The Philadelphia Phillies helped a local player’s dream come true after drafting Logan Dawson out of Eastern Regional High School in New Jersey, in the 16th round in the MLB Draft. This wasn’t a shot in the dark pick though; nor was it a charity. They had followed Dawson through much of his last year in high school and offseason leading up to the draft.
Dawson played in the MLB Draft League for the Trenton Thunder and even was invited to a pre-draft workout for the Phillies ahead of his selection. This isn’t a situation where they drafted him on a whim, they’ve spent time scouting him and believe he could be a player that could turn into a dark horse down the road.
Certainly as a 16th round pick, that won’t be easy and he’ll probably spend quite a bit of time in the minors before ever getting the call up. Dawson is a Boston College signee as well so he could be interested in going the college route before returning to the MLB Draft in three years. Either way, the Phillies might have a gem and could be intrigued enough to lure him to professional ball out of high school.
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Logan Dawson just might be a Phillies star in the making with time and patience
If Dawson opts to go the professional route and solidify his dream of playing for the Phillies, it would give Phillies fans something to look forward to. Dawson grew up a Phillies fan so getting the call was truly a dream brought to life. What makes it possible he works his way into an MLB contract is that the Phillies weren’t the only team scouting him.
According to a story in the Courier Post, there were several teams that kept a close eye on Dawson in the pre-draft process. Dawson said in the story that just about every MLB team had a scout to watch him in the spring. That means it’s less of a surprise that he was drafted and more that he gets the chance to do it for the team he grew up watching and supporting.
He was drafted as an infielder, though he did pitch in high school. Per the Courier Post, Dawson batted .318 this past season with two home runs, 13 RBI and 14 stolen bases. He bats left and added in that story that MLB teams, specifically the Phillies, like his athleticism and left-handed swing.
For now, Dawson probably has college on his mind. Per the Courier Post story, he was at Boston College preparing for the year when he found out he was drafted. But things change. I’m sure hearing his name called by the team he grew up watching could sway him away from college ball. And if it does, it could start his trend toward being the homegrown star.