Phillies 2016 Draft Picks: How Did the First 20 Fare?
California high schooler Mickey Moniak could be the Phillies pick with the first overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft. (Pic credit from @MickeyMoniak on Twitter)
The Phillies selected numerous players in the draft last season, most of which went on to join the team’s minor-league system. How did those players fare?
The Phillies reached the ultimate level of poor play by finishing with the worst record in all of baseball in 2015. Their final record that year was 63-99, one game worse than the Cincinnati Reds. By being the worst team in baseball in 2015, the Phillies “earned” the ability to pick first out of all 30 teams in the 2016 amateur draft.
The only other time Philadelphia picked first in the draft was back in 1998, when the team selected then-first baseman Pat Burrell. As we all know, Burrell later moved to the outfield and became part of the first Phillies World Series team in nearly 30 years.
While No. 1 pick Mickey Moniak will certainly garner the most attention and have the highest bar to reach, their were still plenty more rounds in the draft with plenty of those players opting to go pro with the Phillies. Let’s examine how the first 20 players selected did in their first season as professionals.
Rounds One-Five
Round One: OF Mickey Moniak– As mentioned earlier, the Phillies used the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on Moniak, a high school outfielder out of California. As the team’s first-round pick, he needed to have a good initial season in professional baseball, and he did. With the team’s rookie-level Gulf Coast League affiliate, Moniak posted a .284/.340/.409 line with 28 RBI and ten stolen bases in 46 games. There were still some areas he struggled in, but for the most part he had a strong season. Baseball America thought highly enough of Moniak to rank him as the No. 2 prospect in Philadelphia’s farm system.
Round Two: RHP Kevin Gowdy– The Phils went back to SoCal in selecting Gowdy from Santa Barbara High School in California. Both he and Moniak were committed to UCLA for college; now both are teammates in professional action. Gowdy pitched just nine innings in the GCL, so it’s hard to really evaluate what he did there. However, there was enough to like about Gowdy pre-draft that Ben Badler said he nearly put Gowdy in Philadelphia’s BA top-ten prospect list.
Round Three: SS Cole Stobbe– Stobbe was the third high schooler in a row selected by Philadelphia, this time coming from Nebraska. He also went to the GCL, posting a solid slash line of .270/.337/.405 in addition to four home runs. Stobbe tried to steal nine times but was caught six times, which is no surprise as speed is not a part of a game at all. He also made 11 errors in 44 games at shortstop – finishing with a .932 fielding percentage – only furthering the notion that a move to third base is coming.
Round Four: LHP JoJo Romero-Romero was the first college product picked by the Phillies, coming out of the same JuCo that Ken Giles and Curt Schilling went to. Romero pitched in short-season Williamsport in 2016, starting ten games for the CrossCutters. In 45.2 innings, Romero had a 2.56 ERA, 3.41 FIP, 1.20 WHIP, 16.4% strikeout rate, and 5.8% walk rate. While he didn’t overpower hitters, he used his control and pitch movement to induce ground balls 57.64% of the time and prevent any major damage.
Round Five: LHP Cole Irvin– Irvin was selected in the draft for third time, but he signed this time after being drafted much sooner than in prior years. The Oregon product appeared in 10 games – starting seven – with Williamsport, posting a 1.97 ERA and 2.88 FIP in 45.2 innings. Irvin also struck out nearly 20% of opposing hitters and walked just 4.3% of hitters. He had a great season in nearly every aspect and Low-A Lakewood should be well within his reach come 2017.
Rounds Six-Ten
Round Six: OF David Martinelli– Martinelli was the second outfielder selected by Philadelphia in the draft, this time coming out of Dallas Baptist. He did not have an ideal start to his professional career, posting a poor .609 OPS in addition to striking out 24.5% of the time. Martinelli had swing-and-miss issues prior to being drafted, and it appears they only continued upon reaching Williamsport. There is a bright side to his game, as he made just one error in 462 innings in center field, and BA called him the second-best defensive player in Philadelphia’s draft class behind Moniak.
Round Seven: C Henri Lartigue– Lartigue was one of three catchers selected by the Phillies, and the only one selected in the first 15 rounds. He was a heavy hitter in college, but that did not translate to Williamsport. Lartigue managed a meager .212 average and .556 OPS in 167 plate appearances for the CrossCutters. He had a .988 fielding percentage behind the plate, which is certainly good for someone who only started catching full-time in college.
Round Eight: RHP Grant Dyer– Coming out of UCLA, Dyer pitched in numerous roles, both in the rotation and out of the bullpen. Dyer’s pitches played up significantly in the bullpen, with his fastball sitting around 94 in relief but only 90 as a starter in addition to a plus curve that BA called one of the best secondary pitches in the class. He appeared in 16 games between Williamsport and Lakewood, walking just six batters while striking out 57 in 42.1 innings. Dyer posted a 2.34 ERA and 0.78 WHIP across the two levels. He could rise through the system very quickly if he keeps up this torrid pace.
