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Relief pitcher Connor Brogdon propelled
himself into discussions about the Phillies' top prospects with a considerably
strong campaign in 2019 and reached the big leagues last year in the pandemic shortened season.
Brogdon, image- Jay Floyd
A Lewis-Clark
State product, Brogdon was drafted by the Phils in 2017 as a 10th
rounder. That year, the right-hander began his professional career as a
member of the Class A short-season Williamsport Crosscutters.
In 16 relief
appearances for the 'Cutters that year, Brogdon would post a 3-1 record
with three saves, a 2.34 ERA, and a .177 batting average against while
recording an 11.7 K/9 mark.
In 2018, his
first full professional season, the six-foot-six 205-pounder tallied a
5-3 record with five saves, a 2.47 ERA, a .228 batting average against
and a 10.3 K/9 mark in 31 games (seven starts) with Class A Lakewood.
Since moving to the bullpen and working in that role exclusively after
May that year, Brogdon has truly thrived in the relief role.
The following season, Brogdon
opened his campaign with Class A Advanced Clearwater, where he posted a
2-0 record, a 1.80 ERA, a .164 batting average against and a 10.4 K/9
mark in 10 contests.
He was soon
promoted to Double-A Reading, where the stellar numbers continued.
Brogdon would post a 1-1 record with a pair of saves, a 2.65 ERA, a .150
batting average against along with a 14.8 K/9 mark in 15 appearances.
Before July,
Brogdon earned his second promotion of the year, joining the pitching
staff of the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In 26 outings in the
International League, the California native tallied a 3-1 record with
two saves, a .193 batting average against and a 12.2 K/9 mark.
Time
with the IronPigs didn't go smoothly from the start. Having posted a
7.71 ERA through his first six outings, Brogdon breezed through his next
20 appearances, as he notched a 1.78 ERA the rest of the way.
Last year, Brogdon got some big league experience and looked promising after a rough start. The owner of a 16.88 ERA after three outings, Brogdon closed out his season with six straight scoreless innings. Overall in his nine appearances for the Phillies, he notched a 1-0 record with a 3.97 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a 13.5 K/9 mark.
Brogdon, a
slugging catcher and third baseman in his little league and youth
baseball days, grew up as a fan of Barry Bonds, so he's got a great
appreciation for the minds and bats of his opposition.
Described as a
power pitcher, Brogdon can bring the heat and misses a ton of bats. With a
fastball that tops out around 97 MPH, a slider with good movement, a standout change up and a spike curve ball which was a pitch with a
refined grip that he learned from teammate Zach Warren in 2018.
The approach
for Brogdon is a simple one...come into a game, attack the strike zone
and get outs. With his long-armed, lean build, Brogdon gets a lot of
extension and releases the ball closer to home plate than many pitchers,
which is advantageous, as the offering appears harder to the hitter.
He possesses very good control and walked just 2.9 batters per nine innings in his minor league career.
The 26-year-old is another talent that gets the pass on my usual age 25 cut off due to the shortened season. I expect Brogdon to be a key contributor out of the Phillies' bullpen this year.
You can keep tabs on this year's Phillies prospects countdown by clicking on this link.
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