Phillies MLB Draft Recap Day Two: Grades, Thoughts, and More!
Day one was good, but day two was great.
Well, that was fun!
Few things excite me more than Day Two of the MLB Draft. Tons of great stories, tons of names coming out of the woodwork, and tons of surprises — of which the Phillies had their fair share!
Enough stalling, we have 16 picks to get through. Here’s my full Phillies Day Two recap:
Round 4: RHP Sean Youngerman, Oklahoma State
Youngerman is yet another plus-fastball-touting addition to the Phillies’ ‘25 Draft Class. His good control would lead one to believe there is back-end rotation upside here, but the remainder of his arsenal lacks bite.
Most analysts believe Youngerman will see an uptick in stuff out of the bullpen, and therefore that’s where he projects long-term — but I think he’ll be a starting pitcher in the Phillies org.
Grade: B-
Round 5: RHP Gabe Craig, Baylor
This was one of my favorite picks of Day Two. Craig has serious stuff, covering a huge amount of the plate thanks to his plus-plus slider and armside-running fastball.
When the Phillies announced this pick, my mind immediately jumped to Orion Kerkering — Craig feels like a spectacular candidate to move quickly into the MLB bullpen, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him there as early as 2026.
Grade: A
Round 6: LHP James Tallon, Duke
Another low-slot left-hander has entered the villa.
Tallon has impressive fastball characteristics — which can be rare for a pitcher of his makeup. He sits low 90’s, but his low slot and ride make for an impressive offering. He pairs it with a decent breaking ball. He almost certainly projects as a bullpen piece long-term, and will be a truly tough at-bat for left-handers.
Grade: B+
Round 7: RHP Matthew Fisher, Memorial HS (Indiana)
This was my favorite pick of this draft, hands down — especially given the fact that I predicted it in yesterday’s Day One Recap!
The Phillies were so heavily connected to Fisher that I was shocked when his name wasn’t called on Day One… but then his name kept dropping lower, and lower, and lower — and suddenly there he was in the seventh round!
Being that they were so heavily connected to him, I would be shocked if the Phillies aren’t able to sign him. However, as we’ll get into later, it does seem like they might’ve taken some insurance picks later on in the draft, just in case the two sides can’t come to terms.
Fisher boasts a plus to plus-plus fastball and a plus slider, and will almost certainly be a starting pitcher long-term, with a number two starter’s ceiling. At 6’3” and 19 years old, he is hyper-athletic and exceedingly projectable. I’ve had many evaluators tell me that, once fully developed, he might have the best fastball in this entire draft.
This was a steal for the Phillies, and given how much they seemed to have saved on the majority of their first few picks and how heavily the Phillies scouted Fisher, I don’t foresee signability being an issue here.
Grade: A++ (If he signs)
Round 8: RHP Brian Walters, Miami
We have the first of a couple of MLB-relatives here in Brian Walters, who is the younger brother of Cleveland’s Andrew Walters.
Walters was selected last year in the 19th round by the Mariners, but returned to Miami and showed off an exciting Sinker/Slider combination, while filling up the zone. Once again, we’re likely looking at a reliever ceiling here, unless he develops a strong third offering.
Grade: B
Round 9: INF Matthew Ferrara, Toms River East HS
The Phillies first hitter selected in the ‘25 Draft, Ferrara (a local kid!) was quick to insert the Phillies into his Instagram bio… so signability probably won’t be an issue here.
I was surprised at how little I’d heard about Ferrara, but many folks that I’ve talked to laud his defensive skillset. At 5’9”, he sprays the ball to all fields, and can run. He needs to add strength (he is listed at 150 lbs) but is certainly an intriguing find in the middle rounds. I’ll be keeping my eye on this one.
Grade: B
Round 10: RHP Cole Gilley, Indiana
Gilley was a starter at Indiana, and has all the makings of a decent system starter.
He doesn’t get the most whiffs in the world, but he’s displayed advanced control, and throws four average offerings in a fastball, cutter, slider, and changeup.
Part of me wonders if there’s more to Gilley than meets the eye — the Phillies aren’t one to pick this type of pitcher, and are more prone to selecting high-risk, stuffed-up arms this low in the draft. Right now, however, he reads more as a ‘Chad Innings Eater.’
Grade: C
Round 11: C Will Vierling, Murray State University
MLB Family connection round two — this time with a former Phillie!
Will Vierling is the cousin of former Phillies outfielder Matt Vierling. He was part of the remarkable run that Murray State (the team that was no-hit and eliminated by Phillies first rounder, Gage Wood) made in the College World Series.
Vierling was a big part of that run, serving as the starting catcher, and posting a strong .310/.413/.528 slash on the year.
I actually really liked this pick. Vierling doesn’t exactly feel like a knockout prospect, but he doesn’t exactly feel like a system catcher either. He can hit, and all signs point to him sticking at catcher. I’m intrigued.
