Evan Phillips emerged as one of the most valuable options out of the Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen last year, and he heads into the 2023 season ranked by MLB Network’s The Shredder among the Top-10 Relief Pitchers Right Now.
Phillips checked in at No. 4 and was also included on analyst Sarah Langs’ list at ninth. Fellow contributing voter Mike Petriello included him within the “next up” distinction, and Vince Gennaro did not have Phillips on his top-10 list either.
Taking into consideration FIP, strikeout rate, and statcast metrics, The Shredder evaluates players on a number of factors, and specifically examines relief pitchers on a two-year basis.
While San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader took home the honors last year, New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz was ranked No. 1 by The Shredder for 2023.
Cleveland Guardians superb arm Emmanual Clase was ranked second and third place went to Devin Williams (Milwaukee Brewers). After Phillips, The Shredder ranked Jhoan Duran (Minnesota Twins) fifth, Ryan Pressley (Houston Astros) sixth, Andrés Muñoz (Seattle Mariners) seventh, Liam Hendricks (Chicago White Sox) eighth, Jason Adam (Tampa Bay Rays) ninth, and Ryan Hesley (St. Louis Cardinals) rounded out the list at 10th.
It’s no surprise that Phillips, who led all relief pitchers (minimum 40 innings) with a 1.14 ERA, was included on the list. The Dodgers as a relief staff ranked second amongst all MLB teams last year with a 2.87 ERA.
While some might be surprised to find Phillips included with such an elite company, his numbers across the season, especially paired with a decent 2021, display why the righty deserves to be ranked amongst the top five relievers in baseball.
Delivering 63 innings of work in 64 total appearances, Phillips pitched to a 0.76 WHIP and .153 batting average against in 2022. He also picked up two saves on the season and could be a candidate for Dodgers closer this year.
Phillips was among the Dodgers’ nominees for the All-MLB Team, though fell short of being selected. Former teammate Justin Turner touted Phillips as being the “most underrated” relief pitcher of 2022.
The sustained success the 28-year-old enjoyed last year helped fuel his confidence as it had been the missing component for the right-hander thus far in his career.
MLB top-10 relief pitchers right now for 2023
| Rank | The Shredder | Mike Petriello | Sarah Langs | Vince Gennaro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edwin Díaz (Mets) | Edwin Díaz (Mets) | Edwin Díaz (Mets) | Edwin Díaz (Mets) |
| 2 | Emmanuel Clase (Guardians) | Emmanuel Clase (Guardians) | Emmanuel Clase (Guardians) | Emmanuel Clase (Guardians) |
| 3 | Devin Williams (Brewers) | Jhoan Duran (Twins) | Andrés Muñoz (Mariners) | Ryan Helsley (Cardinals) |
| 4 | Evan Phillips (Dodgers) | Andrés Muñoz (Mariners) | Ryan Pressly (Astros) | Andrés Muñoz (Mariners) |
| 5 | Jhoan Duran (Twins) | Ryan Helsley (Cardinals) | Liam Hendriks (White Sox) | Devin Williams (Brewers) |
| 6 | Ryan Pressly (Astros) | Devin Williams (Brewers) | Devin Williams (Brewers) | Bryan Abreu (Astros) |
| 7 | Andrés Muñoz (Mariners) | Josh Hader (Padres) | Jason Adam (Rays) | Camilo Doval (Giants) |
| 8 | Liam Hendriks (White Sox) | Clay Holmes (Yankees) | Ryan Helsley (Cardinals) | Liam Hendriks (White Sox) |
| 9 | Jason Adam (Rays) | Ryan Pressly (Astros) | Jhoan Duran (Twins) | Evan Phillips (Dodgers) |
| 10 | Ryan Helsley (Cardinals) | Pete Fairbanks (Rays) | José Alvarado (Phillies) | Félix Bautista (Orioles) |
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