Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Evan Phillips and his wife Elizabeth have announced they are expecting their first child. The couple shared the news on Instagram, saying the baby is expected to arrive in 2023.
Phillips joins Mookie Betts, Caleb Ferguson and Max Muncie in declaring themselves fathers-to-be since the season ended. Cody Bellinger announced he and girlfriend Chase Carter were expecting their second child while he was under contract with the Dodgers, but has since signed with the Chicago Cubs.
During the postseason, Cara and Will Smith gave birth to their first child just hours before Game 4 of the National League Division Series against the San Diego Padres.
Phillips is set to become the first father, joining Ferguson as the first Dodgers player to announce a baby. Kelly Muncie gave birth to a daughter, Sophie Kate, last July, and the Houses are already parents to a 4-year-old daughter, Kinley.
It’s been a memorable year for Phillips, who has become one of the best relievers in Major League Baseball and the most reliable reliever on a historically good team. The 28-year-old pitched 63 innings with a 1.14 ERA, 1.94 FIP and 0.76 WHIP while striking out 33% of hitters and walking 6.4%.
During his college days at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, he earned the nickname “High Leverage Honey Bun” from his teammates due to his brilliance on the mound and his earlier nickname of “Honey Bun”.
Phillips should again lead the bullpen in the 2023 season, and he’s the front-runner to receive most of the save opportunities without being a closer on the roster.
Evan Phillips qualified for the Super Two stage.
The Dodgers have three players in the Super Bowl and are due for salary arbitration. The team included Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol and Phillips.
Normally, a player is eligible for arbitration after three years of Major League service, but a select group of players are eligible for arbitration before reaching three years of service under the Super Two designation.
To be eligible, a player must rank in the top 22% of all hitters in the majors over two to three years of service time. The specific cut-off date varies from year to year and in 2022 the super two level bar was set at 2 years, 128 days.
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