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With MLB Draft approaching, these are the prospects being connected to the Phillies

Kumar Rocker continues to be mocked to the Phillies. (Chris Gillespie/Gamecock Central)

The Philadelphia Phillies have taken prep starting pitchers in the first two years under scouting director Brian Barber, selecting Mick Abel with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and Andrew Painter with the 13th selection in the 2021 MLB Draft.

Early returns on Abel and Painter — 20 and 19 years old, respectively — are encouraging. The Phillies also seem like they may have struck gold with 2021 fifth-round pick Griff McGarry, a right-handed pitcher that was recently promoted to Double-A Reading. Meanwhile, catcher Logan O’Hoppe and LHP Erik Miller were recently selected to participate in the 2022 MLB Futures Game.

Make no mistake, the Phillies still have a long way to go before their farm system is highly regarded. But there certainly appears to have been some progress made since Barber took over, which the Phillies will hope to build on with this year’s draft class.

With the 2022 MLB Draft scheduled to begin on Sunday, July 17, here’s a look at some of the names being mentioned as potential targets of the Phillies:

Carlos Collazo, Baseball America: Brandon Barriera — LHP, American Heritage High School (Florida)

On July 1, Collazo projected that the Phillies would take Barriera, a high school lefty that could potentially be part of a rotation with Abel and Painter in the future. Collazo hears that “scouts have been talking about Barriera’s electric left hand.” The Southpaw went 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA, 68 strikeouts and a complete game in eight starts during his senior season.

Jim Callis, MLB.com: Kumar Rocker — RHP, Tri-City ValleyCats

On July 7, Callis projected that the Phillies would take Rocker, who is currently pitching for the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Frontier League, and managed by former Phillie Pete Incaviglia. The former Vanderbilt star was selected by the New York Mets with the No. 10 overall pick last year, but wasn’t ultimately offered a contract by the team. Jon Heyman of The New York Post hears that Mets doctors “questioned his shoulder durability.” However, Heyman adds that the 22-year-old “recently had a shoulder scope and should be first rounder again.”

Keith Law, The Athletic: Kumar Rocker — RHP, Tri-City ValleyCats

In his June 21 mock, Law was the first to suggest that Rocker could be a fit for the Phillies. Law believes that Rocker has “No. 2 starter upside,” but acknowledges there are legitimate health concerns. Perhaps the most plugged-in prospect analyst, Law doesn’t believe that the Phillies will select a high school arm in the first round for a third straight year, and wonders if Rocker could be someone that is fast-tracked to the majors in 2022 if selected.

Joe Doyle, Prospects Live: Brock Porter — RHP, St. Mary’s Prep (Michigan)

On July 5, Doyle tabbed Porter as a potential fit for the Phillies, should he fall to pick No. 17. Porter, who recently turned 19, went 9-0 with a 0.36 ERA in 10 starts during his final year of high school ball. For what it’s worth, Porter also hit .459 in 37 at-bats.

Other Players Being Connected To The Phillies

Collazo reports that the Phillies were “jammed in pretty hard to see Gonzaga right-hander Gabriel Hughes late in the year,” but also notes that he struggled during some of those starts. Of Hughes, Law acknowledges that “there’s some reliever risk there,” but sees “big upside” in the 6-foot-4, 230 pound pitcher.
Doyle has noted on multiple occasions that Tennessee outfielder Drew Gilbert could be someone the Phillies consider with the No. 17 pick. ESPN‘s Kiley McDaniel ranked Gilbert as his 11th-best prospect in the draft class, saying that the center fielder reminds him of Brett Gardner and Adam Eaton (the outfielder, not the pitcher). Center field, of course, has been a position of need for the Phillies for the better part of the last decade.
While Callis projected that the Phillies would take Rocker, he also mentions Barriera and lefty Robby Snelling as possible options. Snelling would join Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott as Nevada natives, having pitched for McQueen High School. Snelling is an LSU commit that MLB Pipeline has ranked as their No. 16 prospect in this year’s draft class.