Marcus Phillips on first Spring Training with Red Sox: "I have huge chip on my shoulder'

The Red Sox have brought some top talent into the organization from many of the traditional baseball hotbeds. California. Texas. Georgia. Florida. South Dakota?

Yes, South Dakota, home state of Boston's second 2025 draft selection, Marcus Phillips.

"Baseball is interesting in South Dakota," Phillips said. "It is slowly getting better, but I would be lying to you if I said that it wasn’t a different experience. It is nothing like playing baseball down in Florida. I would travel down there for tournaments, and you see guys running up in the low nineties at 17 years old on a consistent basis. Back home, it was only me and two other guys throwing hard in all of South Dakota. When I say hard, I mean 88-91 mph in high school. My best friend, Jack Riddell, who is at Notre Dame, was throwing 92 in high school. Aside from him, the closest to that was around 85 MPH. It is no wonder you only see pitchers come out of the state because hitters aren’t seeing velocity. I saw 90 for the first time in JuCo ball as a two-way player and I was blown away. I didn’t know what to expect in the box because I had never faced that before."

Phillips began his college journey going the JuCo route where he started at Iowa Western Community College as a two-way player. From there he went on to Tennessee,  making the leap to the nation's top baseball conference where he helped the Volunteers win a National Championship his first year there in Knoxville.

"It was a big jump for sure," Phillips said of his jump to the SEC. "I went to JuCo as a two-way player, so I was originally recruited to Tennessee as a two-way as well. I hit my first year there but didn’t get any at-bats so I pretty much hung up the bat. It was difficult transitioning to the SEC so that’s why I became a pitcher only. It took me a while to get it on the mound. They changed a lot of stuff with me, and it took a while to even get the right mindset to play in that conference. That’s why my innings were limited my sophomore year. It was a good experience because I got to see other guys compete at the level. I got to learn from guys like Drew Beam and saw how he went to work. I think that really helped me take off my junior year."

Since being drafted last summer to Boston, Phillips has had plenty of time off to work on things for his upcoming pro debut in 2026.

"I have been working on pitch design stuff, making my changeup better, adding an extra secondary pitch, which I am between a sweeper and a slider, and just making my stuff better in general," Phillips noted of his time off. "I really have been just staying in season shape and season form and making sure that I get my arm back up to where it was endurance wise before. I had shut down for a little bit, and it had been tough not being able to go out there and compete like I am so used to doing. Back in college in the fall, you would have fall games and things like that to keep working towards. It was something that I had to learn to navigate through, but I am looking forward to getting back on the mound facing some guys and see different types of hitters."

Phillips made his live BP debut last week, where he touched 94 mph while mostly working on the changeup and the secondaries. What kind of pitcher will fans be seeing once he debuts in pro ball this year?

"I pride myself in my physical presence," Phillips said. "I am a big guy. I throw hard with a cut fastball, and I like to attack hitters with it. I am featuring a pretty good slider and sweeper, if I do say so myself. I also have a changeup I have been working on a lot as of recent. We are looking at a four-pitch mix when I start the season. I have been one that usually sits in the upper nineties range on the fastball. I just love to compete, and I am going to have an edge to me. I am going to have a chip on my shoulder like I have something to prove, and I think people will notice that."

Spring training is a unique times during the baseball schedule when every player, coach, and staff from all around the organization all under one roof for only time during the season. It will be even more unique for Phillips as it will be his first professional spring training with a lot to look forward to.

"I am looking forward to seeing how guys go about their business," Phillips said. "I am very much a visual learner. You see all these videos online of all the guys training like with Aroldis Chapman doing his pitching stuff with the towel drills. I am very excited to see it in person. I want to see what they do daily to take care of their arm or what they are doing on the mound and why they are doing it. I will be picking people’s minds to hear them out and see what they are doing to be successful.

