Reds prospect needs strong AFL performance to salvage chances of rejoining rotation

The path to Cincinnati may go through Arizona. At least, it may for Connor Phillips. The prospect should be familiar with his surroundings in the desert. After all, he spent two months finding his form with the newbies in the Arizona Complex League this season. Now the former Top 100 prospect is hoping a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League will be his ticket back to the majors.

Phillips first made the trip to the Southwest in order to address his lack of command. Armed with a high-velocity fastball, the right-hander had potential, but a 10.11 ERA and 7.89 BB/9 made the Reds hit the reset button. In the ACL, he didn’t see any game action and focused solely on his mechanics.

Phillips reflected on the time in an interview with MLB.com’s Jim Callis saying, “Going out to Arizona was really good for me — and it was also super good mentally for me. I was at the point where I'm trying to figure something out every day, and whenever you're there, nothing good is going to come from that.”

Reds prospect Connor Phillips needs a strong performance in the Arizona Fall League

When Phillips returned to Triple-A Louisville in August, he seemed much improved. Over his final five games of the season, he produced a 2.49 ERA and just 4.15 BB/9. He closed the year on a high note with a nine-strikeout performance.

Still, Phillips has a long road to travel to land a spot in the Cincinnati Reds’ rotation. He hasn’t been very efficient since his first stop in Arizona. Even in his dominant finale, he needed 90 pitches to complete six innings. In the prior start, he tossed 87 pitches in just 3 2/3 frames. This is what the Reds will be eyeing during Phillips’ AFL stint.

Phillips’ fall season picked up where he left off in Triple-A. In his AFL debut on Wednesday, he fired four scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and no walks. His pitch count was a bit better, as well. Phillips needed just 58 pitches, or 14.5 per inning. He had used 17.95 pitches per inning in his five post-Arizona starts in Triple-A.

Phillips’ performance with Glendale may be his last shot at making the rotation. The Reds are loaded with young arms. Rhett Lowder, Lyon Richardson, and even Chase Petty could make a push to earn a spot. Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott are firmly entrenched. The competition will be stiff, and if Phillips wants to make it back to the big leagues, the time for action is now.

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