Two Virginia Cavaliers hitters had been connected to the Phillies in the days leading up to Monday's MLB draft and the Phils indeed ended up with one, selecting outfielder Adam Haseley with the eighth overall pick.
Haseley, a left-handed hitter, batted .390 in 58 games this season with 14 homers, 56 RBIs, 44 walks and just 21 strikeouts.
Haseley's Virginia teammate, first baseman Pavin Smith, went a pick before, seventh overall to the Diamondbacks.
Some scouts and draft analysts have questioned whether Haseley will be able to stay in center field. He projects to hit for a high average but there is also concern over how much power he'll develop, with 12 to 15 home runs sounding like a realistic possibility. In that regard, he's similar to last year's first-round pick, Mickey Moniak.
This is the third straight year the Phillies have taken an outfielder in the first round. They selected Moniak first overall last June and took Cornelius Randolph 10th overall in 2015.
The assigned value for the eighth pick is $4,780,400.
