MLB Draft Tracker: Phillies draft a slew of relievers, interesting catching prospect on Day 3 of MLB Draft
The Phillies have the 29th pick in rounds 11 through 20 of the 2023 MLB Draft, which wraps up on Tuesday.
The Phillies selected shortstop Aidan Miller out of J.W. Mitchell High School in Florida with the 27th selection. The club made seven selections on Day 2.
We’ll be tracking all of the Phillies’ Day 3 picks here.
- Round 11 — No. 343: Kehden Hettiger, catcher, Sierra Canyon High School (California)
Hettiger is a switch-hitting bat-first catcher with power from the left side. If the Phillies sign him, it will likely be on an overslot deal as the 19-year-old is committed to playing at Oregon.
- Round 12 — No. 373: Brandon Beckel, right-handed pitcher, Texas Tech
Beckel is a 21-year-old multi-inning reliever coming off a solid year with Texas Tech in 2023, where he posted a 2.23 ERA in 48 1/3 innings. Baseball America’s scouting report says he’s got a top-down slider that he’s able to both generate swing-and-miss and command in the strike zone.
- Round 13 — No. 403: Marty Gair, right-handed pitcher, Florida Southwestern State College
Gair, 19, is a six-foot-six right-hander who is capable of hitting 100 mph on the radar gun, according to his college coach. He’s one of the many draft prospects who recently attended the MLB Draft Combine in Arizona. Baseball America has him ranked at No. 374 among draft prospects. He transferred from UNC Wilmington following the 2022 season.
- Round 14 — No. 433: Zach Arnold, shortstop, Houston
Arnold, 22, slashed .365/.453/.590 with 13 home runs and 51 RBIs for the Cougars in 2023. A 34th round pick by the Orioles in 2019, the right-handed hitting Arnold transferred from LSU to Houston after the 2021 season.
- Round 15 — No. 463: Jared Thomas, catcher, Loyola Marymount University (California)
Coming off a strong senior season in which he slashed .299/.395/.428, Thomas, 22, is a “solid defender who catches and throws fairly well and moves nicely behind the dish,” according to Baseball America’s scouting report. The left-handed hitter profiles as a backup catcher.
- Round 16 — No. 493: Luke Russo, right-handed pitcher, Eastern Michigan
A 6-foot-4 righty, Russo, 22, had a 4.62 ERA across 78 innings for Eastern Michigan in 2023.
- Round 17 — No. 523: A.J. Shaver, outfielder, Florida SouthWestern State College
Shaver, like Arnold, put up monster numbers in his final year of college. He batted .403 with 19 home runs in 2023. He did all that despite battling a wrist injury in the beginning of the year. If he signs, he’ll join his college teammate Gair, who was drafted by the Phillies in the 13th round.
- Round 18 — No. 553: Ethan Chenault, right-handed pitcher, UNC Wilmington
Chenault, 22, posted a 4.91 ERA as a reliever with UNC Wilmington in 2023. He was set to transfer to Florida State University for his final year of college eligibility.
- Round 19 — No. 583: Casey Steward, right-handed pitcher, Washburn University (Kansas)
Steward, a 6-foot-5 Division II right-handed starter, posted a 4.25 ERA across 82 2/3 innings in 2023. Baseball America listed Steward as one of 14 small-school pitchers to know:
Steward certainly looks the part and possesses arm strength as well. The junior hurler’s velocity has improved with each start, most recently pitching in the 92-94 mph range, and he’ll use a sharp, downward breaking ball when ahead in counts. Steward does have feel for his 82-84 mph changeup that he will show mostly to lefties that generates late, downward fade when timed up. The big righty is punching out his fair share in 2023, with 75 strikeouts in 57.1 innings, though that has also come with 30 walks. With opposing batters hitting just .247 against him, look for Seward to become even more dominant as his overall command improves.
Baseball America’s report on Casey Steward.
- Round 20 — No. 613: Pierce Bennett, second baseman, Wake Forest University
Bennett, a Baltimore native, slashed .353/.431/.523 in his senior season for a big-time program. Here’s a video of him hitting a home run with a one-handed swing.