Last-place Philadelphia Phillies could land another first overall draft pick
In 2015, the Philadelphia Phillies finished with the worst record in baseball. This landed them the first overall pick in the 2016 MLB Draft. A year after taking outfielder Mickey Moniak with their pick, Philadelphia is in familiar territory. If the standings hold, the Phillies could pick first again in 2018.
The Philadelphia Phillies and first overall picks are no strangers. The franchise actually has two currently in their system. Mickey Moniak, of course, was their own selection last year. The other is Mark Appel, whom they acquired in the Ken Giles trade with the Houston Astros.
Moniak is still green, but playing well in the minor leagues. He’s not fast-tracking his way to the big leagues. However, there’s no reason to believe he won’t get there in some capacity.
Meanwhile, Appel is muddling around in Triple-A. At times, he looks helpless. His career ERA in the minor leagues is over 5.00. This and other factors suggest Appel lands on one of those lists of major MLB draft busts.
Before Moniak, the Phillies most recently picked first overall in 1998. This was a selection awarded to them for failure to sign the previous year’s draft choice, J.D. Drew. They selected Pat Burrell with the 1998 choice which turned out to be the right pick. Burrell would remain in Philadelphia for almost his entire career, through the 2008 World Series. He gave them 251 home runs over parts of nine seasons. There was never a question who would start in left field on Opening Day. It was “Pat the Bat.”
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Having the worst record in baseball comes with some perks. The Washington Nationals used the 2009 first overall pick to select Stephen Strasburg. A year later, they landed Bryce Harper.
That’s not to say tanking is a good idea. The Houston Astros selected first three years in a row. With those picks, they took Carlos Correa, Appel and Brady Aiken. The failure to sign Aiken did ultimately land them Alex Bregman next year. They should still consider themselves lucky because not all teams are so fortunate. There’s no guarantee the failure to sign one player will lead to anything special the following year.
At this point, there’s no value in the Phillies finishing with the second or third worst record. All that does is allow for others to pick first. They are a team on the mend so a situation like the one which occurred with Drew back in the late 1990s is unlikely. Philadelphia will become a destination city again.
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Though it’s far too soon to know which players will project as possible number-one overall picks, it’s probably best to test their luck with a pitcher. Things worked out well with Aaron Nola, whom they selected back in 2014. Although they weren’t very lucky with many other first-round pitchers in the years prior, the minor league system is stacked with offense. It’s about time the Phillies draft a pitcher first overall – something they have never done.