Marcus Phillips worked primarily as a reliever in his first two seasons at Tennessee before transitioning into a starting role in 2025.

The fastball is tough. He can get a run and ride heater up to 100 mph, sitting at 97 mph with good extension from a lower release height. His breaking pitch is a power slider, with good horizontal break, that he throws in the 88-92 mph range, something that pro teams will covet. There's also the makings of a good changeup, with a ton of horizontal break, but he throws it incredibly hard (92 mph) and there might not be enough velo separation from the fastball there.

In 2025 he struck out more hitters and walked less. The strike throwing had been a little spotty entering 2025. He finished the season with a 4.08 FIP, 27.3 K%, and a 9.5 BB%. It’s elite arm talent and nasty stuff, with command issues and reliever risk.