CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The last time the Phillies took a college pitcher in the first round of the Draft, before 2025, was when Aaron Nola was selected No. 7 overall in the 2014 Draft. In the 10 Drafts before the organization took Gage Wood No. 26 overall last year, the Phillies’ amateur scouting department had honed in on five high school hitters, including three in a row from 2022-24, a pair of high school pitchers and three college bats.
Scouting director Brian Barber didn’t just stop at Wood. Nine of the Phillies’ top 10 picks last July were pitchers, and eight came from the college ranks. Teams never draft for need, but sometimes the stars align and the player development folks’ wish list is fulfilled.
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“You always want the best player,” Phillies farm director Luke Murton said. “I will say that having more of a farm director lens last year in the Draft room, it was a little bit in my head, ‘Hey, we need this.’ But at the end of the day, long-term, you have to take the best player that’s going to have the most impact on the Phillies. But I do think it worked out, that’s kind of how the board lined up.
“Barber’s been very aggressive the last couple of years taking high school players, and he would have done it again last year, had it worked out. I just think the way the board worked out, it was a little bit more college driven. And we have a really good balance right now. It’s good from a timeline standpoint of where we’re at in the big leagues.”
Those arms have been impressive in camp thus far. Wood, the Arkansas product, struck out five over two innings against the Yankees in his first outing on the back fields. Iowa lefty Cade Obermuller, the second-rounder, has been throwing a ton of strikes with his fastball-slider combination. Vanderbilt right-hander John Bowker, taken in the third round, has also looked good on the mound. Obermuller and Bowker tossed a combined four hitless innings with eight strikeouts in their first spring outings.
“A lot of those guys are throwing the ball really well early,” Murton said. “I think it worked out to replenish the arms and we’re excited about what we have. One thing I was very excited about from seeing them this spring is they all are who they’ve been advertised to be. Overall, they’re more polished than I would have thought. The stuff has been good and the production has been good, but I feel like they’re a little bit more ready to go. I think a lot of those guys could compete in Major League Spring Training right now, which is definitely a big step in the right direction for a college guy coming in for their first camp.”
While any number of these arms could likely handle an advanced assignment to begin their first full season -- spend two minutes talking to Wood and you can tell he believes he could get big league hitters out right now -- most will likely begin the year with Single-A Clearwater, with no need to rush them to cold weather out of the gate.
“I thought the Blue Jays last year with Trey Yesavage did a good job,” Murton said. “He makes four or five starts down here and ends up pitching in the World Series.”
Camp standout: John Spikerman
An outfielder taken out of Oklahoma in the third round of the 2024 Draft, Spikerman sat in the middle of the Phillies’ Top 30 last year. His 70 speed showed up, with 30 steals, and he’s an excellent defender with a plus arm in the outfield. But things didn’t go so well for him in his first full season of pro ball, hitting a combined .224/.355/.319 across Single- and High-A while injuries limited him to just 62 games, falling off the rankings as a result. To his credit, he got to work during the offseason, making some swing and approach changes that have enabled the switch-hitter to be in a better position to hit.
“He’s always been very athletic and can really run, can really throw and really defend, but the bat wasn’t there,” Murton said. “This year, he’s made some big strides and performed in all the games.
“He’d lose his line to the ball with the barrel, his barrel would go up too soon. He’s learned to lengthen his barrel out in the zone and create a little bit more separation between his body and his hands, which has allowed him to make adjustments within the zone and for his quality of contact to be better.”.
Breakout candidate: Tyler Bowen
The Phillies weren’t done drafting college arms after the 10th round of the 2025 Draft, taking five more in rounds 11-20. They might have a solid sleeper on their hands in Bowen, who they took in Round 12 out of Lander University in South Carolina. The 6-foot right-hander had missed a lot of bats as a junior reliever during the spring, albeit with spotty command, at best, and there was more of the same over four outings with the Frederick Keys in the Draft League. He’s opened a lot of eyes with how his stuff has looked in Clearwater thus far.
“It’s one of the more electric fastballs I’ve seen all spring,” Murton reported, saying Bowen’s heater has been 95-98 mph with good shape and carry. “It’s a back end of the bullpen type of fastball. The slider is developing and the command has to continue to improve.”
Off the radar: Tanner Gresham
If you haven’t heard of Gresham, that’s OK. He pitched at West Point, as a reliever for Army in 2021 and 2022, then moved into the rotation and earned Patriot League Pitcher of the Year honors in 2023 before his right elbow required Tommy John surgery. He made it back for six relief innings and then three more outings with Trenton in the Draft League and the Phillies saw enough to sign him as a nondrafted free agent in August 2024. He’s yet to pitch in the system because of military obligations, but he’s in camp and looking good.
“He’s come back and he’s been 94-95 mph with a pretty slider, a pretty good changeup and strikes,” Murton said. “If you told me he was in our Top 30, I’d say, ‘Yeah, I can see it.’”
Something to prove: Griffin Burkholder
Burkholder is physical and athletic and very toolsy. It’s why the Phillies took him in the second round of the 2024 Draft and went over slot to sign him for $2.5 million. And it’s why he’s still No. 13 on their Top 30 despite playing just 34 total games in 2025 because of hamstring issues and slashing just .197/.290/.386 when he was on the field. He’ll still be just 20 for nearly all of the 2026 season, so there’s plenty of time for him to figure it out, but he needs to stay on the field to do so.
“He’s been in camp and so far has been healthy and playing well,” Murton said. “It’s a matter of him going out there and proving he can play every day and put up numbers. And I think if he plays every day, he’s going to put up numbers because he’s a very talented kid. Is he going to show the type of talented player he is this year by getting on the field? He’ll flash 70 run times with huge power, he can play center field, there’s a lot of tools and he’s very smart. So it’s just a matter of him putting it all together.”