The Braves bullpen has been bruised and abused this weekend, and with Arodys Vizcaino unavailable for nearly a week the Braves have elected to place him on the disabled list. The organization has reached down to Gwinnett to select the contract of now the third pitcher from the 2015 draft class.
The Player
Evan Phillips, RHP
Age: 23
2018 Level: AAA Gwinnett
The Results
2018: 2.31 ERA | 2.29 FIP | 26 G, 0 GS | 35.0 IP | 12.86 K/9 | 3.6 BB/9
Minor League Career: 3.73 ERA | 3.50 FIP | 127 G, 1 GS | 166.2 IP | 10.18 K/9 | 4.23 BB/9
The History
Phillips was a 17th-round pick by Atlanta in the 2015 draft out of UNC-Wilmington, where he caught the attention of scouts by nearly doubling his strikeout rate and halving his walk rate his junior season. Phillips appeared in 18 games between Danville and Rome after being drafted, establishing his relief workhorse bone fides.
Phillips has made a steady advance through the Braves system, and he was the first member of the Braves 2015 draft class to hit both the AA and AAA levels, in 2016 and 2017 respectively. Phillips established a pattern of initially struggling upon moving up to a new level, but settling in and dominating after an adjustment period. This continued at AAA, as he struggled after promotion in the second half of the 2017 season, but dominating in 2018.
The Report
Phillips is listed at 6′-2″ and 215 pounds, and has a fairly smooth 3/4th delivery. His work this year at keeping his release point consistant has done wonders for his command, and he has nearly a 3:1 strike-to-ball ration in Gwinnett this year, his highest mark since advanced-A ball. This allows his stuff to play up, with his primary pitch a heavy four-seam fastball with excellent movement and downward place. He complements it with an above average slider and a cutter that he primarily employs against left-handers. When things are going well, hitters don’t put the ball in play much, and when they do they pound it into the ground, as AAA hitters have done at over a 50% rate this season.
Phillips generally has not been held to an inning-per-outing until more recently in Gwinnett as he has been employed as the team’s closer in conjunction with the recently-injured Josh Ravin.
What’s Next
Phillips has a chance to follow in the footsteps of bullpen-mate Jesse Biddle as a rookie who can hold his own on a contending ballclub. At the very least, he’s now part of the 40-man roster and will be part of the Bullpen Carousel. The Braves designated Gwinnett infielder Phil Gosselin for assignment to clear room on the 40-man roster for Phillips.
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