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Physical Description: Big
frame, some remaining projection. Sturdy lower half. Has the
build of a starter. Very athletic. Entered college as a two-way
player.
Mechanics: Throws from a
low-three-quarters arm slot. Has effort in his delivery.
Medium-high leg kick. Long arm swing behind before whipping
forward. Quick arm. Slightly above-average extension at 6.43
feet on his fastball. Slight head whack and falls off to the
first base side. Very low release height at sub-5.3 feet.
Fastball: 96-99 mph. Topped out at 100.8
mph in college. High-spin offering with low induced vertical
break for a four-seam. Pitch plays below its velocity due to
lack of shape, but has carry due to combination of low release
height and extension with a flat approach angle. Strike-throwing
improved in 2025, but is still a work in progress. Will also
throw a power sinker in the same velocity band with heavy,
arm-side run. Potential plus offering.
Cutter:
94-96 mph. True cut fastball. Short, horizontal break. Good feel
and able to locate in and out of the zone. Viable as both a
whiff pitch and a pitch to generate weak contact. Potential
above-average offering.
Slider: 84-88
mph. Long, horizontal shape. More horizontal than vertical.
Power breaker with a high spin rate. Misses bats and can land
the pitch in the zone as well. Looks like two distinct pitches
at times, one more like a true slider with two-plane break and
the other more sweepy with more tilt. Potential above-average
offering.
Changeup: 92-94 mph. Clear
third pitch, but flashes potential. Generates the most whiffs of
all his pitches, but struggles to control it at times. Potential
average offering, but grade is fluid. |
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Career Notes: Transferred to
Tennessee from Iowa Western Community College, where he had been
a two-way player who also showed power and speed as an
outfielder. After transferring, pitched out of the Vols' bullpen
as a sophomore before moving into the rotation as the Saturday
starter behind 5th-overall pick Liam Doyle as a junior. Young
for a college draftee, turning 21 a couple weeks after the
draft. Pitched in the 2026 Spring Breakout game. Started pro
career in Greenville, rather than Salem, when the organization
saw an opportunity for him to develop more alongside fellow 2025
draftees Kyson Witherspoon and Anthony Eyanson in the Drive's
rotation.
Summation: High-ceiling
right-hander with a wide range of potential outcomes, ranging
from being a future number two starter to a leverage reliever.
Has great size and athleticism and huge velocity. Questions
about delivery and strike-throwing ability lead some to think he
is best suited for a bullpen role, but has the build of a
starter and will be developed there. Fastball and slider both
have above-average potential and changeup also has upside. Has
multiple variations of fastballs and breaking balls. Low-usage
arm in college, so could have considerable untapped potential.
Note: This page will be updated with a complete scouting
report after the scouting team has seen the player in regular
season game action.
Links
Red Sox select Marcus Phillips with 33rd overall pick
(7.13.25)
Phillips: "I have huge chip on my shoulder' (2.26.26)
Spring Training video (3.13.26) |
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