November 2, 2008

 

Throws: Left
Height/Weight: 6'1''/200
Birthday: 9/21/1986 (Age 22) 
Roster Status: Rule V Eligible after 2009 season

Background: Zach Phillips came to the Rangers as a draft-and-follow out of Sacramento City College in May 2005 after being drafted in the 23rd round the previous year. Before attending Sacramento CC, Phillips attended nearby Galt Union for high school, where he went 11-8 with a 1.40 ERA his senior year. The Rangers thought enough of his potential to draft him, but wanted to see some more results against tougher competition before signing him. Phillips then proceeded to pitch extremely well as a freshman at Sacremento CC, earning second team all-conference honors in one of the nation's most difficult JUCO environments. His impressive 3.43 ERA against greater competition showed an ability to adapt to changes that occur often in professional baseball. Soon after the season, scout Tim Fortugno, who also signed CJ Wilson and Scott Feldman, inked Phillips before another team could nab him in the 2005 draft.

Pitches: Phillips has one of the more traditional pitch mixes of any Ranger prospect. He carries a fastball, changeup, and curveball into each game, using each a significant number of times. His fastball is a two-seamer which usually sits in the high-80s, occasionally reaching 91. He's not a power pitcher by any means, so his fastball is used mainly for location and quick outs. His changeup is an offering that is developing very well, and like most pitchers, he had never thrown a changeup before entering the organization. It usually sits in the high-70s, with it being most effective between 77 and 79. He uses it extensively the second time through the batting order, even using it to start off at-bats. Look for it to be an above-average pitch shortly. Phillips' plus offering has always been his curveball. He changes speeds between about 68 and the mid-70s, depending on the situation. The biggest plus is that he can throw it for strikes consistently, and he'll continue to develop it as he goes forward.

Professional Experience: Phillips was assigned to the Arizona Rookie League a few weeks after he signed with the Rangers. As part of their rotation in 2005, he blew away all expectations. He looked very advanced against the competition he faced, finishing second in the league in strikeouts, despite a late-season promotion to Clinton. Although he struggled slightly with the LumberKings in two appearances, Phillips was immediately on the Rangers' radar. He finished 2005 with a 1-3 record in 14 games (11 starts), with an ERA of 3.93 in 50.1 innings for the AZL Rangers. His 73-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio was outstanding, and expectations were high for him entering 2006. He was assigned to Clinton out of Spring Training, and he struggled mightily against mostly older competition. Phillips struggled with his control all season, walking 66 and throwing 16 wild pitches in 142 innings, all for Clinton. He also was hit pretty hard to the tune of 178 hits allowed, though only 5 left the yard, a testament to his sinking fastball and the Midwest League. He ended the season with a 5-12 record in 28 starts, with a 5.96 ERA. This was seen as a setback, but having only ended the year at age 20, the Rangers still had high hopes for Phillips. He returned to Clinton for the 2007 season and had much more success. He was consistently solid all season long, He jumped up his strikeout rate, dropped his walk rate, and the unluckiness he had in 2006 disappeared. Batted balls turned into hits almost 6% less than the previous year, meaning he was more effective in getting weaker contact. As a result, his ERA dropped over 3 runs in just a year, making him one of the most improved players in the entire Ranger organization. He finished the year at 11-7 with a 2.91 ERA in 27 starts, and he headed to 2008 expecting big things.

2008 Season: Phillips' 2008 campaign in Bakersfield was frustrating for all involved. He reverted back to many of the problems that plagued him at Clinton in 2006, with his control being the main issue. His strikeout rate fell to its lowest yet, and his walk rate was even higher than in his 2006 season at Clinton. This, combined with the California League's tendency to help hitters, resulted in Phillips having a consistently bad season, at least until about the last month. Amazingly enough, Phillips struggled much more against lefties than righties, with lefties hitting 55 points higher against him. This means his curveball was likely lacking the dive it usually had. He pitched well enough at home over the course of the season, but he struggled heavily on the road, with a 6.63 ERA at other Cal League parks. He really seemed to be struggling when the summer heated up, a strange occurrence, since he's from California and had already pitched through two full seasons at the minor league level. However, when things calmed down in August, he became the dominant pitcher he was in his second tour at Clinton, only allowing 10 earned runs in 32.2 August innings, good for a 2.76 ERA. He kept the ball in the park consistently the whole year, so we'll just have to hope that Phillips' struggle with control is over, and he'll start returning to the more dominant of his two sides.

Future Outlook: Zach Phillips has been one of the more frustrating prospects in the Ranger system over the past few years. He's had two good years that were each followed by sub-par years, each of which were in leagues where players were slightly older than Phillips. He turned things around in a second tour in Clinton, and he seemed to be doing so at Bakersfield in August. Hopefully this means he's starting to get over the learning curves at each level slightly faster, a good sign considering his potential. His health has always been a plus, as he's logged 28, 27, and 28 starts the last three years. This has only helped his development as a starting pitcher. At this point, I'm going to say he's got the potential to be a number four starter at best, though I think his control problems will keep him from the majors altogether. 2009 will be a pivotal season for Phillips, as he'll be Rule V eligible for the first time next December. Look for him to start the year back at Bakersfield, with the goal being a promotion to Frisco before the short-season leagues begin in mid-June. If all goes well, expect Phillips to reach Arlington in 3 years.

Written by Andy Seiler

Photo from flickr.com; Username whitecapwendy