Baseball's Phillips Selected by Tampa Bay in the MLB Draft

PHILADELPHIA – Amp Phillips of the University of South Carolina baseball team was picked in the 15th round by the Tampa Bay Rays on the second day of the 2026 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday afternoon (July 12).

Phillips, a right-handed pitcher from Lancaster, S.C., made 14 starts on the mound for the Gamecocks in 2026. He had a 4.39 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 67.2 innings pitched. Phillips was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week after striking out 10 batters in eight innings in a 1-0 win over Missouri on April 10. He had three wins on the season and held opponents to a .235 batting average. Phillips gave up just one hit in six innings in an 8-0 win over Navy on Feb. 21 and had nine strikeouts in six innings at Georgia (March 28).

The MLB First-Year Player Draft continues Sunday afternoon (July 12) with rounds 15-20.

SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE 2026 MLB DRAFT
Rd.                       Player                              Organization
15 (443)                Amp Phillips                      Tampa Bay Rays