2019 MLB draft: Who will be the Phillies pick at No. 14?

The decision will be made Monday night later than normal, as the Phillies have a pick outside the top 10 in the MLB Draft for the first time in six years.

They will be on the clock sometime around 8:30 p.m. with the 14th pick in the first round, and, if all goes according to plan, a later decision will become the norm.

The Phillies are hoping they are entering a stretch of playoff contention that will keep the team’s draft room away from the top of baseball’s pecking order. The Phillies may not pick as high as they did three years ago, when they had No. 1, but amateur scouting director Johnny Almaraz said the strategy remains the same.

“What we do is we focus on the top 20 players across the country, we line them up, and we’re going to take the best player available at 14,” Almaraz said. “It’s a pretty simple approach.”

The Phillies held a series of meetings this week to prepare for the three-day draft, and Almaraz said they have a group of “about five players who we think are going to be there” when they make their choice Monday night.

They have drafted college position-players with their last two first-round picks and that trend could continue, unless Almaraz thinks a pitcher can be a top-of-the-rotation arm. A lot will depend on what happens ahead of them, and there are more teams ahead than in years past. The Phillies will have a wait little longer for their turn.

Here’s a look at five players who could be available for them:

The Phillies will try soon to lock up J.T. Realmuto to a long-term deal, so using their first-round pick on a catcher would surely test Almaraz’s philosophy on drafting the best available player. Langeliers is an excellent defender with a strong arm. He entered the NCAA Regionals hitting .297 this season with a .838 OPS and seven homers. He missed three weeks of the season with a broken hamate bone.

Jung entered the NCAA Regionals with 69 hits this season, 33 of which were for extra-bases. His .610 slugging percentage is the fourth-best mark in the Big 12. He posted a 1.087 OPS, with 51 walks and just 37 strikeouts in 55 games. The Phillies drafted third baseman Alec Bohm with last year’s first-round pick, which would likely mean either Jung or Bohm would move to the outfield if the Phillies select another third baseman.

He posted a 2.75 ERA this season in 14 starts, three of which were complete games. There’s a lot to like in his strikeout-to-walk ratio as Kirby struck out 107 batters this season and walked just six in 88 1/3 innings. He didn’t face the best competition with Elon, but Kirby did hold his own last summer in the talent-rich Cape Cod League. He has a low-90s fastball, solid curveball, and developing change-up. He could be a quick mover.

A strong defender and elite hitter, Stott should be able to stick at shortstop in the majors. He hit .356 this season with a 1.085 OPS and 10 homers in 58 games. He can drive the ball to sides of the field, as he hit 50 doubles over the last two years. He also has a strong approach, with 39 strikeouts and 55 walks this season in 222 at-bats.

His combination of power, speed, and a solid approach at the plate would makes him an option at No. 14. Misner, who is 6-foot-4 and 213 pounds, hit 10 homers this season with a .921 OPS and nearly balanced his strikeouts to walks as struck out 58 times with 54 walks in 206 at-bats. He was successful on all but one of his 21 stolen base attempts. He has the arm strength to play right field.