Phillies Sign Top Two Prospects

Scott Kingery

The Philadelphia Phillies have signed their top two draft picks out of this year’s draft class.

The team signed its tenth overall pick, Cornelius Randolph, to a deal reportedly worth the value of the pick at $3.2 million, according to MLB.com. Hitting .526 with seven home runs in his senior season at Griffin High School (Ga.), Randolph is one of the most powerful bats coming out of the draft, and at only 18 years of age there is still improvement to be made.

When the Phillies made the pick last week, there was uncertainty as to where on the diamond Randolph would play. Randolph was a shortstop in high school, but his body type and arm strength could have seen him positioned as a second or third baseman. Though the Phillies have not yet confirmed, they have said they intend to convert Randolph to a left fielder.

The Phillies also signed the 48th overall pick, Scott Kingery, to a deal worth $1.25 million, according to MLB.com. Kingery was a second baseman at the University of Arizona, leading the team in batting average this past season. The junior hit .392 with five homeruns and 36 runs batted in. With an aging Chase Utley, the Phillies are going to want to develop Kingery if they hope to have a big-league-ready second baseman when Utley retires in the coming years.

In addition to their top two prospects, the Phillies have also signed another 26 of their draftees from this year’s class.

The team has not yet confirmed the official details of the contracts.