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Phillies draft California slugger
The Phillies selected outfielder/first baseman Kelly Dugan out of Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, Calif., with their top pick in baseball's first-year player draft last night.
The Phils took Dugan in the second round, 75th overall. They forfeited their first-round selection when they signed Raul Ibanez in the off-season.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder is projected by the Phillies to be a centerfielder. He hit .379 with eight home runs and 35 RBIs this spring.
Marti Wolever, the Phillies' scouting director, said the switch-hitting Dugan has the potential to hit 20-plus homers and solid tools and added that his intangibles set the high schooler apart.
"His makeup is really off the charts," Wolever said. "His makeup is really a huge separator for us. We thought over the years guys with great makeup really achieve what they're supposed to achieve, and we think he will do that."
Dugan flew to Philadelphia with his family to work out for the team at Citizens Bank Park over the weekend.
Wolever said Dugan was high on the team's draft board and was the best player available when it was time for the Phils to pick.
"It was a pretty unanimous decision in the [draft] room," Wolever said.
Dugan has signed a letter of intent with Pepperdine University and will need to make a decision as to whether to forgo college and sign with the Phillies.
Wolever believes a deal will get done, especially since the high schooler's weekend visit went well.
Dugan is the son of Hollywood director Dennis Dugan, who has directed the comedies Happy Gilmore and Big Daddy, among others.
With their third-round pick (106th overall), the Phillies selected another high school centerfielder, Kyrell Hudson out of Evergreen High in Vancouver, Wash.
Hudson is an athletic speedster, the Phils said. He also brings a solid arm, having reached 90 m.p.h. on the mound. However, he is viewed as a project with raw ability at the plate.
A two-sport star in high school, Hudson has signed on to play baseball and football at Oregon State.
Last season, six of the Phillies' first seven picks were high school players, including two outfielders. In 2007, three of the team's first four picks were high schoolers.
The draft resumes today at noon. The Phils' first pick is in the fourth round, 137th overall.
