Evan Phillips

Phillips was outstanding for the second year in a row, converting a career-high 24 saves while once again leading qualified relievers with a 0.83 WHIP. The 29-year-old only accounted for 54.5% of the Dodgers' 44 saves, but he was clearly their top reliever, earning save opportunities early in the season. While he did go long stretches without recording a save, Phillips was still valuable for fantasy purposes. He boosted ratios while striking out batters at a respectable 28.2% clip. His Statcast page is painted red, with a 115.1 mph (Max EV) rocket off the bat of Byron Buxton the only real blemish. Meanwhile, his 88.2 mph average exit velocity was still above-average (67th percentile). Phillips is establishing himself as one of the top high-leverage relievers in the game. If you could guarantee 30-plus saves, he'd likely be a top 5 closer, but since the Dodgers aren't exclusive with his usage in the 9th inning, he'll settle in the 10-15 range for 2024 drafts.

Phillips went from being released by the Orioles and Rays in 2021, to posting one of the best stat lines for a relief pitcher in 2022 with the Dodgers. The 28-year-old's 1.14 ERA was best among qualified relievers, while his 0.76 WHIP was tied for third. Phillips also went on to post career best marks in innings pitched (63), holds (19) and strikeouts (77). His rapid ascension to high leverage events resulted in seven wins, which were valuable for fantasy managers who initially speculated on Phillips for saves (2). The right-hander mixes 4 pitches with a slider as his primary (44%), but uses a cutter (27%) exclusively against left-handed batters and sinker (10%) against righties. He also added velocity to his 4-seamer (19%) that averaged 96.2 mph. Phillips' breakout season should afford him a nice raise, as he qualfies for salary arbitration via Super Two status. Expect the Dodgers to avoid that to ensure Phillips is part of their high leverage plans again in 2023.