2014 Draft

The 2014 Draft: The Last Ride of Marti Wolever

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It is not a deep revelation to say that a major problem for the Phillies has been drafting. Their record of ineptness is of public record, and the result are showing (or not showing) on the field for the Phillies. The worst moment was after the 2013 draft when it came out that the Phillies … Read more

Baseball America Phillies Draft Report Card

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Contrary to the name the BA draft Report Cards contain no grades, no comparisons, and to someone familiar with the Phillies system it is not going to add a lot to your knowledge.  But the report cards are always fun little snapshots looking back at this past June.  So here are some of the superlatives … Read more

Phillies Diversify Minor League Talent Acquisition

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After half a decade of trading away prospects the Phillies system bottomed out in the winter of 2012-2013.  The system lacked impact and it lacked depth.  This lead to a large fallow period for the Phillies farm system, one that sat over Clearwater and bled up into the high minors.  The Phillies responded to this crisis of depth with high school heavy drafts in 2012 and 2013, and those prospects have been slow to move through the system.  The Phillies have started to do something they haven’t done in a long time to help their draft classes, they have started to diversify their talent acquisition.

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Fastball Velocity and Brandon Leibrandt

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Phillies 6th Round pick Brandon Leibrandt has been on a roll recently which has started the round of questions about how good he can be, which ultimately end up on fastball velocity.  Velocity is the most tangible and quantifiable aspect of a pitcher’s arsenal.  Movement, command, and deception are all in the eye of the beholder and once we start talking secondary pitches the amateur eye is really out of its league.  So we debate velocity and whether it is enough for a pitcher to survive in the major leagues (should the prospect in question survive the other levels in between them and their major league aspirations).

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Draft Signing Deadline

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Today at 5pm marks the deadline for teams to come to terms with their draft picks.  The Phillies have signed their first 21 picks and 27 of their first 28.  However, only one of those plays is a high school player (Sam McWilliams).  The Phillies can still spend $100,000 bonus on any prospects, they have a … Read more