Top Phillies pick Haseley has big debut

After leading the ACC in batting and OBP this season, Adam Haseley had no trouble taking the next step on Tuesday.
The Phillies' first-round pick went 3-for-4 in his Minor League debut to help the GCL Phillies edge the Yankees, 8-6, in the first game of a Gulf Coast League doubleheader in Tampa, Florida.

Haseley, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2017 Draft out of the University of Virginia, hit a one-out line-drive double in the third inning, singled and scored in the fifth and added another base hit in the sixth to cap his first professional game. The outfielder struck out swinging in his first plate appearance for the Phillies' Rooke-level affiliate.
The 21-year-old signed with Philadelphia six days ago and hit third in the Phillies' lineup this morning. Third baseman Zach Green, a third-round pick in 2012, hit a pair of home runs and Brayan Gonzalez, a second baseman, homered and knocked in three in his Minor League debut for the Phillies. 
Box score: GCL Phillies 8, GCL Yankees West 6
But all eyes were on Haseley Tuesday, the left-handed outfielder and former college pitcher who was a First-Team All-American, a Golden Spikes Award finalist and a finalist for the John Olerud Two-Way Player Award at Virginia. He hit .390 and led his college team in batting, hits, home runs, runs, doubles, walks and total bases this season while also being named to the National Pitcher of the Year Watch List.
"It doesn't feel real at all," Haseley told Philly.com after the Draft. "I just feel extremely grateful and blessed and I know the Phillies are an amazing organization. I'm just super excited to get started and go through the process."
Haseley received a $5.1 million bonus from the Phillies and reported to Clearwater, Florida, to gear up for the Minor League season. He's expected to move up to Class A Short Season Williamsport once the Phillies deem him ready.

Adam Haseley takes swings during batting practice in Philadelphia after signing last week. (Phillies)
"Personally, I don't really like putting deadlines and expectations on myself," Haseley told MLB.com. "I'm just going to continue to try to do what I did this spring, and the things I learned, I'm going to try to keep working on those things and bury my head and see what happens."
Haseley finished up his final season at Virginia with 14 homers, 56 RBIs and a .491 OBP in 58 games. On the mound, he was nearly as good, going 7-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 11 starts. The Phillies project him to stay an outfielder.
"It will be different," Haseley told MLB.com about the transition. "Just from a health perspective, it will be a lot easier to recover, especially days after pitching. I'm usually pretty sore the day after. From a strength perspective, I'll be able to do different lifts that will help my overall strength."
The Phillies dropped the second half of the twinbill, 4-3. Haseley did not appear in the game, but outfielder Keudy Bocio made his GCL debut and knocked in a pair of runs.