The Philadelphia Phillies experienced a memorable MLB draft day on Tuesday. Because they allocated significant resources to their major-league roster, their first selection didn’t come until the 36th overall pick, requiring a longer-than-usual wait before they could make their initial choice.
Addressing the organization’s most glaring needs impact bats with power and starting pitching depth was a priority. Despite investing heavily in pitching prospects during last year’s draft, a quick review of their minor-league affiliates still reveals room for additional reinforcements. When their turn finally arrived, they selected Tyler Spangler, a shortstop out of a California high school. According to Matt Gelb’s reporting ($), the Phillies were willing to accept some risk in order to secure a hitter with Spangler’s offensive potential.
The choice carries a layer of irony, as one of their top prospects, Aidan Miller, has been sidelined for the entire season due to a back injury and may not appear in any minor-league games this year. Nevertheless, the Phillies anticipate Spangler will take the field sometime this summer, assuming they can reach an agreement on a signing bonus. Amateur scouting director Brian Barber noted that Spangler has been cleared to resume baseball activities. Given the inherent uncertainties of drafting late in the first round, the Phillies apparently felt emboldened to aim high. The 36th pick carries a slot value of $2.76 million, yet Spangler is expected to command a significantly larger bonus, even without having played a single game during his senior spring.
Following that selection, Philadelphia opted for another potent bat in Caden Bogenpohl, a powerful outfielder from Missouri State. They then pivoted to pitching with their subsequent three choices: Ruger Riojas, Deven Sheerin, and Jaxon Jelkin. All three appear capable of advancing quickly, potentially shoring up the bullpen within a year or two or providing rotation depth down the line.
Reactions to the draft class have been mixed. Keith Law of The Athletic expressed some skepticism about the strategy:
At No. 36, they went with high school shortstop Tyler Spangler, who missed the entire spring with a back injury. Their second-rounder, Missouri State outfielder Caden Bogenpohl, possesses immense power and solid athleticism but frequently swings through pitches in the strike zone, including fastballs. The third-round choice, Texas senior right-hander Ruger Riojas, was a sound pickup who could rise quickly in a relief role. They followed that with LSU righty Deven Sheerin, another future reliever who represents decent value in the fourth round. Their final selection, a compensation fourth-rounder, was 23-and-a-half-year-old Kentucky right-hander Jaxon Jelkin, whose track record includes both injury and character concerns.
Conversely, Baseball America praised the Spangler selection, suggesting the Phillies may have landed a bargain ($). Their assessment is enthusiastic:
This is a pick I really like for Philadelphia. Heading into the season, Spangler was widely considered right behind Grady Emerson in the discussion for the top two or three high school prospects in the 2026 class. His absence from senior-year action clearly hurt his draft positioning, but his pure talent and ceiling remain on par with players selected in the top half of the first round. The Phillies managed to acquire that caliber of player despite not owning a pick until No. 36.
Of course, a definitive evaluation of this Phillies draft class will take years to materialize. Early indications, however, suggest they fared quite well given that they didn’t hold a selection among the first 35 picks. Keep checking our draft tracker throughout the day to see how Philadelphia rounds out the remainder of their draft haul.
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