The Phillies have taken high schoolers in the first round of the MLB Draft every year since 2001 besides Joe Savery in 2007 and Aaron Nola in 2014. Their approach of looking for high-upside, high school players has not done them well as Savery, Nola, and Greg Golson are the only first-round picks to reach the majors in Philadelphia since 2002.
With the 2017 MLB Draft beginning Monday, the team has to decide where they want to go with their first-round pick and the 39 picks that follow. According to scouting director Johnny Almaraz, expect several college pitchers to join the team before the draft is over.