Phillip: Thanks Mack, I'm glad to have been given the chance to be a part of the New York Mets organization
Mack: Okay, I have to ask you the same question I ask all you bonus babies. What's the first thing you bought when you cashed the check?
Phillip: I actually haven't gotten my bonus check yet but I'm sure I will buy some nice things for my family once I get it.
Mack: Phillip (is it Phil, or Phillip?), just for the record, 80% say the first thing bought is a new truck. You sent all the signs out that you were not going to sign so being drafted late was, I'm sure, not exciting as it could be... but, take us to that day and tell us what it what it was like hearing your name come over the internet site.
Phillip: I like Phillip but if somebody calls me Phil that's fine with me. I just wanna give back to my family since they gave me the opportunity to play ball since I was 4 years old, I'm sure I will buy myself something nicer than a truck eventually ha ha. It was still just as exciting for me hearing my name called as I was given the chance to play pro ball for a great organization
Mack: So, let's get to the next great moment and that would be your first professional at bat. Was your family there and how did that moment go?
Phillip: My family was not there but I just treated it like any other at bat saw a lot of pitches and walked.
Mack: Okay... Phillip, You know I have been tracking you for a couple of years now and had you as the 3rd top middle infielder in the draft. There has been some scouts that project you as a future second baseman. I'm sure you would say you would play any position it takes to get to the majors, but I'm just curious, other than shortstop, what positions have you played, and played well?
Phillip: Yeah, I'm pretty sure anybody would play any position to get to the big leagues but I can play anywhere on the field well so wherever they end up putting me I'll play that position hard day in and day out.
Mack: Last question, Phillip. First of all I want to thank you for spending some time here with me. I wanted to see if thee is anything you want to say to your fans that read Mack's Mets...
Phillip: Anytime. Thanks for having me Mack. I would like to thank all the fans out there and keep supporting through out the years and hopefully all the hard work I'm putting in will give me an opportunity in the big leagues one day.
Other Evans stuff...
8-15-11: - Just love this signing. Evans went into draft day as a solid non-signee and every team avoided him. I had him as the 4th top shortstop in the draft. Scouts project him as a second baseman, but he also can catch.
8-15-11: - .baseballamerica. - The Mets have signed 15th-rounder Phillip Evans For $650,000. That's the highest bonus ever paid by New York outside of the first two rounds, and represents the equivalent of supplemental first-round money. A shortstop from La Costa Canyon HS (Carlsbad, Calif.), Evans has a line-drive swing and flashes solid tools across the board, along with good instincts. He had committed to San Diego State
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.
6-10-11: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=5864 - Phillip Evans (15th round). It's impossible not to enjoy watching Evans play the game, as he's one of the most fundamentally sound players among those eligible for the draft. He's on the smaller side, but plays the game hard and makes the middle infield look effortless.
7-8-11: - At the just completed 18u WWBA National Championship… SS Phillip Evans (2011 La Costa Canyon HS, Carlsbad, CA) earned tournament MVP honors after going 9-for-22 (.409/.458/.500) with 7 RBIs and 3 SBs .
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
8-22-11: - #18 – SS Phillip Evans – I don’t think the Mets fans out there understand what a great sign this is. He’s coming out of high school as the 4th top shortstop in the draft and no one touched him because everyone was convinced he was going to college. DePodesa delivered the check and the Mets have an instant middle infield prospect. He’s a Golden Glove potential, with a bat somewhere around the Ruben Tejada level. It would be tempting to start him in Savannah next spring, but I have him in Brooklyn
9-20-11: - http://www.nctimes.com/sports/article_8da63360-2b6a-58f5-8774-c126796b81d8.html#ixzz1YVtT8erv - Some people join the Navy to see the world. Phillip Evans signed a professional baseball contract with the New York Mets. A 15th-round draft pick by the Mets in June out of La Costa Canyon High, Evans signed hours before the Aug. 15 deadline for what amounted to a bonus typically given to players taken at the bottom of the first round. Evans, a shortstop, started his pro career in the Rookie Gulf Coast League with Port St. Lucie, Fla., played four games and was promoted to Kingsport, Tenn., of the low Rookie Appalachian League and finally to Brooklyn of the New York-Penn League
2 comments:
Great post!
Great interview Mack, thanks!
I think Evans is going to wind up as the steal of the draft for the Mets...you'd never see the last regime make a smart pick-up like this.
Best of luck to Evans as he rises through the ranks.
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