The Philadelphia Phillies will make their first selection in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft at No. 26.
Philadelphia has gone with high school bats in each of the last three drafts. Overall, the Phillies have taken high school kids in the first round of each of the last five drafts. Who could they end up taking this year? It seems like a safe bet that it will be a high school kid, but the MLB Draft is unpredictable.
Baseball America's Carlos Collazo predicted that the Phillies will go with a high school bat and land high school third baseman Gavin Fien out of California.
"No. 26. Phillies — Gavin Fien, 3B, Great Oak HS, Temecula, California," Collazo said. "Range: 25-26. Like Schoolcraft, Fien has had an up-and-down spring that is causing some teams to scratch their heads. Fien was arguably the best performer in the high school class throughout the summer circuit, and at this point in the draft, has a strong case for the best hit/power combo available. He’s a right-right high schooler who might be a corner profile, but that was the case for Aidan Miller at the time, as well—that pick has worked out nicely for the Phillies so far."
MLB.com currently has him ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the draft class.
"Fien is a 6-foot-3 right-handed hitter with plenty of bat speed who produced consistent line drives against top competition all summer." MLB.com said. "While he has an unorthodox setup with high hands, he made it work and was always on time, but this spring he had more trouble finding his rhythm and was often late in pulling the trigger at the dish. He's added strength, and there could be more power to come as he advances.
"Fien's added physicality has allowed him to run better, though that's never going to be a part of his game. Committed to Texas, he has the chance to profile well at third base with plenty of arm. He could end up at first or in a corner outfield spot in the future, though there are teams that saw enough over the summer to potentially draft his bat in the first round."
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