BACKDRAFT: PHILS ADD SOME HEAT
Team simply couldn’t pass on high school flamethrower Abel
College baseball players dominated the first half of Wednesday night’s Major League Baseball draft.
Eleven of the first 14 picks came from college, compared to three right out of high school.
Given the lack of film on high school players due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no senior seasons and the draft having been shortened to five rounds, most teams went with moreestablished, less-risky college prospects.
New director of scouting Brian Barber and the Phillies chose to make slender right-hander Mick Abel the first prep pitcher to come off the board.
It’ll take years to determine if the Phils made the right move.
Abel’s “tantalizing combination of present stuff and future projection,” according to Barber, caused the Phillies to decide they couldn’t pass on the Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year in 2019.
The Phillies’ scouts and front-office personnel spent 90 minutes on a Zoom call with Abel last month in which seven people asked the young pitcher questions.
“In a sense, it’s like a job interview, except I’m talking about baseball,” Abel said. “Baseball for me is not a job — it’s very fun. It’s the game I love
and am super-passionate about it.”
The Phils clearly were pleased with what they heard.
“As a person and a player, we’re 100% sold on him,” Barber said. “We like everything about Mick.”
There seems to be a lot to like.
The 6-foot-5, 190-pound Abel had a 1.26 ERA, 10-0 record and 111 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings while leading Jesuit High School to a Class 6A Oregon state title as a junior.
He throws four pitches — fastball, curve, slider and change-up.
His fastball, which was clocked at 99.5 mph in April, is typically in the 94-97 mph range.
“I think my best off-speed pitch right now is my slider,” said Abel, sporting a Phillies cap during a late-night Zoom call on Wednesday. “I’m able to throw it any count, any quadrant of the zone.
“I’m a big competitor on the mound. I like going out there trying to beat everybody that I can.”
Barber agreed the slider is Abel’s strikeout pitch.
“I’m definitely hoping we’re getting a guy who has four pitches and can get guys out,” Barber said. “… I know Mick has tremendous potential and tremendous upside [and has] the potential to be a future workhorse and just a dominating presence and a top-of-the-rotation pitcher.”
But it’s a long way from being the first-round pick to taking the ball every five or six days for the Phillies.
In 2014, the Phillies opted for LSU pitcher Aaron Nola at No. 7. Nola, who was perceived to be a relatively safe pick, reached the majors 13 months later. He’s been the team’s top starter for the past three seasons.
Abel didn’t have much to say about the uncertainty of the minor league situation at this point, but he plans to keep throwing in Oregon for the time being.
Other than Philadelphia’s passionate fans, he doesn’t know much about the city, but is looking forward to learning more.
Though Abel committed to play college ball at Oregon State, Barber doesn’t believe it should be difficult to sign Abel, whose slot value at No. 15 is $3.89 million.
Soon after getting drafted, Abel received a FaceTime call from a number he didn’t recognize. When he answered, he was pleasantly surprised.
“I answered and saw [Phillies star outfielder Bryce Harper’s] face pop up,” he said. “I’m like, ‘That’s Bryce Harper. What the heck?’”
Harper’s message was simple – welcome to the organization and “the grind starts now.”
“It’s going to take a lot for me to get to the next level,” Abel said.
“I’ve got to get to work. I’m excited to see what the future holds.”
The Phillies undoubtedly are, too.