7/13/21 : Phillies 18th Round Draft Pick

The Phillies selected Malik Binns , a 6’7” RHP from Benedictine U Mesa in the 18th round of the draft today.

Here’s a bit about him. He’s from Bolingbrook, Illinois

The right-hander’s high-end velocity was between 95-97 mph in his first game. It’s a level that tends to catch the eyes of professional scouts. “I’m pretty satisfied with my velocity,” Binns said. “But I feel I can get a few more miles per hour, honestly, if I keep working.”

SOUTH SIDE NATIVE

Binns grew up on the South Side of Chicago, but moved out to the suburbs of Boilingbrook as a kid. “We were about 30, 40 miles out,” he said. “There were corn fields and stuff like that, so we were pretty far away from the city.”

Binns wound up attending four high schools, two of them in Chicago. He played in different classifications each time, so he didn’t have to sit out because of the moves. When he started his baseball career, he wasn’t pitching. He played outfield, first base and third base. But pitching became a natural fit.