For a brief second it looked like the Phillies had taken their third straight plus plus speed center fielder when they selected John Spikerman from the Oklahoma. However, despite not playing infield since high school they announced him as a shortstop.
Spikermen hit .368/.429/.542 this year, despite breaking his hamate this spring. His only three home runs this year match his career high, so even with the injury likely sapping some power, he doesn’t have a ton to begin with. He is a switch hitter with high contact who hits a bunch of balls on the ground. He is rated by everyone as having plus plus speed.
The offensive profile is definitely not ideal, even though he profiled as a plus defensive center fielder. MLB Pipeline noted he might get tried in the infield and the Phillies announced him as a shortstop much like they did last year with Devin Saltiban. The scouting reports note the arm is only average, which makes me think he is possibly destined for second base instead.
I worry it is a super utility upside player in the third round and that the Phillies are over prioritizing speed and athleticism, but second base is becoming a more premium defensive position and if he can actually stick at shortstop that is quite interesting.