Phillies select shortstop Tyler Spangler, Missouri State outfielder Caden Bogenpohl in the MLB draft
After a 10-pick penalty for exceeding the second luxury-tax threshold last year, the Phillies took Spangler, 18, with their first pick. Bogenpohl broke Ryan Howard's school record for home runs.
In 2023, the Phillies used their first-round pick on an infielder who graded highly among high school hitters but slipped in the draft because of an injury.
There were echoes of Aidan Miller again this year.
With the 36th overall selection — a 10-pick penalty for exceeding the second luxury-tax threshold last year — the Phillies took Tyler Spangler, an 18-year-old shortstop from De La Salle High School in Northern California.
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Spangler was projected in early mock drafts this spring as a first-round pick, in which case he would have been off the board long before the Phillies’ turn. But the left-handed hitter missed his senior season with a back injury before returning in time for the MLB Combine last month.
If it sounds familiar, Miller slid to the Phillies at No. 27 overall three years ago because of a broken hamate bone in his left hand. And although he recovered from that injury and became the organization’s top prospect, he hasn’t played this season because of a lower back condition that necessitated a spinal procedure in June.
Spangler is tall for a shortstop — 6-foot-3 — and has “quiet hands, a compact swing, and consistent high-quality contact skills,“ according to Baseball America’s scouting report.
But teams were unable to get many looks at Spangler until the Combine. He’s also committed to Stanford, which means it may require a bonus larger than the recommended $2.76 million slot value to sign him. Without a pick in the first round, the Phillies are likely to meet Spangler’s price.
Teams have until July 27 to sign their 2026 draft picks.
In the second round, with the 64th pick, the Phillies drafted 6-6 outfielder Caden Bogenpohl from Missouri State, Ryan Howard’s alma mater. (It was called Southwest Missouri State when Howard got drafted in 2001.)
Also a left-handed hitter, Bogenpohl broke Howard’s school record with 20 homers as a freshman in 2024 and finished with 39 homers in three seasons.
This story will be updated.
Ryan Howard was a three-time All-Star and champion of the 2006 Home Run Derby in his legendary run with the Phillies. With the baseball world coming together in Philadelphia for the 96th All-Star Game, Howard sat down with Phillies Extra to discuss his All-Star memories, his expectations for a Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, his outlook on the Phillies' season, Kyle Schwarber's chances of breaking his single-season franchise mark for homers, and more. Watch here.
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