Every offseason, MLB Network does their series of “Top 10 Right Now” for each position. There are often some interesting choices, and with just ten names on each list, there are usually at least 20 fanbases who feel like their team got the shaft.
It’s no different with the relief pitchers this year, but for 2023, at least, Dodgers fans can be pleased at the national recognition their silent assassin is getting.
That’s quiet, unassuming, couldn’t-stick-with-the-Braves-or-Orioles-or-Rays Evan Phillips coming in at number four on the list after posting a 1.14 ERA in 63 innings for Los Angeles last year. Phillips was claimed off waivers from the Rays in August of 2021, and while he pitched reasonably well in 10 innings that season, it was the 2021 postseason when he really started to stand out, throwing three shutout innings with six strikeouts in the NLCS against the Braves. That momentum rolled right into 2022, and by the end of the year, he was easily the most reliable arm out of the LA bullpen.
The “High-Leverage Honey Bun” is 28 years old now and announced this offseason that he and his wife, Liz, are expecting their first baby soon. He’s also heading into arbitration for the first time as a “Super Two,” with MLB Trade Rumors projecting him to make $1.4 million. That’s a lot of money for the young family, but it’s a steal for the Dodgers considering the quality Phillips brings out of the pen.
Phillips really only has the one-year track record of dominance, so it’s a little surprising that he’s so high on the list. But anyone who watched him pitch last year knows his stuff is legit, so there’s little reason to think a huge regression is coming his way.
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