Mariners wrap up draft signings with pitcher Connor Phillips
The Seattle Mariners announced Monday they have signed right-handed pitcher Connor Phillips, their Competitive Balance Round B pick from the 2020 Major League Baseball Draft.
Seattle has now signed all six of its selections from this year’s shortened draft.
Phillips, a 19-year-old from Texas, was considered the top junior college prospect in the draft, and was the first off the board when the Mariners selected him at No. 64 overall.
“We’re excited to add Connor Phillips to the Mariners organization,” Mariners director of amateur scouting Scott Hunter said in a release. “At just 19 years of age, he has four pitches, with a fastball up to 98 mph. As he continues to develop, we believe he has a chance to be an impactful pitcher for our organization.”
Phillips was drafted by the Blue Jays in the 35th round in 2019, but did not sign, and passed up his original college commitment to SEC baseball power LSU to attend McLennan Community College in Texas and maintain his draft eligibility this year.
“It was just to give myself the best opportunity,” Phillips said after the Mariners selected him. “I felt like being draft eligible was the best for me, and it ended up working out pretty decent for me.”
Phillips made six starts for McLennan in his brief stint there, before the COVID-19 pandemic ended his freshman season, finishing 3-1 with a 3.16 ERA across 25 2/3 innings, and limiting opponents to a .152 average.
He posted a 1.13 ERA and struck out 125 batters in 92 2/3 innings for Texas’ Magnolia West High School his final year there in 2019.
Phillips is 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, and Hunter said after the draft the Mariners were looking for an impact arm on the second day, and targeted Phillips with the extra pick they acquired in the Omar Narvaez trade with the Brewers in December.
Phillips was “one of the most upside plays” the Mariners took in the draft, Hunter said then.
“You sit in the stands watching him throw, and you go, ‘Woah,’ “ he said. “You jump back when he rips off a breaking ball and he’s touching 98. Now, everything with Connor is going to be how he harnesses the stuff. He has had some strike zone issues here and there, but it’s really within the zone. He’s not missing by much.
Seattle’s other five draft picks — Georgia right-hander Emerson Hancock (Round 1, No. 6 overall), Texas A&M outfielder Zach DeLoach (Round 2, No. 43), Oklahoma State infielder Kaden Polcovich (Round 3, No. 78), Ole Miss infielder Tyler Keenan (Round 4, No. 107) and Cal Poly right-hander Taylor Dollard (Round 5, No. 137) — signed with the organization last week.
Hancock, Keenan, Polcovich and DeLoach were also included in the Mariners’ 60-man player pool and will work out with the club this summer.“It’s just his stuff is so electric at times, and he’s such a live-wired athlete, learning how to control his delivery and control his emotions and control and harness that stuff is going to be key to his progression.”
This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 2:30 PM.
