TEMPE, Ariz. — Brett Phillips spent the winter rebuilding his swing.
After a couple weeks of putting that swing to the test in big-league spring training games, Phillips concedes there’s still work to be done.
He is 1 for 19 with 11 strikeouts in Cactus League games.
“We knew this was going to be part of it, right?” Phillips said. “Trying to get 15 to 20 at-bats to get my timing down before we start assessing the mechanical things too deeply. Just getting back to seeing live pitching, because in the offseason it was all mechanical.”
Phillips, 28, signed with the Angels over the winter with a reputation for being outstanding defensively and one of the best, most energetic clubhouse presences in the majors.
That came with a career .188 average and .620 OPS.
Over the winter, though, Phillips began working out regularly with Trent Woodward, his former teammate in the Houston Astros’ system. Woodward had gained some attention last year for being instrumental in helping Taylor Ward – his former Fresno State teammate – to his breakout season.
Woodward, who has since been hired as an Angels hitting consultant, worked to help Phillips change the angle of his swing, among other things.
“There are 15 to 20 things I have corrected,” Phillips said. “It’s all new. It’s like picking up a baseball bat for the first time, but with baseball experience.”
Phillips remains “really confident,” he said, that the changes will show results as he gets his timing, which only comes with facing more big-league pitching this spring.
“In baseball, game speed is tough to replicate,” Phillips said. “We only have so many pitchers, and you can’t have them stand out there for 50 or 100 pitches so Brett Phillips can get his timing.”
Manager Phil Nevin also expressed confidence that Phillips just needs more at-bats in the spring to be the player the Angels need him to be. They signed him for his defense and speed, and just need him to hit well enough to…
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