The Phillies selected high school outfielder Larry Greene with their first pick last night in the MLB Draft. Greene is somewhat out of the mold of what the Phillies usually look for high in the draft, which are the so called “toolsy” athletic types who they hope to mold into good baseball players.
Greene isn’t a great athlete and doesn’t posses a lot of tools, but he does do one thing better than probably every high school player in this draft. Hit for power. At 6-1, 230 in high school Greene mashed pitching in Georgia and the Phillies could certainly use the power in the their system. Some scouts suggest that his limited athleticism may cause him to make a move to first base, but if he can develop as a power hitting corner outfielder, he could become quite valuable down the line.
He does have an offer from the University of Georgia, but at the draft, Greene made his intentions fairly clear.
“I’m going to go home and think about it,” he said. “But more than likely, I’m going to play pro baseball.”
Here’s some reactions around the web to the pick.
Jason Churchill, Prospect Insider
The Phillies love toolsy players but their top pick two years in a row has been off that trend. Larry Greene has plus power and should be adequate in a corner outfield spot. He’s considered an easy sign.
The Phillies generally look for elite tools, normally they go for all around tools packages, especially guys with speed. Greene is the complete opposite, as his value is basically tied to his power. But that power could be really special, like, 40 HR power special. The system lacks legit power prospects, and Greene certainly fits the bill there. The Phillies obviously believe he can play LF, and that he can make contact and make adjustments. Can he? We’ll see.
Larry Greene may be the very definition of man-child. Listed at 6’1″ and 230 lb, Greene is a hulking outfielder out of Berrien High School in Nashville, Georgia. On a purely physical standpoint, Greene may be one of most impressive high school prospects in this draft. With his strong arms and thick legs, Greene generates very impressive power to all fields. Greene’s swing also has good speed, which could result in decent averages going forward.
Here’s a youtube video of him taking batting practice, complete with a Skynyrd soundtrack!
Follow our full 2011 Phillies draft stream with scouting reports and reactions to all the Phillies top picks.