Connor Phillips Stats & Scouting Report

IP	63
ERA	9.57
WHIP	2.21
BB/9	7.71
SO/9	8.14

Full name Connor Allan Phillips
Born 05/04/2001 in Houston, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'2" / Wt.: 209 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Mclennan CC
Drafted in the CB-B round (64th overall) by the Seattle Mariners in 2020 (signed for $1,050,300).

View Draft Report

Phillips had an impressive career at Magnolia (Texas) West High, but he showed some tendencies to overthrow as a senior. A 35th-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2019, Phillips decided to head to McLennan (Texas) JC instead of Louisiana State. At McLennan, he got to make four starts before the season was shut down. In those four starts, he showed flashes of dominance with a 93-97 mph plus fastball with plenty of arm-side run as well as more developed secondary offerings than he has shown in the past. His slider is above average right now but will likely get to plus one day. He also can spin a less consistent curveball and has solid depth on his average changeup. He is inconsistent at times with control that comes and goes, but he has a looseness to his delivery and athleticism to continue to develop.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 55/High

Track Record: The highest-drafted junior college player in 2020, Phillips was shipped from the Mariners to the Reds with Brandon Williamson for Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker in March 2022. Phillips made his MLB debut on Sept. 5. After pitching effectively in back-to-back starts, Phillips’ final Reds start saw him throw 12 balls in 12 pitches before he was lifted.

Scouting Report: Phillips’ pure stuff is among the best in the Reds’ system, but his control and command run hot and cold. There are outings when Phillips can dominate, but he also had six starts when he failed to make it through the second inning. In every one of those poor outings, he had a strike percentage under 50%, where 63% is average. Phillips presents no glaring delivery flaws. His 95-97 mph four-seam fastball grades as plus and has life and the flat plane to bedevil hitters when he spots it at the top of the strike zone, but he’s homer-prone when he loses command and doesn’t elevate it. His plus 84-88 mph power slider is his best pitch. He can get swings-and-misses in the zone with it, or run it down and away off the plate for chases. Phillips relies heavily on his above-average, 12-to-6 curveball in the low 80s as a change-of-pace versus lefthanded hitters. His curve has a bigger break, but he has more feel for it than his well below-average 87-88 mph changeup, which he is prone to spiking.

The Future: Phillips should compete for a spot in a rapidly crowding Reds’ big league rotation. Consistency stands between him and MLB success. He has outings when he’ll show above-average control and others when it’s bottom of the scale. His chance to remain in the rotation depends on more regularly throwing strikes.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 30 | Control: 45
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: The Mariners organization has a Gas Camp each offseason to help its pitchers add velocity. Phillips didn't need to go camping. He arrived as a 2020 second-round pick already gassed up and ready to go. He featured a big fastball at McLennan (Texas) JC, but his heater has gotten more and more ferocious as a pro. He topped out at 99 mph as a starter in 2022, and could eventually reach triple-digits. He misses bats, too, and already has a pair of 13-strikeout starts on his pro résumé. The Reds picked up Phillips along with Brandon Williamson in the March 2022 deal in which they sent Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle.

Scouting Report: Phillips' combination of top-end velocity, carry at the top of the zone and a flat plane on his fastball helps him generate a well above-average number of swings and misses with his heater. He will sit 95-97 mph pitch after pitch, with a little more available when necessary. His mid-80s slider gives him a second plus pitch, and it has plenty of sweep and some tilt. He can start it in the zone and leave hitters flailing at it after it ends up well out of the zone. He also throws a big-breaking, high-70s curveball that can lock up hitters who are geared up for his fastball. It has helped him survive against lefthanded hitters with only a below-average changeup. Phillips walks too many batters, but it's more of an approach and sequencing issue than an utter inability to throw strikes. He repeats his delivery relatively well and should eventually get to at least fringe-average control.

