These 2023 Phillies Draft picks could be steals (2024)

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies believed they got a couple of steals in last summer's Draft in shortstop Aidan Miller and right-hander George Klassen -- a pair of players who had their Draft stock impacted by an injury.

Through the first couple months of their first full pro seasons, the Phillies might be right.

Miller, the club's No. 2 prospect (and MLB Pipeline's No. 48 overall), is slashing .309/.434/.545 with five home runs, 25 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 32 games. He's also worked 23 walks compared to 32 strikeouts.

"The most impressive thing about Aidan is his mindset and his work ethic," said Preston Mattingly, the Phillies' assistant general manager of player development. "I think, since the day we got him, he's been driven to get better every single day. Just a relentless pursuit of better, whether it's defensive, offensive, baserunning -- he's always looking to improve. He has the mindset we're looking for for all of our Phillies players."

There was some speculation when Miller was drafted that he could eventually slide to third base, but the Phillies have used him exclusively at shortstop to this point in his pro career.

"Aidan's a shortstop; we don't plan on playing him anywhere else," Mattingly said. "Aidan thinks he's a shortstop, we think he's a shortstop -- so there's no intention of moving him."

Of course, that can all change as Miller climbs through the Minor League ranks, depending on organizational needs. As for what else the Phillies want to see from the 19-year-old before that climb begins, it's really just a matter of continuing to do what he's already doing.

"I don't think we have a set date on when he's going to move up," Mattingly said. "We'll talk about it as a group and what we feel is best for his development and make a decision based on that."

Miller slid to Philadelphia with the 27th overall pick in last summer's Draft in part because of a broken left hamate bone that forced him to miss nearly all of his senior year of high school. Similarly, Klassen, the Phillies' No. 28 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, tumbled to the sixth round after having his college career derailed by Tommy John surgery.

Following the procedure, Klassen did not pitch for the University of Minnesota in 2021 and pitched just 7 2/3 innings across 11 outings in '22. Though his electric fastball returned in '23, he also struggled with his control.

Klassen had almost as many walks (47) as strikeouts (49) over 56 2/3 innings in his final season with the Golden Gophers. This year, he has 51 strikeouts to only eight walks in 34 innings across eight outings with Clearwater.

And the velocity hasn't gone anywhere.

Klassen's four-seamer is averaging 97.3 mph. That's tied with Josh Ekness, who's pitching in High-A in the Marlins' system, for the fastest among tracked pitchers in either Single-A or High-A.

There was some concern when Klassen departed his May 3 start with a right shoulder issue, but he returned on May 18 and promptly uncorked a 100 mph fastball -- his fastest pitch of the season. Klassen has 12 strikeouts and zero walks over nine scoreless innings in his three starts following the two-week absence.

His season ERA is 0.26.

"Honestly, just the talent he has -- the stuff is top of the charts," Mattingly said. "He's refined his delivery and his arsenal. So we're just looking to build off what he's done so far."

With that type of stuff, the 22-year-old Klassen could move up the system a bit quicker with the intention of helping the Phillies out of the bullpen -- but maintaining his health and new-found control will be the ultimate priorities.

Let's take a look at some other noteworthy storylines across each level of the Phillies' organization:

Triple-A Lehigh Valley: RHP Mick Abel (Phillies' No. 3 prospect, No. 61 overall)
The Phillies' top healthy pitching prospect has struggled out of the gate with Lehigh Valley after spending nearly all of last season with Double-A Reading. Abel was tagged for three runs on five hits and four walks over four innings in Friday night’s 5-2 loss as he fell to 1-5 with a 6.26 ERA through nine starts. The control issues that have plagued him throughout his pro career continue to be the biggest problem. Abel has walked 30 batters in 41 2/3 innings, an average of 6.5 per nine. He has issued 18 walks in 20 innings over his past four starts.

Double-A Reading: OF Carlos De La Cruz (Phillies' No. 12 prospect)
De La Cruz's overall numbers might not jump off the page -- he's slashing .213/.294/.331 -- but he's started to turn the corner of late. Over his past 10 games, the 24-year-old outfielder is hitting .351 (13-for-37) with five doubles, one triple and eight RBIs.

High-A Jersey Shore: LHP Samuel Aldegheri (Phillies' No. 23 prospect)
The 22-year-old southpaw matched a season high with 10 strikeouts in just five innings in Wednesday's start against Brooklyn. He has a 2.51 ERA and 0.93 WHIP through eight starts this season, with 55 strikeouts in 43 innings.

Aldegheri still has a long way to go in his quest to become the first Italian-born player to pitch in the big leagues since Marino Pieretti in 1950, but he's certainly doing his part.

"He's a guy who's continued to get better and better," Mattingly said. "He really worked on his craft this offseason and got his body in a really good spot. ... We're very happy with where he's at."