The first two months of the 2025 MLB season are in the books, meaning it's only a matter of time before things around the Majors heat up. This year's All-Star Break is just over a month away, and one event that fans are looking forward to the most during the upcoming pause is the start of the MLB draft on July 13.
The Philadelphia Phillies have a strong prospect cupboard, and they can further flesh out their system with next month's picks, including the No. 26 overall selection. There are various routes the Phillies can go down with their upcoming first-round pick, and one path could lead them to find the perfect future replacement for a veteran who might not be around for much longer.
Phillies Draft UNC Catcher Luke Stevenson in Latest 2025 Mock Draft
It isn't a secret that veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto's future with the Phillies is up in the air. The three-time MLB All-Star backstop is set to hit free agency this winter, and it doesn't seem like much progress has been made toward an extension after Realmuto admitted to contract talks back in March.
If Realmuto is on his way out, the Phillies could be looking at certain catching prospects in next month's draft. That includes University of North Carolina catcher Luke Stevenson, who MLB.com's Jim Callis has drafted to Philadelphia at No. 26 in his latest MLB mock draft.
"Though the Phillies have popped high schoolers with their first-round choice in each of the last five years, the best catcher in the Draft could entice them to end that streak," Callis wrote.
The Phillies do have catchers Eduardo Tait and Alirio Ferrebus in their system; however, neither prospect is expected to debut before 2028, according to the MLB Pipeline. In other words, rolling the dice on another potential difference-maker isn't a bad idea.
Stevenson, 20, is a solid left-handed bat who garnered plenty of attention during the last two seasons with the Tar Heels. The Flemington, NJ native cranked out 32 home runs, 111 RBIs, 105 walks, and four stolen bases in 121 games (420 at-bats) during that stretch, all while slashing .269/.420/.548.
Stevenson is often viewed as this year's best catching prospect, so the Phillies would likely be thrilled if he fell to them at No. 26. His strikeout rate and a bad habit of hitting into fly-balls do leave room for improvement; however, those are issues that Philadelphia can easily address as his career progresses.
Replacing a battle-proven veteran like Realmuto is never easy, but at least drafting Stevenson gives the Phillies a potential successor plan. Even if the three-time Silver Slugger signs a new contract, he likely doesn't have too many MLB seasons left in the tank, given that he just turned 34 years old in March.
With the 2025 MLB draft being just over two months away, it won't take Phillies fans long to find out if Stevenson is coming to Citizens Bank Park in the near future.