The Future: The easy projection is to look at Phillips' power stuff and walk rate and suggest a move to the bullpen, but the Reds have no reason to be so hasty. He has made strides as a starter and should be in the Double-A Chattanooga rotation for much of 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45.
Track Record: A 35th-round pick by the Blue Jays out of high school, Phillips was committed to Louisiana State but instead rerouted to McLennan (Texas) JC, where he made six starts before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 season. The Mariners saw enough to draft him in the second round, No. 64 overall, and sign him for a $1,050,300 bonus. Phillips made his pro debut in 2021 and struck out more than 13 batters per nine innings while moving from Low-A to High-A, but he also walked more than five per nine.

Scouting Report: Phillips has big stuff but is still learning to harness it. His fastball sits 94-96 mph with late zip and gets swings and misses up in the zone. His mid-80s slider is a second plus pitch with hard, late break away from righthanded batters. His firm, 86-90 mph changeup is a well below-average pitch and leaves him vulnerable against lefties. Phillips dominates with his fastball and slider when he’s on, but his control and command vary wildly from game to game. His effortful delivery leads to scattered, below-average control despite his solid athleticism.

The Future: Phillips’ delivery and two plus pitches make him a likely reliever, but the Mariners will keep starting him for now. He is on track to reach Double-A in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: Phillips spent one year at McLennan (Texas) JC instead of following through on his commitment to Louisiana State. He made just four starts before the season was shut down but showed enough to be drafted by the Mariners in the supplemental second round. He signed for $1,050,300 and spent the summer working out remotely before reporting to instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Phillips is best described as a projection pitcher, with his rawness showing in his instructional league outings. He's physical and athletic with a strong frame, but has below-average command and control due to a delivery that lacks direction and isn't repeatable. The stuff is there, though, including a fastball that sits 93-94 mph and touches 97 and a potentially plus slider with powerful twoplane break. After watching Logan Gilbert at the alternate site, Phillips started throwing a similar knucklecurveball held deep in his palm. He rounds out his arsenal with an average circle changeup in the mid 80s.

THE FUTURE: A mound of clay for the Mariners to mold, Phillips won't be ready for full-season ball at the start of 2021. There's a lot to like if he can smooth out his delivery and improve his control.

Draft Prospects

Phillips had an impressive career at Magnolia (Texas) West High, but he showed some tendencies to overthrow as a senior. A 35th-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2019, Phillips decided to head to McLennan (Texas) JC instead of Louisiana State. At McLennan, he got to make four starts before the season was shut down. In those four starts, he showed flashes of dominance with a 93-97 mph plus fastball with plenty of arm-side run as well as more developed secondary offerings than he has shown in the past. His slider is above average right now but will likely get to plus one day. He also can spin a less consistent curveball and has solid depth on his average changeup. He is inconsistent at times with control that comes and goes, but he has a looseness to his delivery and athleticism to continue to develop.
A Louisiana State signee, Phillips has helped lead Magnolia (Texas) West High to its first-ever regional 5A final. He's shown a big fastball at times, as he can brush 95 mph and sit 92-93 on a good day, but he has been prone to over-throwing to the radar gun as well this spring. That shouldn't be a long-term issue as he's shown himself to be a consistent strike thrower in the past. His slurvy breaking ball is regularly below-average at this point, but he will flash an above-average breaker enough for scouts to see the promise in the pitch and it has become more consistent this spring. Phillips has long impressed scouts and coaches with his intense, bulldog-like personality on the mound.

Top 100 Rankings

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: The Mariners organization has a Gas Camp each offseason to help its pitchers add velocity. Phillips didn't need to go camping. He arrived as a 2020 second-round pick already gassed up and ready to go. He featured a big fastball at McLennan (Texas) JC, but his heater has gotten more and more ferocious as a pro. He topped out at 99 mph as a starter in 2022, and could eventually reach triple-digits. He misses bats, too, and already has a pair of 13-strikeout starts on his pro résumé. The Reds picked up Phillips along with Brandon Williamson in the March 2022 deal in which they sent Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle.

Scouting Report: Phillips' combination of top-end velocity, carry at the top of the zone and a flat plane on his fastball helps him generate a well above-average number of swings and misses with his heater. He will sit 95-97 mph pitch after pitch, with a little more available when necessary. His mid-80s slider gives him a second plus pitch, and it has plenty of sweep and some tilt. He can start it in the zone and leave hitters flailing at it after it ends up well out of the zone. He also throws a big-breaking, high-70s curveball that can lock up hitters who are geared up for his fastball. It has helped him survive against lefthanded hitters with only a below-average changeup. Phillips walks too many batters, but it's more of an approach and sequencing issue than an utter inability to throw strikes. He repeats his delivery relatively well and should eventually get to at least fringe-average control.