Photo Credit: Marcus Phillips by Kelly O'Connor

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Fort Report: Tolle, Early get nods in early Grapefruit League action

In stark contrast to the local weather back home at Fenway, the Red Sox began Grapefruit League action this week. They kicked off with their annual tilt against Northeastern University before moving on to major league contests on Saturday.

Young hurlers in spotlight

As usual at this juncture of the spring, the pitching load has been heavily weighted toward the prospects. Top prospect Payton Tolle (pictured) got the start on Sunday, with third-ranked Connelly Early following on Monday. Tyler Uberstine, ranked 13th and added to the 40-man roster in the offseason, got the nod for the Northeastern game on Friday. Mixed in was Saturday's outing from 2022 SoxProspects.com valedictorian Brayan Bello.

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Podcast Ep #402: Early reports from Spring Training and emails

Ian Cundall is joined by Andrew Parker who is down in Fort Myers to talk about the latest Red Sox news. They dive into the impact on the roster of Romy González’s injury, the incoming challenge system and more. After that Andrew goes through what he’s learned on the backfields so far including notes on Christian Foutch, John Holobetz and Conrad Cason. They then wrap up the show by answering a plethora of emails!

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Fort Report: Full squad reports to spring training

Pitchers and catchers reported to spring training last Tuesday and the first full team workout took place on Sunday. The Red Sox annual opener against Northeastern is scheduled for this Friday, with the first official Grapefruit League game on Saturday against the Twins. 

The Big Three, one year later

The Big Three of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell (pictured), and Marcelo Mayer entered last season listed second, fourth, and 15th on Baseball America's prospect rankings. The highly-touted trio all made their debuts with the Red Sox last season, with Anthony excelling before a season-ending oblique injury while Campbell and Mayer posted mixed results in their first taste of the major league level. 

One season later, Campbell's development and role on the 2026 team is one of the more intriguing storylines coming into camp. After making the team out of spring training last year and winning Rookie of the Month in April, Campbell struggled at the plate and defensively at second base before being optioned to Worcester in June. He has overhauled his swing over the offseason as he hopes to recover the form that made him one of the top prospects in baseball a year ago. On the defensive side, Alex Cora indicated that Campbell will receive most of his playing time in the outfield this spring. This position change makes Campbell’s spot on the roster unclear, as the Red Sox already have four starting-caliber outfielders, but a strong spring could propel him onto the Opening Day roster. 

Roman Anthony enters the 2026 season expected to hit near the top of the order and serve a key contributor in the Red Sox lineup after hitting .292/.396/.463 in 71 games as a rookie. On Monday, he was officially named to the Team USA roster for the World Baseball Classic as an injury replacement for Corbin Carroll. At 21 years old, Anthony will be the youngest member of Team USA in World Baseball Classic history. 

Mayer played in 44 games at the big league level last year and hit only .228 while striking out in 30% of his plate appearances. However, he displayed impressive bat speed and strong defense at multiple infield positions. Barring any further additions to the Red Sox infield, Mayer is slated to receive regular playing time at either second or third base, with recent acquisition Caleb Durbin starting in the other position. 

Bennett impressing in first spring training with Red Sox

Per Tim Healey of the Boston Globe, Jake Bennett has been a highlight of the team's early spring workouts, with Alex Cora, Roman Anthony, and Carlos Narvaez praising the left-hander. Bennett was acquired from Washington in exchange for Luis Perales this offseason and he is ranked sixth in the SoxProspects.com rankings. In 45 2/3 innings at the Double-A level last season, Bennett posted a 2.56 ERA and struck out 33 batters. Standing 6-foot-6, Bennett has elite extension and showed increased velocity in the Arizona Fall League last year. 

New podcast episode

In the latest episode of the SoxProspects.com podcast, Ian and Mike broke down the Caleb Durbin trade and how the roster is shaping up as spring training begins. 

Where are they now? 

