Club Selects Griffin Burkholder With Second-round Pick
The Phillies have selected Dante Nori, a 19-year-old outfielder from Northville High School (MI), in the first round (No. 27 overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft, Brian Barber, Assistant General Manager, Amateur Scouting, announced tonight.
Nori slashed .477/.575/.748 with a 1.323 OPS, 52 runs scored, 23 extra-base hits, 32 walks and 20 stolen bases in 39 games in 2024 as he led Northville to its first state championship in the school’s 115-year history.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound Nori was named to the MaxPreps All-America First Team in 2024, one of five outfielders in the country who received the honor. He was also named the 2024 Michigan Player of the Year by MaxPreps. A 2024 Preseason Perfect Game All-American, Nori was named Mr. Baseball by the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association in 2024, an award given annually to the top baseball player in the state of Michigan.
“We are extremely excited about the opportunity to draft Dante Nori,” said Barber. “This is a player that we identified over a year ago due to his tools, baseball skill, top-shelf defense in center field and advanced hitting ability. Dante is also an amazing person with elite makeup, which is apparent to anyone who meets him. We are thrilled to have the chance to bring Dante into the Phillies organization.”
Nori’s grandfather, Fred Nori, an infielder, played two seasons professionally in the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets minor league systems before joining Indiana University as an assistant coach, where he recruited Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. His father, Micah, is an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With their second and final pick of the night, the Phillies selected outfielder Griffin Burkholder with the No. 63 overall pick out of Freedom High School (VA).
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound right-handed hitter posted a .453/.597/.830 slash line, going 24-for-53 with six doubles, four triples and two home runs with a 1.427 OPS in his senior season. Burkholder was also ranked as the best high school outfielder in Virginia by Perfect Game.
“Adding Griffin Burkholder to the mix is icing on the cake for us today,” Barber said. “He’s an unbelievable athlete, strong, fast, and a good baseball player who can hit and hit with power. He is the type of player we always have interest in.”
The Phillies are scheduled to make their next selection tomorrow in the third round (No. 100 overall) and then will have the 27th pick in each of the final 17 rounds (4-20) of the draft, which concludes on Tuesday.