Round Nine: RHP Blake Quinn– Quinn and Dyer are similar pitchers in that they both rack up strikeouts as relievers, but Quinn does not have the same command. He walked 18 batters in 32.1 innings between Williamsport and Lakewood, but also struck out 45 in that same span. Being able to overpower hitters with strikeouts will work at the lower levels as he posted a 1.11 ERA this season, but it won’t work as hitters grow more patient and willing to draw walks at the higher levels.
Round Ten: RHP Julian Garcia– Garcia was drafted out of Metropolitan State in Colorado. Chris King of 20/80 and Perfect Game said Garcia pairs a 91-93 fastball with a sharp breaking ball, which proved true as he struck out 40 batters in 30 innings for Williamsport. King also said Garcia has solid control, which was partly true. He walked 12 batters in 10.1 innings as a starter, while walking 10 in 19.2 innings as a reliever. While both are small sample sizes and neither is particularly great, it appears Garcia will fare much better as a reliever.
Rounds 11-15
Round 11: OF Josh Stephen– Stephen was the second high school outfielder taken by the Phils, also coming out of California from Mater Dei High School. A strong commitment to USC scared teams off, but the team took a chance and it paid off. He drew high praise from BA as the second-best pure hitter of this class as well as the best late-round pick. With the GCL Phillies, Stephen posted a .253/.339/.370 line with 12 of his 41 hits going for extra bases. Stephen is a strong all-around hitter, but you’d like to see a better average from one of the oldest high-schoolers in this year’s draft and supposedly one of the best hitters from this class.
More from That Balls Outta Here
Round 12: RHP Justin Miller– There was little info known about Miller upon his selection, and the California high-schooler was assigned to the GCL. He pitched 13.1 innings of relief and walked more batters than he struck out. He somehow managed a 2.03 ERA, but his 5.20 FIP and strikeout-to-walk ratio should tell you all you need to know about Miller’s season.
Round 13: RHP Andrew Brown– The Phillies absolutely loved their California high-schoolers in this year’s draft, with Brown also being one. He was the 107th-best prospect in CA’s class, which was not up to par according to BA.
Brown had the makings of reliever with a 91 mph fastball, effective change, and middling breaking ball. He was solid in 11 relief appearances in the GCL, posting a 2.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 9.15 K/9, and 2.29 BB/9.
Round 14: 1B Darick Hall– Hall was teammates with sixth-rounder Martinelli at Dallas Baptist, where he both pitched and played first base. He smashed baseballs in college and continued to do so with Williamsport. Hall smacked nine home runs in addition to hitting for a .282/.372/.518 line in 57 games. BA said he had the best power in the class. I won’t call him the next Rhys Hoskins quite yet, but he is off to a good start.
Round 15: 1B Alex Wojciechowski– Wojciechowski was the first Phillies draftee not to sign with the club, which may be a good thing for anyone who would have to spell his name on a consistent basis.
Rounds 16-20
Round 16: C Brett Barbier– Barbier was drafted as a catcher from Cal Poly Luis Obispo, but played just seven of his 32 games behind the plate, so that should tell you all you need to know about his defensive future. At the plate, Barbier was much more promising as he hit for a .282/.333/.427 line in his 120 plate appearances. His hit tool showed promise out of college, but he will have to keep hitting if he ever has a chance at the pros.
Round 17: 3B Danny Zardon– Zardon showed serious patience at the plate as he walked 11.4% of the time in the GCL with a .260/.343/.407 line. While he showed some power in college, it was non-existent as he hit just one home run in 36 games. He had a .917 fielding percentage when he played third base, so his future there might be short. As a 21-year old in the GCL, you expect more, but it’s hard to expect much out of a 17th-rounder.
Round 18: RHP Jake Kelzer– Kelzer was drafted three times before finally signing with the Phillies. The Indiana product struggled as he posted a 4.34 ERA and 1.61 WHIP, but he suffered from some bad luck as he allowed a .377 batting average on balls in play. His 2.37 FIP and 9.16 K/9 show some potential, but he may struggle as he reaches the higher level. He only offers an average fastball and a slider that is plus but barely slower than his fastball.
Round 19: RHP Will Hibbs– Hibbs was a virtual unknown coming out of the draft, but he was effective in relief for Williamsport this season. He posted a 1.44 ERA and 0.86 WHIP while allowing opposing hitters a .157 batting average. Hibbs is a monstrous 6’7 weighing in at 245 pounds, so that does help his potential.
Round 20: 1B Caleb Eldridge– Eldridge transferred to Cowley CC after playing at Oklahoma State as he got little playing time there. Swing-and-miss concerns plagued Eldridge before the draft, and they proved true upon being drafted. He struck out in a third of his plate appearances in the GCL, which hurt his ability to hit overall. He played in just 12 games, posting a .159/.315/.205 line. He has big raw power, but it didn’t show up at all in-game.
