Brett Phillips Puts ‘Down’ Season Behind Him

PHOENIX—Outfielder Brett Phillips doesn’t make excuses for his 2016 season.

“I don’t have an excuse. It was a down year and I’m putting it behind me,” Phillips said after reporting to the big league camp.

Big things were expected of the 22-year-old Phillips after the Brewers acquired him from the Astros in July 2015—along with top pitching prospect Josh Hader and two others—in a trade that sent Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers to Houston.

Phillips batted .309 with 16 home runs and 17 stolen bases in 2015, which he spent mostly at high Class A Lancaster.

Things were much tougher for Phillips, a 2012 sixth-round pick out of a Florida high school, last season at Double-A Biloxi, where he struggled to make contact, striking out 154 times in 124 games.

The Brewers sent Phillips to the Arizona Fall League and he scuffled there as well, batting .210 in 19 games with 23 strikeouts in 62 at-bats. It was a humbling year for Phillips, giving him new motivation this spring.

“I’m putting that season behind me,” Phillips said. “That was a learning experience for me. It was the first time in my career I failed. You learn from those failures. You learn how to deal with adversity.

“It was a matter of not being as selective at the plate. I might have been trying to do too much. I don’t have to do that. I just have to go out and be who I am.”

Phillips missed much of spring training in 2016 with an oblique strain, preventing him from getting in games in his first camp with the Brewers. But he did not use that as an excuse.

“I still got off to a pretty good start,” he said. “I’m looking forward to this year and redeeming myself. Every year, you have something to prove. You have to continue to get better.”

As for the increased competition in the deeper-than-ever farm system, particularly in the outfield, Phillips said, “I think it’s awesome. Competition brings out the best in you. The more talent we have, the better we’re going to be in the big leagues.”

MICROBREWS

• Outfielder Corey Ray, the fifth overall pick last year, was not expected to play in big league camp while recovering from knee surgery. He tore his left meniscus in the instructional league.

• Lefthander Nick Ramirez, the converted first baseman, pitched an inning in an exhibition game against Wisconsin-Milwaukee and struck out all three batters he faced.

— Tom Haudricourt covers the Brewers for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel