It was a muggy July afternoon last season when Lumberton's own Tyler Phillips took the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team he's been supporting since he could grip a baseball. He came in to finish out a bullpen game in which, after a five-run second inning, the bats for both teams were quiet.
He allowed just one run over four innings and struck out seven batters in his MLB debut, which was the most by any Phillies pitcher in relief in their MLB debut. After what anyone would call a dream start, Phillips' tenure in Philadelphia started to falter, with a 6.87 ERA in just eight appearances to boot. After a couple of solid outings, in his fourth start of the season, just 20 days after his stellar debut, Phillips pitched a complete-game shutout, becoming the first Phillies rookie to do so since Zach Eflin in 2016.
His struggles then continued into spring training this year. He had a 7.59 ERA and seemed to continuously give up the long ball, a department the Phillies bullpen did not need further help in. Unfortunately, days before the Phillies' season opener in the nation's capital, the team decided to part ways with Phillips, designating him for assignment.
Once DFA'd, the Phillies had the option to either trade him or place him on waivers, allowing a rival to pick him up without anything in return. The Phillies traded him to the Miami Marlins. Phillips returned again to Citizens Bank Park this week for the final meeting between the two NL East rivals.
Tyler Phillips reflects on his time with his hometown Phillies while finding new life for his career in Miami
Phillips threw a clean inning with three strikeouts out of the Marlins bullpen in the series opener earlier this week, followed by some minor drama with Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm. After the game, he spoke about his experience in the Phillies' clubhouse last year and how moving to Miami has allowed him to be successful, as shared by On Pattison's Tim Kelly. He had some rather interesting remarks about being in the Phillies' clubhouse that might raise some eyebrows.
"Allowed me to be myself," Phillips said about what's made him successful in Miami after his experience in Philadelphia. "Nobody [in the Phillies' clubhouse] told me I couldn't be myself, but it's like walking on eggshells. You got a lot of vets in the clubhouse. They didn't tell me what to do, but it's like going to a new job and not knowing what you can do, what you can say, what you can't say, kind of speak when you're spoken to."
By all accounts the Phillies' veteran clubhouse is a welcoming environment, so to hear Phillips take a subtle jab at his former teammates is surprising.
Phillips also mentioned that last year he was throwing the ball scared. However, this season in his tenure with Miami, he's tuning out the noise and trying to focus on what matters, providing for his family and playing the best he can for his team.
"If I go out there and I'm throwing the ball scared, I'm going to get hit around, and I'm going to lose my job," Phillips said. "Last year I was throwing the ball scared at the end of the year. I was worried about who was in the box, I was worried about pleasing fans, pleasing my teammates, being a good rookie, whatever it was. I don't care anymore. I'm here trying to help my team win. [Hitters] are trying to take money out of my pocket, trying to ruin my livelihood, so [I'm] trying to keep it."
I asked Tyler Phillips what has allowed him to have success since the Phillies traded him to the Marlins in March. @OnPattison pic.twitter.com/IaUVRYuBOA
— Tim Kelly (@TimKellySports) September 24, 2025
However you take his postgame interview, there's no denying that Phillips has been able to establish himself with the Marlins. He has been exceeding all expectations with his new club, especially after they shifted him from starter to reliever.
He currently has a 2.87 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and 80 strikeouts in 75 1/3 innings on the year. In the last month he boasts a 0.69 ERA, with just one earned run allowed since Aug. 24. He certainly reclaimed his dominance in Philadelphia with an excellent showing in the series opener between his former and current team.