Dombrowski Hopeful For Phillies Gamble On Rule 5 Pick Noah Song

One of the most intriguing players in Major League Baseball has arrived at spring training.

Welcome to the Philadelphia Phillies, Noah Song.

The right-hander was selected in the Major League phase of the 2023 Rule 5 Draft.

Song attended the Naval Academy, but was drafted in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Boston Red Sox. He pitched seven games with the Red Sox Low-A club, but was placed on the Restricted List as he went off to fulfil his military service time with the Navy.

Song was not discharged from the Naval Academy. He was transferred from active duty to selective reserves and is still serving while being permitted to play professional baseball.

“I’d heard of the Rule 5 draft but I didn’t know anything about it,” Song told reporters Thursday in Clearwater, Fla. “I definitely didn’t think I’d get picked.”

In 2019, Song’s senior season at Navy, he went 11-1 with a 1.44 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.

The talent was evident.

While Phillies' president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski called Song a “gamble,” it’s definitely a low-risk, high-reward type of move.

Song threw off the mound for the first time last week and said “it felt as if I hadn't been off the mound in three years."

That may be true but so what?

The Phillies have a stocked bullpen. If Song develops quicker than expected, this will be a bonus.

“If he is to make our 26-man roster, it’s going to have to be in the bullpen,” Dombrowski said. “There’s no way we’ll be able to stretch him out to be a starting pitcher. But we have another spot. Who knows? People get hurt. We just thought it was worth the upside and risk.”

No question about it.

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