3 Players Phillies Can Target With Their First-Round Pick

The Philadelphia Phillies had a really great team on paper, and they're now starting to deliver on their high potential, as they're 32-22, good for first in the NL East. While that's great, the team has struggled in a few key areas, like the back of the rotation and the outfield. Now that Odubel Herrera has been arrested for domestic violence, they could really be looking at drafting an outfielder to take his place in the near future instead of another starter, which they have a lot of in the minors. With that said, let's discuss three prospects the Phillies could potentially take with the 14th pick in the 2019 MLB draft.

3. Kameron Misner

Kameron Misner goes all over the place in mock drafts, but still has some of the best tools of any college position player in the draft. At 6-4 and 219 pounds, the Missouri product has huge raw power that he's still working on. His statistics took a dip this season largely in part to his poor performance in the SEC, as he's hitting just .222 in 133 plate appearances in conference play. However, he still hit .286 with 10 homers and 32 runs batted in overall in 2019. The left-hander has a solid swing and mature approach, and could ultimately be a 20 homers, 20 steals kind of player. He's got a great makeup, and despite the risk, he could be a solid center fielder for the Phillies. This could be exactly what they need, especially with Odubel Herrera's future in baseball up in the air.

2. Jackson Rutledge

Jackson Rutledge is one of those prospects that has skyrocketed into day one MLB draft conversations, and for a couple of very good reasons. Rutledge went to Arkansas, despite being projected to go within the first five rounds directly out of high school. After being left off the team's postseason roster as a freshman, he decided to transfer to San Jacinto, a junior college, where he has made himself into a dominant pitcher. The right-hander stands at 6-foot-8, and is throwing his fastball in the upper 90's, maintaining that same speed deep into outings, which is a big positive. All four of his pitches could be projected as plus, although his changeup still needs some work. His massive body could definitely make up for that, however, as he is able to create angles when pitching that make it incredibly hard to hit anything he throws. It's safe to say he has some of the best stuff in the draft, but he's very raw, so the Phillies will likely need to be patient with him in the beginning. However, with how big he is, and how hard he throws, it's hard to ignore the fact that he's going to be a very intimidating pitcher for hitters to get a hold of.

1. Corbin Carroll

If Corbin Carroll is left on the board at 14, the Phillies could wind up stealing one of the best prep hitters in the class. Carroll is on the small side, as he’s just 5-foot-11, 161 pounds, but the Phillies shouldn't let that scare them. He’s often compared to Andrew Benintendi, who is an inch shorter, and nine pounds heavier. The knock on Carroll is that he's a below average power bat, so he's going to have to put on some muscle if he hopes to fix that. On the positive side, Carroll carries a 60 hit tool, and has shown the ability to spray the ball all over the field as a lefty, which is a huge positive given the absurd shifts we see today in the majors. He also has incredible speed, which helps him play an awesome center field. Again, if he puts on the muscle, the Phillies could be looking at a potential five-tool player, which is incredibly hard to pass up. Carroll certainly has the tools to turn into something special, even if the power never comes.