The Future: The easy projection is to look at Phillips' power stuff and walk rate and suggest a move to the bullpen, but the Reds have no reason to be so hasty. He has made strides as a starter and should be in the Double-A Chattanooga rotation for much of 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45.
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: The Mariners organization has a Gas Camp each offseason to help its pitchers add velocity. Phillips didn't need to go camping. He arrived as a 2020 second-round pick already gassed up and ready to go. He featured a big fastball at McLennan (Texas) JC, but his heater has gotten more and more ferocious as a pro. He topped out at 99 mph as a starter in 2022, and could eventually reach triple-digits. He misses bats, too, and already has a pair of 13-strikeout starts on his pro résumé. The Reds picked up Phillips along with Brandon Williamson in the March 2022 deal in which they sent Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker to Seattle.

Scouting Report: Phillips' combination of top-end velocity, carry at the top of the zone and a flat plane on his fastball helps him generate a well above-average number of swings and misses with his heater. He will sit 95-97 mph pitch after pitch, with a little more available when necessary. His mid-80s slider gives him a second plus pitch, and it has plenty of sweep and some tilt. He can start it in the zone and leave hitters flailing at it after it ends up well out of the zone. He also throws a big-breaking, high-70s curveball that can lock up hitters who are geared up for his fastball. It has helped him survive against lefthanded hitters with only a below-average changeup. Phillips walks too many batters, but it's more of an approach and sequencing issue than an utter inability to throw strikes. He repeats his delivery relatively well and should eventually get to at least fringe-average control.

The Future: The easy projection is to look at Phillips' power stuff and walk rate and suggest a move to the bullpen, but the Reds have no reason to be so hasty. He has made strides as a starter and should be in the Double-A Chattanooga rotation for much of 2023.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 70. Curveball: 55. Slider: 60. Changeup: 40. Control: 45.
BA Grade: 50/Extreme

May Update: Acquired as the player to be named later in the Mariners&#39 Jesse Winker trade, Phillips has been even better than expected so far. He has some of the best stuff in the organization. He&#39 s sitting in the mid 90s and touching 99 mph with his fastball and his slider has been just as effective.

Track Record: A 35th-round pick by the Blue Jays out of high school, Phillips was committed to Louisiana State but instead rerouted to McLennan (Texas) JC, where he made six starts before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 season. The Mariners saw enough to draft him in the second round, No. 64 overall, and sign him for a $1,050,300 bonus. Phillips made his pro debut in 2021 and struck out more than 13 batters per nine innings while moving from Low-A to High-A, but he also walked more than five per nine. The Reds acquired him as the player to be named in the Jesse Winker trade.

Scouting Report: Phillips has big stuff but is still learning to harness it. His fastball sits 94-96 mph with late zip and gets swings and misses up in the zone. His mid-80s slider is a second plus pitch with hard, late break away from righthanded batters. His firm, 86-90 mph changeup is a well below-average pitch and leaves him vulnerable against lefties. Phillips dominates with his fastball and slider when he&#39 s on, but his control and command vary wildly from game to game. His effortful delivery leads to scattered, below-average control despite his solid athleticism.

The Future: Phillips&#39 delivery and two plus pitches make him a likely reliever, but the Reds will keep starting him for now. He&#39s beginning at High-A Dayton but could reach Double-A this year.
Track Record: A 35th-round pick by the Blue Jays out of high school, Phillips was committed to Louisiana State but instead rerouted to McLennan (Texas) JC, where he made six starts before the coronavirus pandemic canceled the 2020 season. The Mariners saw enough to draft him in the second round, No. 64 overall, and sign him for a $1,050,300 bonus. Phillips made his pro debut in 2021 and struck out more than 13 batters per nine innings while moving from Low-A to High-A, but he also walked more than five per nine.

