6 Phillies set to pitch in Sunday’s spring training opener
By Matt Rappa
3. Bryan Mitchell
Right-handed reliever Bryan Mitchell began the first four seasons of his career under manager Joe Girardi with the New York Yankees from 2014-17. Combined, he went 2-6 with a 4.94 ERA, 1.617 WHIP, and 64-44 strikeouts-to-walks ratio spanning 48 appearances, nine starts, and 17 games finished.
The same offseason the Yankees parted ways with Girardi was when they likewise did the same with Mitchell, trading him to the San Diego Padres in a three-player transaction. The North Carolina native went on to appear in 11 starts and five relief appearances with the Padres in 2018, going 2-4 with a 5.42 ERA, 1.753 WHIP, and an underwhelming 38-43 strikeouts-to-walks ratio.
Mitchell has not pitched in the majors since. This past season, he was with the Chicago White Sox on a minor-league pact, but was released from their 60-man player pool in August. The Phillies signed the 29-year-old to another minor-league deal in late January, giving him another chance to shine under Girardi in the majors.
4. Enyel De Los Santos
Ranked last year as a top 10 Phillies prospect, right-hander Enyel De Los Santos has to earn back the team’s trust this spring training.
De Los Santos was designated for assignment last August and did not make an appearance in the 2020 season. Now 25, the Dominican Republic native made 12 big-league appearances combined across the 2018-19 seasons under then-manager Gabe Kapler — recording a 5.70 ERA, 1.500 WHIP, and 24-13 strikeouts-to-walks ratio through 30 innings as a starter and reliever.
De Los Santos is currently in Phillies mini-camp, which essentially is the equivalent of minor-league camp during a normal spring training. A positive sign for De Los Santos is that he has surrendered only six home runs in his big-league career. Still, he has a tall hill to climb to beat out his competition in Phillies camp.