July 11, 2026
Kate Frese/for PhillyVoice
The Phillies drafted a high school shortstop with their first-round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.
With the 36th overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Phillies on Saturday selected Tyler Spangler, a high school shortstop known for his size, athleticism and poise.
The 6-foot-3 Spangler, who turns 19 in October, is the first baseball player from De La Salle High School in Concordville, Calif., to be drafted in MLB's first round. He was named Metro Player of the Year as a junior by the San Francisco Chronicle but missed his senior season because of a back issue, which is somewhat concerning given that the current Phillies top prospect – infielder Aidan Miller – has yet to play this season because of a back injury that required a procedure.
But Spangler was able to attend MLB's Draft Combine last month to showcase his skill set.
Tyler Spangler is back 👀
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) June 23, 2026
After missing his high school senior spring with a back injury, Spangler is on the field participating in drills at the MLB Draft Combine. He ranks No. 32 on BA's latest draft rankings and at one point ranked among the top high schoolers in the class… pic.twitter.com/0GvM39v2Dr
Per MLB.com's scouting report, the lefty hitting Spangler plays with great instincts, polish and a "throwback approach" that draws comparisons to Cal Ripken Jr.
Here's an excerpt from their scouting report:
Because of Spangler’s size – he’s at least 6-foot-3 – his instincts and throwback approach to the game, more veteran baseball people have mentioned he reminds them of a young Cal Ripken Jr. type and because he hits left-handed, there are the invariable Corey Seager comparisons. Spangler is more polish than flash with a simple, solid approach at the plate, finding the barrel consistently. While he can be susceptible at times for breaking stuff down, he has excellent zone awareness and shows a willingness to use the middle of the field or go the other way. He can get to his pull side power at times and more thump should come as he fills out his frame and if he starts committing to getting the ball in the air more. [MLB.com]
Spangler, who initially committed to Stanford, was MLB.com's 53rd-ranked prospect and 11th-ranked shortstop prospect in a first round with several high-profile high school and college shortstop prospects. The first two picks of the draft were shortstops and seven were already taken before the Phillies selected Spangler.
He batted .430 with 10 homers and 40 RBI his junior season at De La Salle, per MaxPreps.com.
Tyler Spangler offers one of the cleanest swings in the 2026 class.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) March 9, 2026
But there are questions about what his upside potential is.
See where he falls in our Mock Draft: https://t.co/jdcrPlmno6 pic.twitter.com/8HMeyJcQ0i
Outside of Miller, who can play shortstop or third base, the Phillies aren't well-stocked on the farm with shortstop prospects, and there's plenty of opportunity for Miller and Spangler to be the left side of the Phillies' big-league infield in the not-too-distant future if they perform well.
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm has struggled this season, was already the subject of trade rumors for the past two offseasons, and is in the final year of his contract while shortstop Trea Turner has struggled both offensively and defensively this season, increasing the likelihood that he will be moved to the outfield at some point. Turner still has seven seasons left on his $300-million deal.
The highest-rated shortstop or third baseman in the Phillies' system after Miller is 16th-ranked Carson DeMartini, a 2024 fourth-round pick playing third base who has been injured for more than two months and has played just 24 games this season.
Spangler is the second high school shortstop drafted by the Phillies in the first round in the past three seasons; the team took Dante Nori in the first round out of Michigan's Northville High School in 2024. Last year, the Phillies went heavy on pitchers, selecting Arkansas right-hander Gage Wood in the first round and then took pitchers in each of the next seven rounds.
On the Phillies' picks in Rounds 2-4:
The Phillies, who have really struggled to develop big-league outfielders for years, took a swing on a college outfielder with their second-roud pick, taking Caden Bogenpohl out of Missouri State, the same college that produced Ryan Howard.
BOGEY SAYS GOOD MORNING 💣☀️
— Missouri State Baseball (@MoStateBSB) March 15, 2026
Caden Bogenpohl goes deep in his first AB of the game to make it 1-0 Bears.
402 ft 📏
110 EV 💨#GoBears | #WeAreMoState pic.twitter.com/qPqDmAbRQi
Bogenpohl actually broke Howard's freshman home run record there, clubbing 20 in 2024. He also walked 55 this past season, tying a school record. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound prospect turned 21 in April. The left-handed hitter played centerfield but projects as a corner outfielder in the pros.
He is MLB.com's 93rd ranked overall prospect, known for having plus power despite having just six homers this past season at Missouri State.
The Phillies took a page from their 2025 draft strategy and went for an arm in the third round, taking 22-year-old right-handed pitcher Ruger Riojas from the University of Texas with the 92nd overall pick.
Riojas started his college career as a reliever at UT-San Antonio before transferring to Texas, where he joined the starting rotation during the 2025 season. Per MLB.com's scouting report, Riojas had the talent to be drafted in the first three rounds last year but got sick with the flu and bronchitis and lost 20 pounds, which impacted his arsenal and led to him allowing 27 runs in his final 14.2 innings.
After going undrafted and regaining the weight he lost, Riojas developed into a top senior prospect for this year's draft. He boasts a fastball between 94-96 mph that peaks at 98, which he can command on both sides of the plate. He also has a splitter that clocks between 82-85 mph along with a cutter, sweeper and curve. He also throws some of his pitches from a three-quarter arm slot.
At 23, he's a little older than most draft prospects, but he also could be pro-ready enough to move quickly up the ladder and perhaps get into the majors sooner than other prospects drafted this year.
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