Connor Phillips

The Seattle Mariners selected Phillips with the 64th overall selection of the 2020 Major League Baseball draft.^[5] He signed for $1.1 million.^[6][7] He made his professional debut in 2021 with the Modesto Nuts and was promoted to the Everett AquaSox at the season's end.^[8] Over 17 starts between the two clubs, he went 7–4 with a 4.62 ERA, 111 strikeouts, and 46 walks over 76 innings.^[9]

On March 29, 2022, the Mariners sent Phillips to the Cincinnati Reds as the player to be named later from an earlier trade that also sent Justin Dunn, Jake Fraley, and Brandon Williamson to the Reds in exchange for Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suárez.^[10] He was assigned to the Dayton Dragons to open the 2022 season.^[11] In late June, he was promoted to the Chattanooga Lookouts.^[12] Over 24 starts between the two teams, Philips went 5–8 with a 3.78 ERA and 150 strikeouts over 109+2⁄3 innings.^[13] Phillips returned to Chattanooga to open the 2023 season.^[14] In late June, Phillips was promoted to the Louisville Bats.^[15] In 25 games (24 starts) between the two affiliates, he logged a cumulative 4–5 record and 3.86 ERA with 154 strikeouts in 105 innings of work.

On September 2, 2023, Phillips was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time after Brandon Williamson was placed on the COVID-19 injured list.^[16] Across five starts during his rookie campaign, he struggled to a 6.97 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 20+2⁄3 innings pitched. Phillips was optioned to Triple–A Louisville to begin the 2024 season.^[17] He did not make an appearance for Cincinnati during the season. In 19 starts for Louisville, he struggled to a 3-9 record and 8.01 ERA with 77 strikeouts across 78+2⁄3 innings pitched.

Phillips was again optioned to Triple-A Louisville to begin the 2025 season.^[18] He suffered a minor injury during spring training and was moved to the bullpen.^[19] The injury was later announced to be a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome, which Phillips managed with botox injections as opposed to surgery.^[20] He was recalled to the Reds twice during the year, and appeared in 21 games as a reliever, going 5-0 with a 2.88 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 25 innings. With Louisville, he went 1-2 with a 2.84 ERA across 38 innings.^[21]

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