Two members of the 2025 Red Sox signed minor league deals with other organizations. First baseman Nathaniel Lowe signed with Cincinnati and relief pitcher Liam Hendriks with Minnesota. Lowe was an impactful late-season addition after he was designated for assignment by the Nationals, as he hit .280/.370/.420 in 34 games with the Red Sox and helped to solidify one of the team's weakest positions at first base. Hendriks was signed before the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John Surgery. The three-time All-Star never returned to form with the Red Sox, missing the entire 2024 season and posting a 6.59 ERA in 13 2/3 innings last year. 

Photo Credit: Kristian Campbell by Kelly O'Connor

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Podcast Ep #401: Examining the Red Sox roster post Durbin trade

Ian Cundall and Mike Andrews are back to break down the Caleb Durbin trade and examine how the MLB roster plays out. They also give their thoughts on Craig Breslow’s offseason as a whole and what the strengths and weaknesses are on the current roster. They also discuss why the lack of power might not matter as much in the regular season, but could in the playoffs, before wrapping up with some early tidbits from spring training including which players are standing out in workouts and some early velocity numbers courtesy of SoxProspects Feature Writer Andrew Parker. 

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Fort Report: Welcome to Spring Training 2026

Pitchers and catchers are due to report to spring training today, but plenty of action is already taking place in Fort Myers. Some tweaks late in the offseason has what appears to be a complete major league roster alignment. 

Red Sox acquire infielder Caleb Durbin

The seven-piece deal to round out the starting infield was made official on Monday. Caleb Durbin joined  Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler head to Boston in exchange for infielder David Hamilton and pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan. Boston also receieves a Competitive Balance pick in the July draft from Milwaukee, currently 67th overall. Durbin finished third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2025 following his acquisition by the Brewers in the deal that sent Devin Williams to the Yankees. Monasterio has appeared in 219 major league games across three seasons. Siegler, like Durbin, was originally drafted by the Yankees. He was the 23rd overall pick in 2018, three spots before the Sox selected Triston Casas. Siegler's utility-player profile has something of a unique twist: while he throws right-handed while playing the infoeld and catching, he plays the outfield left-handed.

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Maximus Martin plans to bring “versatility at premium positions” to Red Sox system

Since taking over as head of baseball operations, Craig Breslow has significantly revamped the organization's approach to run prevention. It is no secret that Boston's draft strategy has been central to that shift. While much has been said about Breslow using 29 selections of a possible 40 on pitchers, the focus on defensive skill and versatility in position players has also been notable. Maximus Martin, Boston's 10th-round pick out of Kansas State, fits that profile.

Martin was listed as a shortstop on draft day, but his ability to play another premium position as well as a power boost at the plate caught the Red Sox attention.

"My versatility on defense and having power from both sides of the plate helped me get noticed by Boston," Martin said. "I am also able to play two premium positions in the field. I am not saying I am the best outfielder, but it is a position that I just started playing in the last year and a half. I am really learning how to track balls better out there. I think that’s going to be a part of my game that can really help my career in general by being able to up the middle and then also play the whole outfield. Teams need versatile guys that can do that."

While he might be early on in his days of playing the outfield, Martin logged 18 appearances there in college and another four games once he turned professional. The brain trust at Kansas State had intriguing feedback about Martin’s presence out there.

"He has great defensive instincts, especially in center field," Kansas State coach Austin Wates said of Martin. "We had a bigger need out there last year rather than at shortstop. I think he could be a fantastic Swiss-army knife type player which seems to have more popularity now. Kiké Hernández, Chris Taylor, Jazz Chisholm, Tommy Edman. Those guys all obviously have huge value for teams and give you the breath of lineup flexibility that a lot of rosters won’t have. Max just needs to continue developing his mental skills and get nestled into the grind of professional baseball. He will embrace it. He works incredibly hard. He has a level of focus and attention to detail that can help set him apart."

On the offensive side of things, Martin had to get acclimated to the pitching he would see right out of the gate. While it is not uncommon for someone to struggle as they make the jump from college, he didn’t let his struggles last too long.

