Here are Phillies' Draft picks from Day 2

PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies approached Day 2 of the MLB Draft much like they did Day 1 -- focusing extensively on collegiate pitchers.

After selecting Gage Wood with their first-round pick -- the first time the Phils have drafted a college arm in the opening round since 2014 -- the club drafted two more pitchers from the collegiate ranks to close out Day 1.

That trend continued into Monday, where the focus seemed to be finding overpowering pitchers who could potentially move quickly through the system. The Phillies ultimately used each of their first eight picks -- and 14 of 20 overall -- on pitchers.

So, was the strategy this year to potentially find more immediate pitching help than in past years?

"Not really," said assistant general manager of amateur scouting Brian Barber. "Some of that is just -- obviously when you're drafting, you would rather take a starting pitcher or a guy who has potential to be a starting pitcher. But one of our philosophies is we'd rather take a big league reliever in the fifth round than a Minor League starter."

Let’s take a closer look at each of the club’s Day 2 picks:

Sean Youngerman, RHP
Round 4 (No. 131 overall)
School: Oklahoma State
Calling card: Youngerman (No. 116 on MLB Pipeline's Draft rankings) served as a swingman between the rotation and the bullpen for Oklahoma State on his way to finishing in the top 10 across Division I in ERA (2.08), K/BB ratio (7.4) and WHIP (0.87) this season. He has a riding fastball that sits 92-94 but can touch 96 mph as a starter -- and even a tick higher coming out of the ‘pen. Youngerman commands his pitches well and has the stuff to be a starter or a reliever at the next level, though his long-term success will be determined by his ability to develop his secondary pitches.

Gabe Craig, RHP
Round 5 (No. 161 overall)
School: Baylor
Calling card: Craig (No. 226 on MLB Pipeline's Draft Rankings) has taken quite the path to the MLB Draft. A six-year prospect, he began his collegiate career at Tyler Junior College in 2020, then transferred to Texas A&M where he pitched briefly during a redshirt season in '21. After returning to Tyler in 2022, he spent the past three seasons at Baylor, where he finally put it all together this spring. Craig posted a 0.56 ERA while striking out 51 and walking only three batters over 32 innings this season. He did not allow a single extra-base hit, relying primarily on a two-pitch mix that features a wipeout slider and a mid-90s fastball. His slider sits in the mid-80s but touches 88 mph with significant sweep and depth, while his fastball sits 93-95 mph but maxes out at 97 with good armside run. Already 24 years old, given his lengthy college career, he could move quickly through the system.
Quote: "That's a reliever, for sure, for us. He might have one of the best sliders in the entire country this year." -- Barber

James Tallon, LHP
Round 6 (No. 191 overall)
School: Duke
Calling card: Primarily a reliever during his time at Duke, the 6-foot-5 Tallon has a fastball that has been clocked in the mid-90s -- but plays up a bit more due to his long extension. He made a few starts during his collegiate career, but his command has been much better coming out of the bullpen, where he became a key figure for the Blue Devils in recent seasons. Those command issues led to 19 walks over 36 1/3 innings this past spring, but he also racked up 50 strikeouts and held opponents to a .208 average. When his command is on, his fastball makes him a serious threat out of the ‘pen.

More on the Phillies' 2025 Draft:

• Phils draft Gage Wood, who twirled a no-no in the MCWS
• Phillies Draft Tracker
• Draft Day 1: Pick-by-pick rundown, analysis

Matthew Fisher, RHP
Round 7 (No. 221 overall)
School: Memorial High School (Indiana)
Calling Card: Also a star football player, Fisher (No. 46 on MLB Pipeline's Draft rankings) is arguably the best prep pitching prospect to come out of Indiana in the past decade. The ultra-athletic right-hander has a fastball that sits at 92-93 mph and has touched 95 mph with high spin and good carry featuring natural cut. His velocity should become more consistent as he grows into his 6-foot-3 frame. Fisher has a solid arsenal of secondary pitches, including a slider, a curveball and a changeup -- though as he continues to build strength, he could develop a powerful fastball-slider combo as a potential mid-rotation starter.
Quote: "He takes that athletic ability onto the baseball field and onto the mound, which you very rarely see from a 19-year-old kid. We've seen the fastball up to 96, he pounds the zone with strikes, he's got cut to the fastball, he spins the ball really easy -- there was just a lot of things to really like. We were ecstatic to have the opportunity to select him where we did." -- Barber

Brian Walters, RHP
Round 8 (No. 251 overall)
School: University of Miami
Calling card: Walters is the younger brother of Guardians reliever, Andrew Walters, who was selected by Cleveland in Competitive Balance Round B during the 2023 Draft. Though Brian got some run as a starter this spring, he still served primarily as a reliever as he did throughout his collegiate career. He racked up 11 saves for Miami this season while striking out 56 batters over 51 innings. Walters previously underwent Tommy John surgery, but he returned toward the end of last season and showed enough that the Mariners drafted him in the 19th round in 2024. He ultimately decided to return to Miami to improve his draft stock, and he did exactly that, showcasing a sinking fastball that has reached 97 mph and a deceiving slider that sits in the low 80s.

Matthew Ferrara, SS
Round 9 (No. 281 overall)
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Toms River East HS (New Jersey)
Calling card: A talented pure hitter on the local prep circuit, Ferrara hit .405 (34-for-84) with 16 extra-base hits in his senior season. That comes after hitting .412 as a sophomore and .286 as a junior. An athletic middle infielder, Ferrara also swiped 26 bases for Toms River East and made a number of flashy plays defensively. He is currently committed to the University of Pittsburgh.
Quote: "I did not know that," Barber said of Ferrara adding the Phillies to his bio. "This is one that we identified a little bit earlier in the process going back to last summer. We just think Matt is a very good baseball player with good tools who can swing the bat." -- Barber

Cole Gilley, RHP
Round 10 (No. 311 overall)
School: Indiana
Calling card: Gilley had a breakout 2025 season at Indiana after spending his first three seasons at Indiana State, where he was used primarily in relief. With the Hoosiers, though, the 6-foot-1 righty put up impressive strikeout numbers (26% K rate and 75 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings), while also displaying solid control with a 6.9% walk rate. Gilley deploys a four-pitch mix consisting of a low-to-mid-90s fastball, a cutter, a slider and a changeup.

