Phoenix Sanders

American baseball player (born 1995)

Baseball player

Phoenix Sanders

Sanders with the Bowling Green Hot Rods in 2018

Free agent
Pitcher
Born: (1995-06-05) June 5, 1995 (age 29)
Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany

Bats: Right

Throws: Right

MLB debut
April 14, 2022, for the Tampa Bay Rays
MLB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Win–loss record| 0–0
Earned run average| 3.07
Strikeouts| 12
Teams

* Tampa Bay Rays (2022)

Phoenix Clark Sanders (born June 5, 1995) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He played college baseball for Daytona State College and the University of South Florida. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays.

## Early life and amateur career

[edit]

Sanders was born in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. His parents are Kevin and Lorea, his two brothers are Dallas and Hudson, and his sister is Brooklyn.[1][2] He grew up in Orlando, Florida. He attended Buchholz High School when his family moved to Gainesville, Florida in 2009. He was a member of the varsity baseball team in his final two years and won seven games with a 0.55 ERA as a senior.[3]

Sanders began his college baseball career at Daytona State College after not receiving any NCAA Division I scholarship offers out of high school.[4] As a freshman, he made 12 starts in which he was 4-6 with a 3.17 ERA.[1] He played collegiate summer baseball for the Willmar Stingers of the Northwoods League after his freshman season and had a 1–0 record over three starts with a 1.89 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 13 innings.[5] He was named to the Northwood’s League 200 Top Prospect list by College Baseball Daily.[5] As a sophomore, Sanders made 16 appearances with 14 starts and three complete games, and went 6–6 with a 2.50 ERA and 71 strikeouts.[6]

After the season, he transferred to the University of South Florida for his remaining collegiate eligibility.[3] As a junior in 2016, he was 5-5 with a 4.15 ERA and 95 strikeouts (5th in the conference) in 95.1 innings.[7] As a senior, Sanders was 6–2 with a 2.78 ERA and 109 strikeouts (2nd in the conference) in 97 innings over 16 starts, with 4.36 strikeouts per walk (2nd).[8][1] He was named 2017 All-American Athletic Conference Second Team.[1]

## Professional career

[edit]

### Tampa Bay Rays

[edit]

Sanders was selected in the 10th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.[8] After signing with the team for a signing bonus of $7,500, he was assigned to the rookie-level Princeton Rays, with whom he was 2-3 with a 4.42 ERA in 38.2 innings in which he struck out 40 batters.[9][7][10] Sanders began the 2018 season with the Single-A Bowling Green Hot Rods, where he was 5-3 with three saves and had a 3.02 ERA and struck out 71 batters in 50+2⁄3 innings (12.6 strikeouts per 9 innings) over 28 relief appearances, before being promoted to the Charlotte Stone Crabs of the High-A Florida State League with whom he was 1-1 with a 3.29 ERA in 13.2 innings.[11]

He was assigned to the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits at the start of the 2019 season, for whom he was a Southern League Mid-Season All Star, after pitching in 37 games and posting a 3–3 record with 15 saves (2nd in the league) and a 1.81 ERA, with 57 strikeouts in 49.2 innings (10.3 strikeouts per 9 innings).[12][13] He was then promoted to the Triple-A Durham Bulls,, with whom he was 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA in 11.1 innings.[12][14] He was invited to Rays' spring training as a non-roster invitee in 2020 but was eventually reassigned to the minor leagues.[15] Sanders did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He returned to Durham for the 2021 season. He had a 5–2 record with two saves and a 3.38 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched (11.3 strikeouts per 9 innings) over 50 relief appearances (2nd in the league), 1.5 walks per 9 innings pitched (5th), an 0.906 WHIP (6th), and 7.27 strikeouts/walk (4th).[16][17]

Sanders was promoted to the Rays major league roster on April 14, 2022.[18] He made his MLB debut the same day, giving up one earned run and striking out two batters in three innings pitched in a 3–6 loss to the Oakland Athletics.[19] He was designated for assignment on August 22.[20] For the season, he was 0-0 with a 3.07 ERA in 14.2 innings.[7]

### Baltimore Orioles

[edit]

On August 24, 2022, Sanders was claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles. On September 3, Sanders was designated for assignment and was sent outright to the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.

Sanders began the 2023 season with Triple-A Norfolk, making 9 relief appearances and registering a 2.00 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 9 innings pitched.[7] On May 19, 2023, Sanders was released by the Orioles organization.[21]

### San Francisco Giants

[edit]

On May 24, 2023, Sanders signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants organization.[22] In 13 games for the Triple–A Sacramento River Cats, he struggled to an 8.16 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 14+1⁄3 innings pitched. On July 14, Sanders was released by the Giants.[23]

### Gastonia Baseball Club

[edit]

On April 18, 2024, Sanders signed with the Gastonia Baseball Club of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.[24] In 24 games for Gastonia, he compiled a 1.73 ERA with 33 strikeouts and 12 saves across 26 innings pitched. On July 16, Sanders was released by Gastonia.[24]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d "Phoenix Sanders - Baseball". USF Athletics.
2. ^ "USF's Phoenix Sanders embodies a winning culture". March 30, 2016.
3. ^ a b Portell, Vinnie (March 30, 2016). "USF's Phoenix Sanders embodies a winning culture". The Oracle. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
4. ^ Berry, Adam (April 14, 2022). "Phoenix's rise to bigs 'a dream' for USF alum". MLB.com. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
5. ^ a b "Phoenix Sanders Recognized as Top Player In The Northwood's League". Daytona State College. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
6. ^ "NWL: Hughston tops list of former Stingers eligible for draft". West Central Tribune. May 14, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
7. ^ a b c d "Phoenix Sanders Amateur, College, Minor & Fall Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
8. ^ a b "Rays select USF pitcher Phoenix Sanders in 10th round". Tampa Bay Times. June 13, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
9. ^ "Phoenix Sanders - Baseball Stats - The Baseball Cube". TheBaseballCube.com.
10. ^ "Sanders is Princeton P-Ray of the day". Bluefield Daily Telegraph. July 6, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
11. ^ "Hot Rods' rally falls short against South Bend". The Daily News. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
12. ^ a b "Phoenix Sanders Stats, Fantasy & News". MiLB.com.
13. ^ "2019 Southern League Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com.
14. ^ Murnin, Shawn (April 29, 2020). "2018 Hot Rods: Where Have They Gone?". The Daily News. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
15. ^ "Gone for now, but USF pitching pair could soon be back with Rays". Tampa Bay Times. March 12, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
16. ^ "2021 Triple-A East Pitching Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com.
17. ^ "Rays' Drew Rasmussen worked on expanding his pitching repertoire in offseason". Tampa Bay Times. March 19, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
18. ^ "Rays' Phoenix Sanders: Moves up to bigs". CBS Sports. RotoWire. April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
19. ^ "Irvin pitches into 7th, A's take 3 of 4 from Rays, 6-3". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 14, 2022. Retrieved April 14, 2022.
20. ^ McDonald, Darragh. "Rays Reinstate, Option Nick Anderson; Designate Phoenix Sanders". mlbtraderumors. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
21. ^ "MiLB Transactions, May 19, 2023". MiLB.com.
22. ^ "MiLB Transactions, May 24, 2023". MiLB.com.
23. ^ "MiLB Transactions, July 14, 2023". MiLB.com.
24. ^ a b "2024 Transactions". Pointstreak Sports Technologies. Retrieved July 16, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
* South Florida Bulls bio