Phillies take UNLV shortstop Bryson Stott with 14th pick in 2019 MLB draft

Bryson Stott, just like Bryce Harper, chased his professional baseball dream while growing up near the bright lights and fantasy of the Las Vegas strip.

He was just 10 years old when Harper, whose sister was coached in cheerleading by Stott’s mother, was drafted by Washington with the No. 1 pick. It was pretty awesome, Stott said, to watch Harper ascend from hometown hero to one of baseball’s biggest attractions.

And it must have been a bit surreal on Monday night, when Stott learned that his baseball dream would take him to Philadelphia, the same city that Harper’s dream has taken him.

Stott was at his Las Vegas home with family and friends when he heard his name called as the Phillies’ pick at No. 14 in the MLB Draft, three months after the team signed Harper to a $330 million contract.

“To be able to hear my name and breathe again was pretty awesome,” Stott said.

Stott, after playing three years at UNLV, might not have to wait long before he is sharing a field with Harper. The left-handed-hitting Stott batted .356 this season, with a 1.085 OPS in 58 games, 10 homers, and 20 doubles. Stott, a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, will begin his professional career as a shortstop, and the Phillies believe he has the ability to stick at the premium position. But, he can also handle second and third base.

“I think I can stay there,” Stott said. “I think I can move well enough to get to all the balls. I just need to keep progressing my game throughout the minor leagues and stick at short.”

Stott’s selection marked the third-straight year that the Phillies spent their first-round pick on a college hitter. Johnny Almaraz, the team’s director of amateur scouting, said Stott’s collegiate experience provides a “very favorable timeline” to reach the major leagues. That “very favorable timeline” could be similar to 2017 first-rounder Adam Haseley, who is in triple A, and 2018 first-rounder Alec Bohm, who will soon be in double A.

“We have a polished young player here who has an outstanding makeup,” Almaraz said. “I went out and met with him in the winter for an about an hour and loved everything about him. I was very, very happy to get him.”

The Phillies expect Stott to be an above-average defender who can hit between 15 and 20 homers at the major-league level, while batting near the top of the lineup, , Almaraz said. He can hit to all fields, makes contact at a high rate, led the NCAA in doubles as a sophomore, and showed good plate discipline, striking out just 39 times in 222 at-bats.

“I think my best attribute is my offensive game,” Stott said. “I love hitting. I love running the bases. So, to keep doing that and keep swinging it how I’ve been is what I’m looking forward to. You can always improve your defense, your lateral movements, and your angles to balls. Just going to continue working on that and getting better in all aspects.”

Harper and Stott worked out together in the offseason. Harper, who spends his offseason in Vegas, would drop in on the UNLV baseball program. They have a “pretty good relationship,” Stott said.

Stott probably will sign his contract to begin his professional career with the Phillies next week. He’ll be in the same organization as his hometown hero. If the Phillies -- and Stott -- have their way, they’ll soon be teammates.

“He always told me to just have fun,” Stott said. “He says to have fun, and when you have fun, everything comes your way. Just being able to watch him and what he’s done on that stage and how he works in the offseason and in the season is a big, helpful thing for me, and I hope to continue doing that.”

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