2001 Phillies Draft Report Card

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Best Pro Debut:

Sidearming RHP Ryan Hutchinson (17) had nine saves, a 0.55 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 33 innings at short-season Batavia. Among true prospects, LHP Vinny DeChristofaro (7) went 1-2, 2.17 with 33 strikeouts in 37 innings in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. He threw in the low 90s in April, causing a flock of scouts to come see him, then sunk to 86 mph before the draft. He threw 87-88 mph with an occasional 90 this summer, and he projects to add another 2-3 mph in time.

Best Athlete:

OF Andre Marshall (13) got just 63 at-bats and hit .222 as a University of Washington junior last spring, but the Phillies love his physical tools. He’s a 6-foot-4, 205-pound switch-hitter with 6.5-second speed in the 60-yard dash. OF Rod Perry (12) played wide receiver for Southern California and Penn State.

Best Hitter:

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds and coming off a summer with Team USA, 1B Ryan Howard (5) entered 2001 viewed as a first- or second-round pick and perhaps a lefthanded version of Frank Thomas. Then he caught a bad case of draftitis and slogged through a mediocre spring. He got straightened out after signing, batting .272-5-35 at Batavia.

Best Raw Power:

Howard. 3B Terry Jones (4) has notable pop as well, though Philadelphia hasn’t seen much of it because he signed late and then came down with a hernia in instructional league.

Fastest Runner:

Marshall and OF Chris Roberson (9).

Best Defensive Player:

Departing from the norm, the Phillies tout a pair of corner infielders. 1B Brian Hansen (6) has exceptional hands, and the team compares him to Rico Brogna and Travis Lee. Jones is agile and has a plus arm to go with soft hands.

Best Fastball: Gavin Floyd

(1) was unquestionably the head of a special class of high school righthanders. He has thrown 95-96 mph repeatedly and touched 97. He also has a hard 78-80 mph curveball, and at times it gives him a second well above-average pitch. He also has a feel for a changeup that at worst will be an average third offering.

Most Intriguing Background:

Philadelphia got a package deal with Floyd, also signing his brother, OF Mike (22). OF Vince Vukovich’s (20) father John once played for the Phillies and serves as their third-base coach. Perry’s father Rod Sr. spent a decade in the NFL as a defensive back.

Closest To The Majors:

Lee is going to start hearing Howard’s footsteps soon.

Best Late-Round Pick:

Marshall. His .287-1-13 debut in the GCL was an encouraging first step.

The One Who Got Away:

It almost wound up being Gavin Floyd, as the Phillies announced he had turned down their final offer on Aug. 22, only to sign him a day later. They landed all but three of their picks in the first 37 rounds. C Jason Jaramillo (39), a switch-hitter with defensive skills who’s now at Oklahoma State, was the biggest loss.

Assessment:

Philadelphia stuck to its guns and signed Gavin Floyd for the price ($4.2 million) it wanted. The Phillies forfeited their second- and third-round picks in exchange for free-agent relievers Rheal Cormier and Jose Mesa, but recovered somewhat by getting Howard in the fifth round.

The List: The Best First-Off-The-Board High School Pitchers

Clayton Kershaw is an exceptional high school pitcher—in more ways than one