Phillies Agree to Terms With Draft Picks Kevin Gowdy, Cole Stobbe, JoJo Romero, Josh Stephen

A day after introducing No. 1 pick Mickey Moniak as their newest prospect, the Phillies agreed to contract terms with four other draft selections, featuring second-round pick Kevin Gowdy, a right-handed pitcher out of Santa Barbara High School in California. 

Third-rounder Cole Stobbe (SS), fourth-rounder JoJo Romero (LHP) and 11th-rounder Josh Stephen (OF) also agreed to terms with the Phillies on Wednesday.

Gowdy, 18, was selected 42nd overall by the Phillies as the top pick in the second round. At Santa Barbara, Gowdy went 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA, 93 strikeouts and five walks in 56 2/3 innings.

He was rated as the best high school pitcher in Southern California by Baseball America.

“He’s a young right-handed pitcher who has the ability to command the baseball at such a young age,” Phillies scouting director Johnny Almaraz said back on June 10. “He has an above-average fastball and good breaking stuff. I’m a believer you can’t teach somebody how to pitch. He’s got that innate ability to pitch and get hitters out and that’s what we want in this organization, frontline pitchers.”

Gowdy was at Citizens Bank Park and tweeted his excitement.

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Moniak is good friends with both Gowdy and Stobbe.

"Couldn't have scripted it any better," Moniak said Tuesday when speaking about both.

The Phillies have agreed to terms with their first 14 picks and 25 of the overall 40.

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