Connor Phillips Tosses Four Scoreless In AFL Debut

The 2024 season was not what Connor Phillips hoped for. After making his MLB debut in 2023, many considered Phillips a potential option for the Reds rotation. Instead, Phillips struggled over his first 14 Triple-A starts posting a 10.11 ERA over 57 innings with more earned runs than strikeouts. The Reds demoted Phillips to the Arizona Complex League, where he didn’t pitch but worked on fixing his mechanics, which were clearly out of whack. Phillips returned on Aug. 21 and made five starts with Louisville, providing a performance more in line with his expectations coming into the year. On Wednesday, the good times kept rolling as Phillips tossed four scoreless in his AFL debut. Even more importantly, Phillips struck out seven of the 14 batters he faced with zero walks. Phillips was around the zone all day, sitting 97-98 mph touching 99 mph at peak. Phillips’ primary secondary on the day was his mid-80s sweeper, which generated eight whiffs. Phillips will look to continue his strong performances heading into an important offseason.