Brandon Phillips, Second Base


Date of Birth: 6/28/1981
Birthplace: Raleigh, North Carolina

Brandon Phillips, second baseman, was first drafted in 1999 by the Montreal Expos and he played on their minor league teams until they traded him to the Cleveland Indians in 2002. Phillips played in only 11 games for Cleveland in 2002, but the following year he became their starting second baseman. In 112 games in 2003, Phillips batted only .208 with 6 home runs, 18 doubles and 33 RBIs. For the next two seasons, he played in the minor leagues, joining the Indians for only 6 games each season.

In 2006, Cleveland traded Phillips to the Cincinnati Reds. He became the regular second baseman for the Reds and he immediately showed his true talent. In April of 2012, the Reds awarded Phillips a six year contract. He finished the 2014 season with 123 hits, 25 doubles, and a .266 batting average in 121 games.

Phillips excellent fielding skills have earned him four Gold Glove awards (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013). He also won a Silver Slugger award in 2012.

Phillips finished the 2016 season with 160 hits, 34 doubles, 14 stolen bases, 64 RBIs, and a .291 batting average. As the Reds' second baseman, he made 345 assists, 89 double plays, 249 putouts, and 14 errors in 138 games.

Phillips was traded to the Atlanta Braves on February 12, 2017. The Braves traded him to the Los Angeles Angels on August 31, 2017. He finished the 2017 season with a .285 batting average, 163 hits, 34 doubles, 13 home runs, 60 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and 73 strikeouts to 21 walks in 120 games with the Braves and 24 games with the Angels. Defensively, he played 112 games for Atlanta at second base and he made 277 assists, 66 double plays, 163 putouts, and 7 errors. For the first time in his major league career he played in 25 games at third base for the Angels.

Phillips became a free agent on November 2, 2017. He signed a minor league contract with the Boston Red Sox on June 27, 2018. He played in just nine games with the Red Sox in 2018. He also played in 44 games in the minor leagues.

Phillips elected free agency on October 29, 2018. He played in the Mexican League in 2019.

Phillips became a free agent again on October 5, 2019. He played for an independent league team in 2020.

In 2021, Phillips became a part owner of the Lexington Legends of the independent Atlantic League. He played for the team in 2021 and 2022.

Statistics for Phillips since 2006 include:

  • .300 batting average in 2011
  • 9 seasons with over 150 hits, with a high of 187 in 2007
  • 6 seasons with 30 or more doubles, with a high of 38 in 2011
  • 3 seasons with 20 or more home runs, with a high of 30 in 2007
  • 5 seasons with over 20 stolen bases, with a high of 32 in 2007

Career batting statistics for Phillips through 2019 include:

  • 1,902 games played
  • 2,029 hits
  • 368 doubles
  • 211 home runs
  • 209 stolen bases
  • 951 RBIs
  • 1,092 strikeouts to 420 walks
  • .275 batting average

Career fielding statistics for Phillips at second base through 2019 include:

  • 1,831 games played
  • 4,925 assists
  • 1,115 double plays
  • 3,548 putouts
  • 107 errors
  • .988 fielding percentage

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Brandon Phillips
ESPN Sports - Brandon Phillips