Angels News: Brett Phillips Resurgence Comes After Months of Hard Work
Away from MLB for the past few months, a World Series icon from the recent past has put in the effort to make his way back to the big leagues in a major fashion.
Designated for assignment in May by the Angels, Brett Phillips has taken the time to redefine his game and earn some time back with the big league club, a move that's paid off for both player and team.
“I came in with a totally different swing, and we saw early on that obviously the opportunity wasn't going to be there to see if it played out,” Phillips said. “So it was honestly the best thing for me to go down to Triple-A and play every day. Get that confidence with a new swing. And I’m glad to see it's translating so far. But again, it's early. For me, it’s about taking advantage of an opportunity down the stretch and showing the Angels that I can produce offensively,” Phillips said. “It’s been encouraging. Hopefully, I continue to keep the confidence day to day. It feels good to put the barrel on some baseballs.”
Hitting home runs and continuing to play his great defense, most baseball fans will remember Phillips for his heroics in Game 4 of the 2020 Fall Classic when he was still with Tampa Bay.
Notching a single to tie the game against Kenley Jansen in the bottom of the ninth, Phillips' base knock eventually scored Randy Arozarena as the winning run to tie the series after a botched rundown attempt due to an errant throw by the Dodgers.
Arms wide open as he circled the bags, Phillips' career in the past few seasons hasn't been quite as momentous, but he's slowly working his way back with Anaheim in a heartwarming story for the veteran outfielder.