Scouting Report: Phillips has big stuff but is still learning to harness it. His fastball sits 94-96 mph with late zip and gets swings and misses up in the zone. His mid-80s slider is a second plus pitch with hard, late break away from righthanded batters. His firm, 86-90 mph changeup is a well below-average pitch and leaves him vulnerable against lefties. Phillips dominates with his fastball and slider when he’s on, but his control and command vary wildly from game to game. His effortful delivery leads to scattered, below-average control despite his solid athleticism.

The Future: Phillips’ delivery and two plus pitches make him a likely reliever, but the Mariners will keep starting him for now. He is on track to reach Double-A in 2022.
TRACK RECORD: Phillips spent one year at McLennan (Texas) JC instead of following through on his commitment to Louisiana State. He made just four starts before the season was shut down but showed enough to be drafted by the Mariners in the supplemental second round. He signed for $1,050,300 and spent the summer working out remotely before reporting to instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Phillips is best described as a projection pitcher, with his rawness showing in his instructional league outings. He's physical and athletic with a strong frame, but has below-average command and control due to a delivery that lacks direction and isn't repeatable. The stuff is there, though, including a fastball that sits 93-94 mph and touches 97 and a potentially plus slider with powerful twoplane break. After watching Logan Gilbert at the alternate site, Phillips started throwing a similar knucklecurveball held deep in his palm. He rounds out his arsenal with an average circle changeup in the mid 80s.

THE FUTURE: A mound of clay for the Mariners to mold, Phillips won't be ready for full-season ball at the start of 2021. There's a lot to like if he can smooth out his delivery and improve his control.
TRACK RECORD: Phillips spent one year at McLennan (Texas) JC instead of following through on his commitment to Louisiana State. He made just four starts before the season was shut down but showed enough to be drafted by the Mariners in the supplemental second round. He signed for $1,050,300 and spent the summer working out remotely before reporting to instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Phillips is best described as a projection pitcher, with his rawness showing in his instructional league outings. He's physical and athletic with a strong frame, but has below-average command and control due to a delivery that lacks direction and isn't repeatable. The stuff is there, though, including a fastball that sits 93-94 mph and touches 97 and a potentially plus slider with powerful twoplane break. After watching Logan Gilbert at the alternate site, Phillips started throwing a similar knucklecurveball held deep in his palm. He rounds out his arsenal with an average circle changeup in the mid 80s.

THE FUTURE: A mound of clay for the Mariners to mold, Phillips won't be ready for full-season ball at the start of 2021. There's a lot to like if he can smooth out his delivery and improve his control.
TRACK RECORD: Phillips spent one year at McLennan (Texas) JC instead of following through on his commitment to Louisiana State. He made just four starts before the season was shut down but showed enough to be drafted by the Mariners in the supplemental second round. He signed for $1,050,300 and spent the summer working out remotely before reporting to instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Phillips is best described as a projection pitcher, with his rawness showing in his instructional league outings. He's physical and athletic with a strong frame, but has below-average command and control due to a delivery that lacks direction and isn't repeatable. The stuff is there, though, including a fastball that sits 93-94 mph and touches 97 and a potentially plus slider with powerful twoplane break. After watching Logan Gilbert at the alternate site, Phillips started throwing a similar knucklecurveball held deep in his palm. He rounds out his arsenal with an average circle changeup in the mid 80s.

THE FUTURE: A mound of clay for the Mariners to mold, Phillips won't be ready for full-season ball at the start of 2021. There's a lot to like if he can smooth out his delivery and improve his control.
A Louisiana State signee, Phillips has helped lead Magnolia (Texas) West High to its first-ever regional 5A final. He's shown a big fastball at times, as he can brush 95 mph and sit 92-93 on a good day, but he has been prone to over-throwing to the radar gun as well this spring. That shouldn't be a long-term issue as he's shown himself to be a consistent strike thrower in the past. His slurvy breaking ball is regularly below-average at this point, but he will flash an above-average breaker enough for scouts to see the promise in the pitch and it has become more consistent this spring. Phillips has long impressed scouts and coaches with his intense, bulldog-like personality on the mound.