The Philadelphia Phillies have done a great job rebuilding the organization’s farm system since Dave Dombrowski was named the president of baseball operations in December 2020. The problem was before he took over.

The Phillies’ 2020 MLB Draft was the last draft before Dombrowski took over. The Phillies are now one of three teams that have failed to have one of their 2020 draft picks reach the major league level to this date, according to Phillies Tailgate on X. The San Diego Padres and Minnesota Twins join the Phillies in this regard. On top of that, the Phillies have already traded two of their top four picks.

The 2020 MLB Draft was shortened that season, so teams may have taken a different approach. The Phillies also forfeited their second-round pick after signing Zack Wheeler. This doesn’t change how concerning it is that the Phillies have not had a player reach the MLB level. After the draft, the Phillies received promising feedback, but the picks have just not panned out the way some experts thought.

Mick Abel has the best chance to reach MLB from Phillies’ 2020 Draft class

Right-hander Mick Abel was the Phillies’ first-round pick selected at No. 15 overall in the draft. The Phillies took a chance on the arm straight out of high school. His development has been up and down, filled with inconsistency.

At the end of the 2024 season, he ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the farm system (after the Phillies traded Starlyn Caba), per MLB Pipeline. With a good spring training and a fast start in Triple-A, maybe Abel can be the player to break this streak for the Phillies. His career numbers in the minor leagues are 17-32 with a 4.78 ERA in 84 games started. He is 3-13 with a 6.35 ERA in two seasons with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Abel, who’s now 23, looked like he was turning a corner late last season. He posted a 3.99 ERA and a 2.82 FIP in six starts from Aug. 9 to Sept. 11. He racked up 13.19 K/9 over this stretch but still struggled with command, issuing free passes at a 5.22 BB/9 rate.

Abel recently told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki that the team still believes in him and instilled him with confidence heading into the season. Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham reiterated that sentiment earlier this offseason.

“I definitely think he’s still in the mix,” Cotham told The Phillies Show podcast. “He’s still young.”

The Phillies’ third-round pick was infielder Casey Martin, who currently finds himself in the Milwaukee Brewers’ farm system after being traded for cash considerations. The trade speaks for itself, with the struggles Martin has seen keeping him from being packaged in a bigger deal. The Phillies moved on from Martin in 2024 after he hit .167 in 43 games. In the Brewers system, he hit .147 in 54 games. Martin is a career .192 hitter with an on-base percentage of .264 in four minor league seasons.

In the fourth round, the Phillies selected Carson Ragsdale, who is no longer with the Phillies after being traded for Sam Coonrod. The tall right-handed reliever is 6-foot-8 and may be the closest out of this draft, along with Abel, to reach the big leagues as he was added to the San Francisco Giants’ 40-man roster in November. With a career ERA of 4.07 and a 14-14 record, Ragsdale has faced multiple injuries throughout his minor league career, which has been his biggest challenge.

The Phillies’ final pick of the draft was Baron Radcliff, who currently finds himself in the Phillies organization at the Double-A level with the Reading Fightin Phils. The Phillies hoped his power would transition into the higher levels, but through four years in the minors, that hasn’t been the case. He has 47 career home runs in 306 games, with his 17 the most he has hit in a season, back in 2022.

Heading into the 2025 season, the two biggest names to watch to potentially make their MLB debuts and take the Phillies off this list are Abel and Ragsdale.