Philadelphia Concludes Draft With High Level Prospects

On Wednesday afternoon, major league teams drafted top talent in rounds two through five finishing up the 2020 draft. Philadelphia had picks at 87, 116, and 146. After talking right-handed pitcher Mick Abel in the first round with the 15th pick, Philadelphia snagged some highly-touted athletes to close it out.

In the third round, the Phillies chose shortstop Casey Martin from the University of Arkansas. Martin has notable speed and power and solid defense that scouts think should not be overlooked. Last season he finished with a .271/.458/.386 line at the plate. He also went 6-for-6 in stolen bases which could develop into an impressive tool. Fans should be excited to land Martin who was expected to go in the top thirty!

A right-hander from the University of South Florida, Carson Ragsdale was supposed to be a starter to watch this 2020 college season. He only made four trips to the mound before the season was cancelled, but Ragsdale impressed scouts with a fastball in the 91-95 range, a curveball strike-out pitch, and a evolving changeup. Although he had Tommy John surgery in 2019, scouts believe he has a lot of potential with his size and arm strength.

With their final pick, Philadelphia selected Baron Radcliff out of Georgia Tech. Radcliff was originally drafted out of high school back in 2017 by the Atlanta Braves, but chose instead to go play in college. He has a lot of raw-power to develop upon, hitting 12 homers and batting in 44 runs as a sophomore. He tends to strike out more then scouts would like, but he has shown massive improvements last season and looked promising. Mainly an outfielder, Radcliff has the potential to make his way over to first.

The Phillies look to sign a few undrafted prospects after the fact because the draft process was cut down to only five rounds. All teams have access to those amateur free agents and can pay them up to $20,000 to sign.