Due to exceeding certain competitive balance tax thresholds, the Philadelphia Phillies found themselves not making a selection until the 36th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, but when that moment arrived, they opted for a player with considerable upside.
That player was Tyler Spangler, a high-school shortstop from the same California program that produced Kyle Harrison, who was still available when the Phillies were on the clock. Even though MLB Pipeline had him at No. 53 on their final pre-draft rankings, the promise attached to Spangler is hard to miss.
During the draft broadcast, MLB compared Spangler to Colson Montgomery, while MLB Pipeline likened his big-bodied, fluid power swing to Corey Seager. Whether he ultimately remains at shortstop over the long haul is a question that won’t be answered for years. Still, having watched Aidan Miller hit a frustrating injury snag as a previous high-ceiling prep draftee, the Phillies are willing to take a similar gamble again and also hope they can convince Spangler to turn down his commitment to Stanford.
The organization has a well-known affinity for selecting high-school players, and many assumed catcher Will Brick would be the bat that best matched their approach. Instead, they pivoted toward even greater upside in Spangler.
For those who keep tabs on Philadelphia’s farm system, it’s clear that the club is in desperate need of difference-making talent to the point where the system almost calls for a ground-up overhaul. With Justin Crawford having moved on from the prospect ranks, the upper tier now features Gage Wood, breakout teenager Francisco Renteria, and the uncertain trajectory of Miller. Andrew Painter, of course, also remains a prominent figure in what has become a puzzling minor-league landscape under Dave Dombrowski’s leadership.
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