Long-suffering Reds prospect finally breaks through with strikeout-filled performance

Just when Connor Phillips’ hopes of baseball glory seemed dashed, the Cincinnati Reds’ prospect turned in a stellar performance with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday night. The long-suffering right-hander, who spent time in rookie ball this summer, dominated and struck out nine in what could be one of his final starts of 2024.

Phillips, who was acquired as the player to be named later in the Jesse Winker-Eugenio Suarez trade to the Seattle Mariners, entered the Reds’ system as a touted prospect. At the time, FanGraphs ranked him in the Mariners’ top 20 prospects and noted his high-velocity fastball as a plus pitch. It’s been all downhill since his Reds career began.

Connor Phillips paused his downward spiral and flashed brilliance in a 9 strikeout performance in what could be his 2024 finale.

Since making the jump to Double-A in 2022, Phillips has struggled. His strikeout numbers have been awe-inspiring, averaging 13.9 K/9 in Double-A and 9.1 K/9 in Triple-A. His control, though, has been his Achilles heel. In two seasons with Louisville, Phillips has produced 10 BB/9 and a 1.866 WHIP.

This is actually where Tuesday night’s performance comes into play. Yes, Phillips struck out a season-high nine batters. But more importantly, he did not issue a free pass. This is just the second start in which Phillips has not allowed a walk this season.

Both of Phillips’s walk-less starts have come since his stint in Arizona. Since his return to Triple-A, he has a 2.49 ERA and 24 strikeouts against just 10 walks. Phillips also demonstrated an ability to go deeper into a game in this most recent start, completing six innings for the second time in three games.

Frustratingly for Reds fans, Phillips has had flashes of his top-prospect form in the past. When he first joined the Triple-A ranks, he overwhelmed opponents across his first six games at the level. He produced a 1.95 ERA and a .278 opponents’ slugging percentage. In the next five games, his ERA was 10.66 with 11 walks against 11 strikeouts. Only time will tell if Phillips can retain this recent stretch of success across the offseason and into 2025.

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