Greene (6-1, 225) hit .562 in 30 games as a centerfielder for Berrien, though the level of competition wasn't always polished.
"The competition is better than people give it credit for," Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever said. "It's like any small town. You're going to have days when it's not very good."
Wolever mentioned that the league Greene played in produced Kaleb Cowart, an Angels first-round pick last year. He credited scout Aaron Jersild with traveling to some remote parts of Georgia to get a look at Greene.
"We saw him play a lot," Wolever said. "His father was at every game greeting all the scouts. He's a good kid, plays hard. And his dad's a wonderful person. It all added up and this is what we got."
Wolever projects Greene to play leftfield in the majors and said the youngster reminds him of Jonathan Singleton, an eighth-round pick in 2009 whom the organization regards highly. Greene, Wolever hopes, will become a power hitter able to take advantage of the dimensions of Citizens Bank Park.
"He's a man amongst young men," Wolever said. "He's really strong and powerful and just really a very good athlete . . . We think he's a corner outfielder with above-average power. He stays on the ball when he hits and has a chance to drive the ball to the left side, left-center. He's got above average power pole-to-pole."
Greene's selection came in the supplemental first round and was compensation for the Nationals signing free agent Jayson Werth. The Phillies did not have a true first-round pick, as a result of signing Cliff Lee from Texas. The Rangers took Kevin Matthews, a lefthander out of Richmond Hills (Ga.) High School, with the 33rd pick. Oddly enough, 33 is the uniform number worn by Lee, who pitched seven shutout innings in the Phils' 3-1 win over the Dodgers last night.