Will Vierling, C
Round 11 (No. 341 overall)
Bats/throws: L/R
School: Murray State
Calling card: The cousin of current Tiger (and former Phillie) Matt Vierling, Will hit .310 (71-for-229) with a .528 slugging percentage for Murray State this season after transferring from Louisville.
Quote: "I remember seeing him when he was in high school and we were all trying to figure out if there was some type of connection between he and Matt. Obviously we found out there was. ... He really just started to come into his own when he got an opportunity to play a little bit more this past year. It's a pretty good catching package with a bat that's going to allow him to compete." -- Barber

Tyler Bowen, RHP
Round 12 (No. 371 overall)
School: Lander University
Calling card: Bowen missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing an internal brace procedure, but he impressed in his return to the mound in '25. The righty racked up a ridiculous 55 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .206 average. That was down from .246 in his 2023 season before the injury. He also allowed just two home runs over 67 career innings at Lander.

Jack Barker, OF
Round 13 (No. 401 overall)
Bats/throws: L/L
School: College of Southern Idaho
Calling card: An elite left-handed-hitting outfielder, Barker hit .465 this spring for Southern Idaho. He had a ridiculous .547 on-base percentage and .786 slugging percentage while racking up 37 extra-base hits (22 doubles, seven triples and eight home runs). Along with his 1.333 OPS, Barker also stole 17 bases over 53 games.

Jonathan Gonzalez, LHP
Round 14 (No. 431 overall)
School: Stetson
Calling card: Gonzalez racked up 91 strikeouts over 72 innings in 2023 before undergoing elbow surgery that sidelined him for the entire '24 season. The lefty returned to action this spring and not only picked up where he left off, but put together a breakout season in which he went 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA and 105 strikeouts over 93 2/3 innings in 15 starts.

Jacob Pruitt, RHP
Round 15 (No. 461 overall)
School: Mississippi State
Calling card: Pruitt shined in 2024 at Indiana State, posting a 3.02 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 41 2/3 innings. He transferred to Mississippi State following the season, however, and struggled to find his footing with the Bulldogs. He pitched only 18 2/3 innings over nine appearances (two starts), posting a 7.23 ERA while striking out 23 and walking 15. The righty formally applied for another season at MIssissippi State, but he will now have the option to instead sign with the Phillies.

Logan Dawson, SS
Round 16 (No. 491 overall)
Bats/throws: L/R
School: Eastern HS (N.J.)
Calling card: Another local prep shortstop, Dawson would be a long-term project as a middle infielder. He impressed as both a hitter and a pitcher in his senior season, though he was drafted only as a shortstop. Dawson hit .316 to go along with his 2.43 ERA for Eastern High School. He is currently committed to Boston College.
Quote: “Logan is a guy we’re excited about the possibility of bringing to the Phillies. Obviously, he is a local guy. He is a huge Phillies fan and we’re a fan of his, as well. We had the opportunity to bring him to Citizens Bank Park last week, and we’ve seen him play throughout this spring. He has the potential to be a really good player, and yes, having the opportunity to bring a local kid who’s a superfan of the Phillies seems to have a nice ring to it.” -- Barber

Richie Cortese, RHP
Round 17 (No. 521 overall)
School: Lander University
Calling card: Cortese was overpowering in relief for Lander this season, racking up 30 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings. That said, his control issues also led to 14 walks -- nearly one per inning -- and a 4.86 ERA over 14 relief appearances.
Quote: "We had the opportunity to bring Cortese here to the stadium a week ago and saw him live in-person, where he was up to 96 [mph] with a really good hard-sweeping slider." -- Barber

Matthew Potok, RHP
Round 18 (No. 551 overall)
School: Coastal Carolina
Calling card: Continuing a bit of a trend in the later rounds, Potok missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing right shoulder surgery but bounced back well in ‘25. He posted a 2.52 ERA in 21 appearances this spring while striking out 33 and walking eight over 35 2/3 innings.

Robert Phelps, SS
Round 19 (No. 581 overall)
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Reinhardt University
Calling card: Phelps put up good numbers for Reinhardt this season, hitting .350 (75-for-214) with 11 homers, 17 doubles and 21 stolen bases. An athletic middle infielder, Phelps began his career at Riverside City College before transferring to Harford Community College and ultimately ending up at Reinhardt this past season.

Landon Schaefer, SS
Round 20 (No. 611 overall)
Bats/throws: R/R
School: Fayetteville HS (Ark.)
Calling card: The Phillies rolled the dice with their final pick, selecting MLB Pipeline’s No. 125 Draft prospect with the No. 611 overall pick. An impressive right-handed hitter, Schaefer has a bright future up the middle as a potential power-hitting shortstop. Athletic for his size, the 6-foot-3 Schaefer also has solid arm strength and could potentially wind up at third base as he progresses. He's currently committed to Arkansas and could be a long shot to sign.
Quote: “You never know. There’s a lot of things that are involved in whether a player gets drafted early or he ends up falling. We’re taking a shot on that. We're going to do our best to try to bring him into the organization. We have a kid with talent who we’ve liked for a while, we’re not going to let that opportunity pass up. What ends up happening there, I can’t tell you for sure -- but we’re going to make as good of a run as we can at it.” -- Barber