Phillies snag hidden gem with big bullpen potential from Marlins in Rule 5 Draft

As the Rule 5 Draft wrapped up on Wednesday, the Philadelphia Phillies lost former top prospect Griff McGarry but came away with an intriguing pitcher, right-hander Zach McCambley, from the Miami Marlins. They also grabbed a couple of players in the minor league portion.

As Ty Daubert of Phillies Nation reported on Tuesday, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was optimistic the Phillies would select a player in the Rule 5 Draft. However, there was always the possibility they'd be sniped ahead of their pick.

The Phillies had the 29th pick this year, after finishing with the second-best record in the majors in 2025. While there were plenty of interesting names left unprotected in this year's Rule 5 Draft, they took McCambley in the first round, with their only pick of the MLB portion. In the minor league part of the draft, they took right-hander Evan Gates from the San Francisco Giants and infielder/outfielder Austin Murr from the Detroit Tigers.

Phillies select RHP Zach McCambley from Marlins in Rule 5 Draft

McCambley was the Marlins' 2020 third-round pick out of Coastal Carolina, listed at 6-foot-2. Baseball America noted before the draft that the 26-year-old has "modest" raw stuff, but his results in the upper minors this season could lead a team to take a chance (subscription required).

Thomas Nestico of TJStats also liked McCambley so much that he was his No. 1 target heading into Wednesday's draft.

The Phillies are the ones taking that chance, hoping that he might be able to secure a bullpen spot on the Opening Day roster. Remember that McCambley has to make and stick on the 26-man roster all season. The Phillies spent $100,00 on the pick and he can't be sent to the minors without clearing waivers and being offered back to the Marlins for $50,000.

McCambley was ranked as high as the Marlins' No. 15 MLB Pipeline prospect in 2022 but fell out of their Top 30 rankings after that season.

In 2025, McCambley posted a 2.90 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with 83 strikeouts to 22 walks in 62 innings split between Double- and Triple-A. In 40 2/3 innings in Triple-A, he had a 3.32 ERA with a 30.8 percent strikeout rate. His overall 33.1 percent strikeout rate was a career high.

He even had the distinction of throwing an immaculate inning for the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this season.

One area where McCambley has struggled in the past is with command and issuing too many walks. This year, however, he had an 8.9 percent walk rate in Triple-A.

Per Baseball America, McCambley's success came thanks to his mid-80s sweeping slider that generated a 51 percent whiff rate and a 34 percent chase rate. His high-80s cutter ran a 34 percent whiff rate and he has a four-seam fastball that typically sits at 93-95 mph but can reach 97.

We'll have to wait until spring training to get our first look at McCambley in a Phillies uniform. Hopefully the Rule 5 Draft gamble pays off and he becomes a success story in the bullpen in 2026.