Grade: B
Round 12: RHP Tyler Bowen, Lander University
Now THIS is the type of Phillies pick I’m glad to see making its return: pure, unadulterated stuff — and no idea where it’s going.
Bowen is not of the Griff McGarry/George Klassen mold, but he boasts two above average offerings in his fastball/slider combo. He needs to reign it in, but there is a definitely a middle-innings reliever somewhere in there.
Grade: C+
Round 13: OF Jack Barker, College of Southern Idaho
I have heard nothing but good things about Jack Barker — and that’s good, because I knew next to nothing about him until a few hours ago.
Barker, who has emerged from the JUCO circuit, is lauded for an enticing power/speed combination, and his eye at the plate. His flaws will become increasingly obvious as he faces a major jump in competition in Pro Ball, but there seems to be some upside here.
Grade: B
Round 14: LHP Jonathan Gonzalez, Stetson University
Gonzalez was a starting pitcher at Stetson (famously the alma mater of Jacob deGrom,) and put up some supremely impressive numbers — posting a 2.11 ERA across 93.2 innings this season. He was the ASUN Pitcher of the Year.
Definitely a starting pitcher makeup here. Gonzalez won’t blow you away from the left side, but features a solid arsenal, including a spinny slurve that I’m a fan of. It will be interesting to see how he develops.
Grade: B
Round 15: RHP Jacob Pruitt, Mississippi State
Back to your regularly scheduled reliever-ceiling programming.
Pruitt is a reliever through and through, featuring a decent three-pitch mix, including a fastball (T 95,) slider, and changeup — but iffy-at-best command. He pitches from a funky slot though, which aids in the deception of his arsenal.
Grade: C
Round 16: INF Logan Dawson, Eastern Regional HS
Remember when I mentioned the Phillies made some insurance picks, just in case seventh-rounder Matthew Fisher didn’t sign? Well, Dawson could be the start of that insurance.
The prep bat already stands at a formidable 6’3”, and has a sweet left-handed swing — but he is primarily projection. Still, the fact that he is a New Jersey product (shoutout Vorhees) could help the Phillies’ chances of signing him.
Grade: B+ (If he signs)
Round 17: RHP Richie Cortese, Lander University
Cortese stands at 6’6”, and is a formidable presence on the mound from the right side.
There is clearly more velocity to be found here, and Cortese can spin it. He struggles to throw strikes at times — but I see the vision. He is relatively raw, and the Phillies see a project worth exploring here.
Grade: B
Round 18: RHP Matthew Potok, Coastal Carolina
I watched a good deal of Potok as I was falling in love with Coastal Carolina’s catcher, Caden Bodine.
There is no doubt in my mind the Phillies have had their eyes on Potok since his high school days at Jackson Memorial, where he was a standout. He’s another New Jersey product who struggled with injury throughout his college career.
It feels like there’s a starting pitcher in there somewhere. He has flashed strong control at times in his career. Perhaps he can put it together and stay healthy in pro ball.
Grade: B
Round 19: INF Robert Phelps, Reinhardt University
In all honesty, I don’t know a lot about Phelps. Obviously, given that he was drafted in the late, late rounds — this is probably system player upside.
Grade: None
Round 20: INF Landon Schaeffer, Fayetteville Senior HS
With a huge swing, the Phillies took shortstop Landon Schaeffer with their final pick of the 2025 Draft.
Schaeffer, an Arkansas recruit, is easily a top 3-4 round talent, and it feels relatively unlikely they’ll be able to sway both him and Matthew Fisher away from college commitments.
The 6’3” infielder has displayed exceptional raw power, alongside an arm that should stick at third base long term. He is a really tantalizing player.
The Phillies netting both Schaeffer and Fisher would be an absolute coup, and would turn an already good draft into a great one… but there is a snag.
Schaeffer posted on Instagram DURING the MLB Draft a picture of him in full Arkansas garb with the caption “See you at Baum,” all but confirming his intent to attend Arkansas — which would obviously mean forgoing signing with the Phillies.
There’s no way to know how serious that might be, nor if the Phillies drafting him has changed anything for Schaeffer, but I’m sure we’ll all be awaiting his decision with baited breath.
Grade: A+ (If he signs)
We did it! 20 rounds, 20 players, 20 write-ups.
Thank you all for coming along on this journey with me once again this year! I’m so excited to finally have a place to share all of my many draft musings. I’ll have a full ‘Draft Overview’ ready in the next couple of days with some final thoughts, and an overall grading of the Phillies’ draft as a whole.
Many exciting things in the hopper as the Trade Deadline nears, so be sure to subscribe to stay up to date.
My *first ever* public Phillies Top Prospects ranking will be out after the signing deadline on July 28th — and you won’t want to miss that one!
good stuff alex as always