Get to know the nine players the Phillies drafted on Day 2 of the MLB Draft
The Phillies will make nine picks on Monday as the second day of the MLB Draft rolls on with rounds two through 10. The Phillies have a second-round pick for the first time since 2017.
The Phillies made nine more picks on Monday, including their first second-round selection since 2017, as the MLB Draft rolled into Day 2.
The Phils started the three-day draft on Sunday night by selecting Andrew Painter, a 18-year-old right-hander from Calvary Christian High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It was the second straight year the Phillies spent their first-round pick on a high-school pitcher, a position that usually carries both high risk and high upside.
» READ MORE: Phillies pick high school pitcher Andrew Painter in first round
Painter is armed with a high-90s fastball and struck out more than half the batters he faced this season while posting a 0.31 ERA in 45⅓ innings. The Phillies are already dreaming of aligning Painter one day in the starting rotation with Mick Abel, the right-hander they selected last summer with the No. 15 pick.
The Phillies forfeited their second-round pick in three straight drafts due to free-agent signings.
Here’s a rundown of the Phillies’ selections in rounds 2 through 10:
Round 2, Pick 49: OF Ethan Wilson, South Alabama
He hit .318 this season in 214 at-bats with eight homers and a .947 OPS. MLB.com ranked Wilson as the 35th-best prospect in the draft. The left-handed hitter was the Sun Belt Conference’s player of the year as a freshman in 2019 when he hit 17 homers. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder played left field for South Alabama and helped lead the Jaguars this season to a conference championship. He struck out this season just 21 times in 57 games.
Round 3, Pick 84: OF Jordan Viars, Rick Reedy High (Texas)
Viars (6-4, 215 pounds) is the seventh high school outfielder the Phillies have drafted since 2011 in the top three rounds. The previous six -- Dylan Cozens, Cord Sandberg, Roman Quinn, Cornelius Randolph, Mickey Moniak, and Larry Green -- have combined for 0.7 wins above replacement and include two players who have since left baseball for football. Quinn and Randolph were drafted as shortstops but soon moved to the outfield in the minors.
Perfect Game ranks Viars as Texas’ No. 1 outfielder. The power-hitting center fielder is signed to play at Arkansas and is one of the youngest players in the draft as he does not turn 18 until next month.
Round 4, pick 114: Micah Ottenbreit, Trenton (Mich.) High
The top high school arm in the state of Michigan, Ottenbreit struck out 95 batters this season in 54⅔ innings while posting a 0.64 ERA. The 6-4, 190-pounder throws a low-90s fastball and a nice curveball. He’s signed to play at Michigan State, and Spartans pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde said the pitcher is someone who “already has a high-level arm, who still has a lot in the tank. He’s a very projectable, wiry body with an arm that works very easy.”
Round 5, pick 145: RHP Griff McGarry, University of Virginia
McGarry went 0-4 this season with a 5.44 ERA, but his draft stock rose with two dominant postseason starts. He was shuffled to the bullpen earlier this season before returning as one of Virginia’s top starting pitchers. The 6-2, 190-pounder pitched seven shutout innings last month against Dallas Baptist in the NCAA Super Regionals and took a no-hitter into the eighth inning at the College World Series against eventual champion Mississippi State. He struck out 26 batters in his final 17⅔ innings at Virginia. His fastball touches 97 mph, which he pairs with a nice slider.
Round 6, pick 175: RHP Jose Pena, Tampa Prep
The 6-3, 200-pounder struck out 63 batters this season in 36⅓ innings while posting a 2.31 ERA. He struck out 16 batters this season in a seven-inning no-hitter. His fastball sits in the mid-90s and he’s committed to play at Florida International, the same school where Joe Girardi’s son, Dante, currently plays. Pena also throws a changeup and a curveball.
Round 7, pick 205: RHP Christian McGowan, Eastern Oklahoma Junior College
McGowan had a 2.55 ERA this season with 109 strikeouts and just 30 walks in 74 innings. In three seasons at Eastern Oklahoma, the 6-3 McGowan has struck out 11.83 batters per nine innings. His fastball tops out in the high-90s, and he’s committed to play at Texas Tech.
Round 8, pick 235: RHP Jason Ruffcorn, Oklahoma
Ruffcorn worked primarily as a reliever for the Sooners as he struck out 74 batters this season and walked 17 in 54 innings with a 4.00 ERA. His fastball nears triple digits and he entered the season ranked as the nation’s top reliever. His father, Scott, spent parts of five seasons in the majors and finished his major league career in 1997 with the Phillies. In three seasons at OU, Ruffcorn struck out 114 batters in 99 innings while walking just 31.
Round 9, pick 265: OF Gavin Tonkel, Heritage High (Calif.)
The Northern California outfielder hit .400 this season in 70 at-bats with 12 extra-base hits and just 12 strikeouts. The speedy center fielder stole 11 bases this season for Heritage. Tonkel (6-2, 180 pounds) is committed to play at Sacramento State, the same school that produced Rhys Hoskins.
Round 10, pick 295: OF Logan Cerny, Troy University
Cerny was ranked by MLB.com as the draft’s 173rd-best prospect, which gives him a sixth-round grade. He hit .332 this season with a 1.118 OPS in 51 games. The 6-1, 185-pound center fielder hit 15 homers but struck out 66 times in 193 at-bats. He’s one of the fastest runners in the draft and he stole 12 bases this season.