Shortly after Philadelphia Phillies assistant general manager and head of amateur scouting Brian Barber presented Dante Nori with his first professional jersey, the organization’s newest first-round pick expressed his gratitude to land in his desired destination.
“This is something you’ve dreamed of,” Nori, the No. 27 pick in last week’s MLB Draft, told reporters on Wednesday afternoon via Zoom. “And to be with the Phillies, this is a dream come true. Going in, (I) wanted to be in Philadelphia, and that’s exactly what happened. I’m very excited to get started and get rolling.”
The 19-year-old outfielder wore his pinstriped No. 6 Phillies jersey and sat next to Barber inside a suite at Citizens Bank Park the day after officially signing with the team for a reported $2.5 million. The team clearly made an impression on Nori during discussions prior to the draft, and his relationship with slugger Kyle Schwarber couldn’t have hurt his opinion of the organization either. And since his selection, the people of Philadelphia have made him feel ready to spring into action.
“You want to be a part of this fan base,” Nori said. “The welcoming I’ve gotten on social media (from Phillies fans) has been nothing but great. You just want to be a part of that as soon as possible. You see the atmosphere; you see the playoff baseball. It’s everything you’d want growing up. Just to be a part of that as soon as possible is something I really want to do.”
He’ll get his chance to begin working his way there soon. Barber said the club’s plan is to get Nori down to the Phillies’ training complex in Clearwater, Fla. rather quickly and get him on the field. It’s been a bit since his high school season ended, so he probably won’t rush into playing in games. But there should be opportunities for Nori to face some real competition at the complex coming up.
A left-handed leadoff-type hitter, Nori’s strength comes in his hit tool and speed. There’s potential for him to be a threat in the gaps and on the bases at the major-league level, and Nori said he aims to better tap into his raw power as he climbs the ranks in his professional career as well. He’s awaiting the challenge ahead of him.
“I’m here to play,” Nori said. “And, hey, I’m going to give it all I got and help the Phillies as fast as possible.”
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