From Keith Law: Evans is a solid player who lacks star potential but is a potential everyday player in the middle infield who hits for average with a little pop. His weight transfer is good and, combined with solid hip rotation, he'll hit for more power than you'd expect from the slight frame, as well as hitting for average with good hand-eye coordination. In the field Evans is a capable high school shortstop but very likely to end up at second base as he doesn't have the range or lateral quickness to play short in pro ball. He's a ?grinder? who has good at bats and plays with a lot of energy, boosting his stock somewhat, but it's the potential for a solid defender at second who hits that has him likely going in the top-two rounds.
4-4-11: - http://www.replacementlevelbaseball.com/2011/04/rlb-2011-mlb-draft-scouting-report-phillip-evans-inf/ = The Overview: La Costa Canyon High School shortstop Phillip Evans has drawn universal praise for his undeniable skill set. The 18-year-old is known for his soft hands and strong on-field presence. With the 2011 Rule IV Draft approaching, Evans continues to draw scouts to his games by the dozens.
The Physical Attributes: Evans is a physical specimen as far as high school shortstops go. With a 5’11” frame, he is built very thick with large forearms and strong legs. While his frame is not maxed out, it’s tough to see Evans adding more than 5-10 pounds of muscle as he develops. Any more than that and you’d need to be concerned that his body would get soft. Everything that he does on the field is a testament to the hard work and care that Evans shows he puts into his body off the field. Without too much projection left in his frame, Evans’ hitting ability is more likely to develop as he ages rather than his power. Looks and plays very athletic.
The Hitting: While many will claim defense as Evans’ best tool, his present hitting ability is tough to overlook. With so many raw high school athletes at the top of the draft, Evans offers more polish at the plate than any other non-college player in the country. Mechanically, his swing is beautiful to watch. A short, compact motion that utilizes his legs and shows smooth hip rotation all the way through. Evans poses quick wrists and strong forearms that allow him to protect the inside of the plate, while still covering the outer half. The first three pictures below show a swing he took on a ball inside. As you progress through the pictures, you can see that he was able to bring his hands in close to his body, but then extend his arms out as he followed through.
The Conclusion: Evans shows you just about everything you’d like to see in a potential first-round pick. He has enough now-tools to prove he can handle professional ball, but still has areas for growth that are attainable due to his high character and focus. If he can learn to dominate the outside of the plate, his quick hands will leave the opposing pitcher without many options unless you can make him chase the ball up in the zone. His commitment to SDSU is strong because of his local ties and his great admiration for SDSU infield coach Mark Martinez. If a team drafts Evans in the first or second round and offers him a chance to stick at short it shouldn’t be difficult to get him out of his college commitment.
The Ceiling: Evans will never blow you away with raw tools. He has a mature body and already poses advanced hitting and fielding ability. You can dream on his potential and see a 20/20 guy who hits about .280 with great patience at the plate. Best-case scenario: he focuses more on gap-to-gap hitting and becomes a .300 hitter with Gold Glove defense – but more than likely at second base
Big signee.
Here's who I had as the top 5 shortstops is the 2011 draft:
1. SS Francisco Linder
2. SS Javier Baez
3. SS Nicky Delmonico
4. SS Phil Evans
5. SS Joe Panik
Also... he also was a catcher... hmm...
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