential high-leverage reliever if the Phillies can improve his command.
The college-heavy approach was partly strategic and partly financial. Eighteen of the Phillies’ 21 selections came from colleges. Barber explained Sunday that the club’s fifth-smallest draft pool made it difficult to sign several high-school players away from college commitments.
Philadelphia still took two late high-school chances. Left-hander Patrick Clemmey, selected in the 14th round, is a 6-foot-5 Georgia commitment who worked out at Citizens Bank Park. Gloucester Catholic catcher Braeden Lipoff, chosen in the 19th round, is committed to East Carolina.
No draft class can be judged immediately, especially one constructed around projection, medical questions and mechanical adjustments.
But the Phillies’ intentions were unmistakable.
They bet on impact rather than safety, believing that a club drafting late and working with limited financial flexibility must accept uncertainty to find players capable of changing the system.
Spangler is the biggest gamble.
He may also be the player who ultimately determines whether the entire strategy worked.
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