Northville Baseball Star Picked In First Round Of MLB Draft

NORTHVILLE, MI — The Philadelphia Phillies picked Northville High School outfielder Dante Nori, 19, on Monday in the first round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.

The Phillies selected Nori, who is ranked at No. 48 on MLB Pipeline's Top 250 Draft Prospects list, at No. 27 overall. That spot guarantees him $3.23 million if he signs with the Phillies. He has been committed to playing for Mississippi State in college.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound, left-handed hitter posted a .477 batting average with OPS of 1.323 that included 23 extra-base hits in 39 games in his senior season.

Nori also had 32 walks, stole 20 bases and scored 52 runs during the Mustangs' 32-7 campaign that culminated with a state championship, their first state title in program history.

"Dante is a guy that we identified as a potential high pick going back to last summer," Phillies assistant general manager of amateur scouting Brian Barber said, according to MLB.com. "We got to know him very well as a person. We got to know him very well as a player. We saw him play in 20-30 different games last summer. He’s a very good baseball player with good tools and an advanced bat. We just liked the total package. He’s sort of everything you’re looking for in a player."

The Detroit Tigers picked shortstop Bryce Rainer from a California prep school with the No. 11 pick. Rainer was expected to be picked in the top ten, but a couple of surprises allowed him to fall to the Tigers. The 6-foot-3, 195 pound left-handed hitter posted a .505 batting average in 33 games at Harvard-Westlake High School.