The nature of the major league baseball draft is that draft slots force picks for money saved and not necessarily talent. The caveat is college seniors with no leverage, but high performance will sign for below slot while giving a team a chance at a player with actual tools (the moral part of all of this is an entirely different discussion). The Phillies took their first money saving pick in the 8th round with SS Seth Lancaster out of Coastal Carolina University.
Lancaster destroyed the baseball this year, hitting .311/.462/.660, albeit in a park friendly to power. He does strikeout a bit, but compensates with a good walk rate. He doesn’t have a long track record of power, but the broadcast mentioned offseason Lasik surgery may have helped his eyesight. He does not really have a shortstop’s body, and probably ends up at third. The power makes him interesting as an infielder, but for the most part this pick seems to be aimed at saving some slot money for another pick, whether the Phillies need more to buy Simmons out his college commitment or they want flexibility on day 3 of the draft.