It’s not just Bohm: A look at some later draft prospects

As we know, the Phillies drafted Alec Bohm third overall in this year’s draft, and while Bohm looks like a future impact player in the majors, the Phillies did not have a second- or third-round pick to add to the system. So we need to dig a little deeper into the draft order to see who may one day be impacting the big club.

Colton Eastman, RHP (4th Round)

Eastman was the Phillies second pick. He attended Cal State Fullerton, the same college as current Phillies prospects Tom Eshelman and Connor Seabold. Eastman is a strike thrower but he’s not over-powering. His fastball sits 89-92 mph, topping off at 94. His curveball and changeup have been up and down this year, but if he can harness them, he’ll have two at least average secondary offerings. Eastman was 10-3 in 16 starts this season. He had an ERA of 2.20 and averaged 9.43 strikeouts per nine innings. He projects as a fast-moving, back-of-the-rotation starter.

Matt Vierling, CF/RHP (5th Round)

An athletic outfielder from Notre Dame, Vierling was very good with the bat this season, hitting .310 with 10 homers. He was a part-time reliever for Notre Dame, and he did not fare well, giving up 11 runs in only five innings. He does have upside there, with a fastball that sits 90-93 mph and a good cutter, but it seems the Phils will be giving him a bat to start his minor league career.

Seth Lancaster, SS (8th Round)

Lancaster packs some serious power. In 226 at bats for Coastal Carolina University, Lancaster hit .305 with 20 homers, driving in 57. He walked 63 times compared to 55 strikeouts. His flaws come on defense with a .933 fielding percentage: 16 errors in 154 chances. Like Bohm, where Lancaster ends up defensively remains to be seen, but he sure does have upside at the plate.

Dominic Pipkin, RHP (9th Round)

Pipkin was ranked as MLB.com’s No. 92 draft prospect, but he fell to the Phillies in the ninth round. There are reasons Pipkin fell, most notably his commitment to Cal. Pipkin also struggled to maintain control and velocity deep into games. The California high schooler does have a good fastball that touches 96 but sits 92-93 mph deeper into outings. He has an above-average slider and has started to develop a changeup. At 6’4″, he has the chance to add more velocity as he adds strength to his frame, making him an intriguing prospect. The Phillies will have their work cut out for them trying to sign him, but if they do, they have a raw talent with lots of upside on their hands.

Keylan Killgore, LHP (17th Round)

Usually 17th rounders don’t get much attention, but Killgore is an exception here. First off, Killgore was college teammates with Bohm at Wichita State; secondly, he has some upside. As a reliever for Wichita, Killgore had a 2.54 ERA in 39 innings of work. He did strike out 40, but his control isn’t great as he walked 19 batters in that time. Maybe he can become a lefty specialist, but he has a lot of work to do before then.