Phillies 2023 MLB draft tracker: Meet every pick from Days 2 and 3

Upon deciding last season to push the payroll over the luxury-tax threshold for the first time in team history, the Phillies forfeited their second and fifth picks in this week’s MLB draft.

What’s an amateur scouting department to do?

Get creative, of course.

For 10 rounds, the Phillies watched other teams pass on touted high school catcher Kehden Hettiger because he’s committed to playing in college at Oregon. But the Phillies drafted Hettiger in the 11th round with the intention of throwing enough money at him that he will turn pro.

“He’s an athletic kid that has both caught and played third base,” amateur scouting director Brian Barber said Tuesday. “But we anticipate signing Kehden and bringing him in as a catcher. We’re really, really excited to bring in a high school player in the 11th round with that type of ability.”

» READ MORE: ‘Raw power’ was evident in Phillies’ first-round pick Aidan Miller back in middle school

The Phillies’ overall signing bonus pool is slightly less than $5.2 million, more than half of which likely will go to first-round pick Aidan Miller, a 19-year-old infielder.

It’s a similar strategy to last year, when the Phillies didn’t have a second-round pick after signing qualifying-offer free agent Nick Castellanos. They targeted eighth-, ninth-, and 10th-rounders who they could sign for below slot value and splurged on outfielder Emaarion Boyd in the 11th round. Boyd, who signed for $647,500, leads the single-A Florida State League with 41 stolen bases.

The Phillies targeted high school position players early in the draft, with Miller, infielder/outfieler Devin Saltiban (third), and outfielder TayShaun Walton (fourth). They grabbed college pitchers George Klassen, Jake Eddington, and Cam Brown in the sixth, seventh, and 10th rounds. All are high-velocity, spotty-command projects, a la Griff McGarry.

Here’s a rundown of the Phillies’ picks in Rounds 3 through 20:

Nearly two decades after taking an athletic outfielder from Hawaii in the Rule 5 draft, the Phillies may have turned up another.

Will Devin Saltiban be the next Flyin’ Hawaiian?

“Shane Victorino actually reached out to me, texted me, and said, ‘Welcome to Philly,’” Saltiban told KHON2 News in Hawaii. “I’m excited and ready to be on this journey.”

While Victorino possessed elite speed and a rocket-launcher arm, Saltiban is considered above-average in both categories. A 5-foot-10, 180-pound right-handed hitter, he has been coached by Kaha Wong, father of major-league infielders Kolten and Kean Wong. Kolten is a two-time Gold Glove winner.

“We’re going to try to use some versatility with him, maybe play some shortstop, maybe some second base, maybe center field, and just give him an opportunity,” Barber said. “Guys that have the athleticism that he has, it gives them a chance to do different types of things.”

At age 18, he batted .473/.526/.770 at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. But here’s what really jumps out: He’s 6-foot-3, 220 pounds. Walton is a right-handed hitter with more speed than power, at least for now. The Phillies believe they have improved their minor league hitting program after hiring Luke Murton in the offseason to oversee the department. Unlocking Walton’s power could be a good test.

“The size and strength are going to jump out at people when they first see him,” Barber said. “He’s a strong, massive human being. Down the road, we’ll probably have to teach him how to loft the ball a little bit.”

After drafting high school hitters with their first three picks, the Phillies went the college route for their first pitcher. Klassen had Tommy John elbow surgery in 2021 and came back throwing 100 mph. But command has been a problem. In 59⅔ innings this season, he posted a 5.72 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 46 walks. It isn’t dissimilar to when the Phillies took McGarry in the fifth round in 2021 despite control issues at the University of Virginia.

He began his college career at the University of Alabama but transferred to Missouri State after having Tommy John elbow surgery. Eddington got an opportunity to start this season and had success with a deceptive, three-quarter arm slot. In 55⅔ innings, he notched a 4.20 ERA and 59 strikeouts. At 6-2 and 185 pounds, he relies on a late-breaking slider to keep hitters off his fastball.

