:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49822657/usa-today-9327662.0.jpg)
They got an outfielder. They picked up a pitcher. And now, the Phillies have an infielder, starting the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft by selecting Cole Stobbe 78th overall.
Stobbe is listed as a third baseman by Baseball America, though the Phillies announced him as a shortstop. He is listed as #145 on the BA 500, while MLB.com had him as the 47th best prospect in the country. He bats and throws from the right side.
He attended Millard West HS in Nebraska, and is committed to Arkansas, so it will now be the Phillies' task to try and sign him. They can only assume that there will be some money left over after projected large agreements with Mickey Moniak and Kevin Gowdy.
Jim Callis of MLB.com called him one of the best high school hitters in the draft, with "average or better tools across the board" while believing he may indeed end up at third base in the long run.
MLB.com had this to say:
No Nebraska high school position player ever has been selected in the top two rounds or 60 picks in the Draft, but Stobbe could become the first this June. He's an infielder with a chance to have average or better tools across the board once he moves off shortstop, and scouts love his makeup as well. He has a track record of performing on the biggest amateur stages, helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 18-and-under World Cup in Japan last September and led Millard West (Omaha) to the Nebraska Class A championship game while earning Gatorade state player of the year honors this spring.
With his quick, compact right-handed stroke, Stobbe laces line drives to all fields. He added some strength before his senior season and drove the ball more consistently this spring, finishing among the national high school leaders with 14 home runs. He could be a .280 hitter with 15-18 homers per year in the big leagues.
An average runner with good instincts on the bases and in the field, Stobbe lacks the quickness and arm strength to play shortstop in pro ball. He should be able to handle the offensive and defensive responsibilities at either second or third base. One scout called the Arkansas recruit a poor man's version of Rockies rookie sensation Trevor Story, who was a supplemental first-rounder as a Texas high schooler in 2011.