JUPITER, FLORIDA – The humming of golf carts became noticeably louder around 7 pm surrounding Field 7 of the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex.
Dozens of carts filed in, turning the grass area behind the fence into a golf cart parking lot.
Scouts, often two or three per cart, were especially on high alert. At least one of them is a former MLB pitching coach who now holds a pitching analyst title with a big league club. He especially was locked in on watching the 7:40 pm game that featured Ostingers Baseball Academy.
Well over 100 scouts were there to see starting pitcher, Alex Philpott, a lanky 6-foot-5, 175-pound right-hander who has yet to come close to scratching the surface of his abilities.
A senior at Strawberry Crest High School in the Tampa, Florida area, Philpott was one of the most interesting players at this weekend’s Perfect Game WWBA World Championship wood bat tournament.
A University of Florida commit, Philpott has a chance to be a legitimate two-way player. Along with pitching, he’s an athletic center-fielder who runs the 60-yard dash in around 6.8 seconds.
The wood bat tournament is one of the signature Perfect Game showcases in the country.
A year ago, this event featured three of the top four players taken in the 2022 MLB Draft: Jackson Holliday (Baltimore Orioles), the first overall pick; second pick, Drew Jones (Arizona Diamondbacks); and fourth selection, Termar Johnson (Pittsburgh Pirates).
There are no projected top 10 players at the event this year, but there’s plenty of intrigue on high ceiling talent like Philpott.
On the mound, however, may be the rangy righty’s future. Right now, he’s throwing 90-92 mph, but his frame is far from being fully developed. As his body matures, easily he could be throwing in the upper 90s.
Add in his competitiveness, athleticism and untapped natural abilities, Philpott has a chance to impact games in many ways.
“I feel I’m just a gamer,” the right-hander told SBLive. “A gamer who has a lot of tools. I can do whatever the coach needs me to do.”
More than ever, baseball is open to innovation and new ideas. The two-way player used to be dismissed because it’s tough enough to be either a good position player or pitcher. But thanks to Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, teams are open to finding one player who can pitch and hit. Philpott fits that mold.
A gifted pitcher with a big arm, Strawberry Crest’s Alex Philpott, a University of Florida commit, is also a speedy centerfielder with dreams of being a two-way Major League star.
Photo by Joe Frisaro
“I’ve hit my whole life,” the Tampa native said. “Around like 13, I decided to try the mound out. I threw hard. I started to pick up that. I loved that, and I just kept hitting. I love hitting, and I love to pitch. Just work on both.
“The Florida Gators are open to the idea as well. “They just want me to come in and see how stuff goes,” Philpott said. “If it goes well, keep working on hitting and pitching. If not, I see my future on the mound. I’ve just got to keep working, every day on it. Make sure I’m perfecting.”
Growing up a few-hour drive from Gainesville, Florida, Philpott was a Gators’ fan, which made it an easy decision when it came to recruitment. “Ever since I’ve been young, I’ve been a Gators’ fan,” he said. “Being from Florida, and all of that. I was talking with quite a few schools. Florida gave me the offer that they did. There was no passing up that. I couldn’t pass that up.”
For the players who ascended to Palm Beach County for the weekend baseball showcase, the PG event is an opportunity to sell themselves to the scouts.
“I absolutely love it,” Philpott said. “I call it motivation, more than nervousness. I love having a bunch of dudes behind the plate watching me. We play in quite a bunch of very good tournaments like this. I just keep trying to get better.”
Philpott played in about 70 games since the start of his junior season at Strawberry Crest. After a 22-game season as a junior, he’s now played in about 50 more in summer and travel ball. At the plate he’s had some ups and downs, which is normal for all hitters.
“I kind of snapped out of it for a little while, and got in a slump,” he said. “But it’s coming back. Just focus on hitting something square. On the mound. I’ve been pretty good lately. I’ve been a little tired after throwing all summer, and coming into fall, throwing all fall. Just trying to make sure I’m competing the best that I can.”
As a baseball fan, Philpott admires Mike Trout of the Angels: “Because he’s the greatest.” And his favorite player on the Tampa Bay Rays is Kevin Kiermaier, the Gold Glove-winning center fielder.
“I really just enjoy watching how hard he does everything,” Philpott said.
Events like the wooden bat showcase give young players the opportunity to compete on the fields used by MLB clubs. The Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex is the Spring Training home of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.
For players like Philpott, getting a chance to participate in the tournament is a reminder of what his ultimate goal is in the sport.
“Ever since I was 8 years old when I started it, and I got a late start, for me, playing Major League Baseball, that’s the dream,” Philpott said.
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