With the 27th overall pick, the Phillies did what we thought they might, and popped Germantown Friends School southpaw Jesse Biddle. Andy Seiler from MLB Bonus Baby was kind enough to make Biddle's full profile free on his website, and here's a brief excerpt...
"Biddle’s current pitch mix is good as well, despite being a cold-weather pitcher. His fastball is usually an upper-80s pitch that touches 92 with good life, and if he learns how to utilize his size and throw on a downhill plane, he could be a true power pitcher with groundball tendencies... Biddle’s slow curve projects as a future fringe-average pitch, but if he adds velocity to it with his fastball, it could be an average big-league pitch with time. His changeup is the pitch that has matured the most over the last year, and it’s now a potential plus pitch to complement his fastball. It gets good depth and fade, and its 10 mph differential with his fastball makes it extremely effective. Biddle has true number two starter upside..."
Click here to read the full thing.
My own take is similar to that of James from Phuture Phillies: the Phillies didn't grab the absolute most talented player on the board, but it's by no means a bad pick. Power lefties don't grow on trees, and the Phillies should probably get the benefit of the doubt with Biddle being from their backyard (they did, after all, do pretty well in focusing on and then drafting New Jersey hurler Jason Knapp back in 2008). Biddle should sign for slot money, and if recent draft history is anything to go by, the Phillies will likely try to sign a few overslot guys in later rounds -- and if the money "saved" by nabbing Biddle instead of, say, Stetson Allie, nets them an extra overslot guy or two, then the selection makes a lot of sense.
The Phils and the rest of MLB are back at it tomorrow at noon for Rounds 2 through 30. We'll have a rundown of the picks and some thoughts and comments tomorrow evening sometime.