Dylan Covey
Like Marté, Dylan Covey also had a rollercoaster season with the Phillies after joining the team in May 2023 through waivers. However, unlike his counterpart, Covey couldn't easily be sent down to the minors despite struggling mightily during the first half of the season. Perhaps the fact that he was out of options gave him an extra long leash with the big league club, as they didn’t want to risk losing him.
Nevertheless, Covey rewarded the Phillies with their patience by surprisingly turning his season around in the second half. Following the All-Star break, he compiled a stellar 2.25 ERA along with 13 strikeouts in 24 innings of work. That was certainly a far cry from the five-plus ERA he was constantly putting up prior to the break. As a result, it helped make Covey’s overall numbers with the Phillies in 2023 much more respectable with a 3.69 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 39 innings of work.
However, the right-hander still showed some control issues along the way despite the turnaround, as he finished with a WHIP close to 1.50 for the season. Depending on which version of Covey shows up at Spring Training in 2024, his ultimate fate on the roster will be in his own hands. He will certainly need a standout performance to maintain his spot in the majors going forward with the ballclub.