"Making my pro debut opened my eyes to what I’m going to be going through this next season," Martin said. "I love that there are games pretty much every single day. The biggest challenge was the pitching I faced. Everybody you face throws upper 90’s with a whole bunch of pitches. It was about getting acclimated to the pitchers and the game plans. I struggled a little bit for the first week and a half. But after that, I got used to it. It is the same game once I stepped back and thought about it more."

In the small sample size between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville after the draft, the 22-year-old logged 25 games and collected 24 hits that included six doubles, one home run, and 14 runs driven in.

Being able to hit in pro ball was never going to be in question for those who got a front row seat of Martin for his last year in college in Manhattan.

"A lot of what Max was struggling with was mindset and the ability to compartmentalize and move on," Kansas State coach Austin Wates said. "He already had most of the things he needed physically. He is strong, athletic, twitchy, with really strong hands and bat speed. Where Max struggled was more on the mental side of the game. We certainly made tweaks with his setup and some swing path issues, but overall, the biggest jump he made with us was learning how to have a real consistent approach and identity as a hitter and learning the mental ins and outs of being an everyday guy."

Prior to Kansas State, Martin only logged 14 doubles and 17 home runs in 69 games over his first two college seasons at Rutgers and Georgia State. His highest career SLG to that point was .475 during his freshman season.

Something seemed to click his junior year.

Martin came alive at the plate and collected 18 doubles, 14 home runs, and a .612 SLG, all of which were college career highs.

"I thought the power was going to happen in due time," Martin noted. "I just needed a little bit more time to get stronger and healthy. Early in my college career, I dealt with injuries and missed decent amounts of the season. I lost a ton of weight because of it so I just wasn’t there physically. I was just a leadoff hitter trying to get on base. This past year at Kansas State, it just came together. The guys in the great nutritional department helped me get a little bit stronger. It was a long time coming and it’s going to keep getting better every year. I am super excited for a full season of pro ball to see what I can do."

Photo Credit: Maximus Martin by kstatesports.com

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Podcast Ep #400: Another Trade, Another Signing and Top 100 Talk with Geoff Pontes

Ian Cundall is joined by Geoff Pontes of Baseball America to talk about the latest Red Sox news. They start off by breaking down the Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin trade. They then discuss the Isiah Kiner-Falefa signing, how he fits with the current Red Sox roster, and where the team goes from here. After that, they discuss the other transactions over the last few weeks including new NRIs and a minor trade. They wrap up the show talking about the offseason ex-Red Sox front office members Chaim Bloom and Paul Toboni have had and where the Red Sox rank in the newly released Baseball America Top 100.

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Fall/Winter League Roundup: Rivera named to Puerto Rico roster in Caribbean Series

With a majority of the winter baseball leagues having wrapped up play in recent weeks and spring training just around the corner, only a pair of leagues are still in action. While the Venezuelan Winter League's championship series commences, the Caribbean Series kicked off on Sunday. This week's roundup covers the past week. For more stats on Red Sox players this winter, check out the SoxProspects' Fall & Winter Leagues page. 

Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM)

Leones del Escogido claimed the league championship by defeating Toros del Este four games to one, capped off with a 1-0 win in Game 5 on Jan. 27. While he did not appear in any of the games in the series, outfielder Allan Castro appeared in 13 games for Toros del Este, hitting .262 with a home run, eight runs batted in and a .724 OPS. 

Rivera added to Caribbean Series roster

As the 68th edition of the series kicked off on Sunday, a single Boston farmhand appears to be on the roster for the slate. Left-hander Eduardo Rivera continues his strong showing this winter with a spot on the Puerto Rican team. Rivera tossed 15 innings for Cangrejeros de Santurce, striking out 10 hitters while recording a 3.00 ERA and .87 WHIP. Rivera joined the Boston organization in the summer of 2024 on a Minor League contract but did not appear in any games until 2025. Making stops at Greenville and Portland, Rivera threw 87 innings with 108 strikeouts and a 2.48 ERA between the two levels. 

Photo Credit: Eduardo Rivera by Kelly O'Connor

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