A year ago, Ware batted .234/.336/.394 with one home run in 110 plate appearances. This year, he busted out with a .350/.438/.731 line in 270 plate appearances and 24 homers, an Auburn single-season record. How’s that for a breakout season? The Phillies are betting on continued improvement from the 22-year-old right-handed hitter, who plays both corner outfield positions in addition to third base.

He has roots in England and Canada, attended high school in the Milwaukee area, and played in college in Illinois. But no matter where you go, a 15-homer season is eye-catching. The Phillies lack power in the farm system, so they took a flier on a 6-4, 230-pound right-handed hitter.

» READ MORE: ‘Raw power’ was evident in Phillies’ first-round pick Aidan Miller back in middle school

Another college pitcher out of the McGarry mold, Brown throws a high-octane heater that can overpower when it’s a strike. But the 21-year-old had a 15.3% walk rate, the highest of his career, this season at TCU. Brown, 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, has a fastball-slider combination that might suit a relief role in pro ball. But his success will depend on throwing more strikes.

Switch-hitting catchers are always intriguing, especially on the third day of the draft and assuming Hettiger is able to stay behind the plate. For now, the Phillies like the 19-year-old’s power and plate discipline, especially from the left side.

“We’re bringing him in as a catcher and think he has every ability to do that in the world,” Barber said. “Athleticism, left-handed bat, the catch and throw are what we perceive to be potential major league catch-and-throw tools.”

Undrafted out of high school, Beckel pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for three years at Texas Tech, often appearing for multiple-inning stretches. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, he posted a 3.82 ERA in 47 games, including a 2.23 mark in 24 games this season. The 21-year-old put up big strikeout totals this year, fanning 31.9% of batters but also walking 9.5%.

After posting an 8.47 ERA in 16 relief appearances as a freshman at UNC-Wilmington, the North Carolina native transferred to Florida SouthWestern, a solid junior-college program in Fort Myers. Gair pitched as a starter there and drew the attention of scouts because of his size (6-6) and upper-90s fastball.

Arnold began his college career as a shortstop/second baseman at national powerhouse LSU but transferred to Houston after his sophomore season. He played mostly third base for the Cougars and had a big junior year, batting .365/.453/.590 with 11 doubles, 13 homers, and 51 RBIs in 263 plate appearances.

Midway through his college career, Thomas transferred to Loyola Marymount from Miami and improved at the plate with more at-bats. A lefty-hitting catcher, he batted .306/.394/.472 with six home runs last year and followed it up with .305/.399/.433 marks and four homers this season. He has solid contact skills, with almost as many walks (25) as strikeouts (27).

Russo recently announced his plans to transfer to the University of North Carolina for his final college season. It’s unclear whether getting drafted will change his intentions. But the Phillies took a flier after the lefty turned career highs in starts (11) and innings (78) into big strikeout totals, whiffing 107 of 335 batters (31.9%).

The Phillies doubled down on players from Florida SouthWestern, scooping up Shaver four rounds after they drafted Gair. Shaver didn’t play much at Florida State before transferring to junior college. He made the most of the move, batting .403 with 19 homers and 28 stolen bases in 217 plate appearances.

Chenault, like Russo, has plans to transfer, heading to Florida State to complete his college career. But the 6-5 reliever parlayed a solid finish to this season (four runs in his last 11 appearances) into getting drafted. Chenault, 22, posted a 4.91 ERA, 59 strikeouts, and 24 walks in 47⅔ innings as a junior.

Steward became the first player in school history to get drafted by tying a single-season Washburn record with 110 strikeouts, a mark that also led the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. Like many of the pitchers that the Phillies have targeted under Barber’s leadership, Steward is big (6-5, 260 pounds).

Listed as a second baseman, Bennett played most of this season in the outfield. But regardless of the position, he has hit over the last two years. A right-handed hitter with more walks than strikeouts, he batted .367/.456/.533 with seven homers and followed it up with a .353/.431/.523, seven-homer season this year.