Ragsdale may be most intriguing Phils pick

There are endless streams of video available, power points constructed by well-meaning parents and coaches, scouting reports out the waZoo(m).

As it was, in his first draft as a Phillies scouting director, Brian Barber ignored the novelty of a draft slashed from 40 rounds to five, and stuck to tradition. At least he did when it came to interview basics, indicating the Phillies drafted “the best players available” for all four selections they made Wednesday and Thursday nights. Yet he knows there are risks involved.

Their top selection, 15th-overall pick Mick Abel, is a very live and skilled arm attached to an 18-year-old body, and across from a left shoulder that’s already been injured.

Next up was college shortstop Casey Martin, an every tool kind of guy who was also injured and played like it this year, falling from a No. 30 overall ranking to No. 87, where the Phillies took him in the third round.

They closed with Georgia Tech outfielder Baron Radcliff in the fifth round, a guy with “plus-plus” power who nonetheless strikes out every third at-bat. He would have fit in nicely with last year’s Phillies team.

But the club’s most intriguing pick came in the fourth round, when with Abel already bagged they went for University of South Florida righthander Carson Ragsdale. At 6-foot-8, there’s no doubt Ragsdale can cut an imposing figure on the mound, but there’s limited evidence he’ll have the fastball to match.

Then again, since he missed all of last year after Tommy John surgery, that’s not so surprising.

Barber pointed at some impressive outings Ragsdale had as both starter and reliever during South Florida’s shortened 2020 season, and proclaimed him “completely healthy.”

Either way, live scouting reports this year had Ragsdale striking out 10 Florida Gators

over four innings and a fastball clocking at 96 mph. In fact, Barber said he was at the game in which Ragsdale

“dominated” the Gators.

“I don’t know if anybody’s seen the video, (but) he just completely dominated a high level team like Florida with this curveball that day, and with the mid90s velocity,” Barber said.

Noting Ragsdale’s versatility between the rotation and the mound for the Bulls, Barber added, “We like him as a starter. You know, is it a guy that could move to the bullpen down the road? I think he could, but our interest was as a starter and we believe in his ability to be a starter.

“We saw Carson get up to 96 mph this spring with the quality curveball that generates heavy swing and miss,” Barber added. “Carson is a good athlete who went to school as a two-way player and is really just is in his first year concentrating solely on pitching. So, we were really excited to be able to draft him.”

The feeling was mutual. Ragsdale, a Tampa Bay area native, grew up not far from where the Phillies go to train every spring. It was emotional getting that call from the team.

“Getting that phone call was incredible,” Ragsdale told the Tampa Bay Times. “I just kind of broke down for a minute . ... I’m ready to get this going.

“Go Phillies.”

COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA University of South Florida pitcher Carson Ragsdale, 21, uncorks pitches from a 6-foot-8frame. He’s raw, he’s had Tommy John surgery. But the Phillies look at him as a potential starter down the road.