Phillies 'unanimous' in decision to take prep OF Nori at No. 27

PHILADELPHIA – It’s a trend, but it’s a trend that is serving the Phillies well.

They selected center fielder Dante Nori from Northville High School in Michigan with the 27th overall pick in the 2024 Draft on Sunday. It is the fifth consecutive year the Phillies have selected a high school player in the first round: Mick Abel (15th overall in 2020), Andrew Painter (13th overall in 2021), Justin Crawford (17th overall in 2022) and Aidan Miller (27th overall in 2023).

Painter (No. 19), Miller (No. 27), Crawford (No. 55) and Abel (No. 93) all rank among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects.

“Dante is a guy that we identified as a potential high pick going back to last summer,” Phillies assistant general manager of amateur scouting Brian Barber said. “We got to know him very well as a person. We got to know him very well as a player. We saw him play in 20-30 different games last summer. He’s a very good baseball player with good tools and an advanced bat. We just liked the total package. He’s sort of everything you’re looking for in a player.”

With the No. 63 pick to round out Day 1, Philadelphia selected high school outfielder Griffin Burkholder from Freedom High School in Virginia. The 18-year-old was ranked No. 54 in MLB Pipeline's Top 250 Draft Prospects.

Nori, 19, is easily the oldest high school player in MLB Pipeline's rankings, coming in at No. 48 on MLB Pipeline's Top 250 Draft Prospects list. He will turn 20 in three months. Older high school players often scare away organizations, but it has not scared the Phillies. Miller was also considered old when the Phillies selected him last year.

“All things being equal, younger is always better,” Barber said, “but it got to a point where [Nori’s] talent level and his baseball ability wasn’t equal to the next person. It was pretty unanimous in the room that this was a guy we wanted to bring into the organization.”

Nori made a college commitment to Mississippi State University, but the pick is slotted at $3.23 million. The Phillies expect him to sign.

Nori, who hits left-handed, slashed .477/.575/.748 with a 1.323 OPS, 52 runs scored, 23 extra-base hits, 32 walks and 20 stolen bases in 39 games in his senior season, leading Northville to their first state championship in the school’s 115-year history.

“He takes balls, he swings at strikes, he hits the balls that he swings at,” Barber said. “And he hits them hard.”

Nori (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) was named to the MaxPreps All-America First Team in 2024, one of five outfielders in the country who received the honor. He was also named the 2024 Michigan Player of the Year by MaxPreps. A 2024 preseason Perfect Game All-American, Nori was named Mr. Baseball by the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association in 2024.

Evaluators believe Nori’s all-around tools are comparable to Alek Thomas' at the same stage, according to MLB Pipeline. They also think he's a better bet to hit than fellow Michigan prep infielder Caleb Bonemer. Nori’s grandfather, Fred Nori, played two seasons professionally in the Cubs and Mets farm systems before joining Indiana University as an assistant coach, where he recruited Kyle Schwarber.

Nori’s father, Micah Nori, is an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“It adds to who he is,” Barber said. “This is a kid who has grown up around the baseball field and now in the NBA clubhouse and getting to be around elite athletes. It helped mature him. It helped add to his elite makeup.”

Nori not only can hit, but he can run. He has top-of-the-scale 60-yard dash times, making him a well above-average runner. He can run down balls from center field. He also has a solid arm.

Barber described Burkholder, who has committed to West Virginia University, as “an elite athlete, but a good baseball player who can hit. We’ve had the opportunity to work him out. We brought him to Citizens Bank Park. It’s a pretty good show in batting practice already. The power is definitely there.”