2025 MLB Draft: Marcus Phillips contract details revealed for Red Sox supplemental first-round pick

The Boston Red Sox have come to terms on a contract with supplemental first-round pick Marcus Phillips. The right-handed pitcher out of Tennessee has reportedly signed for $2.5 million.

Phillips was selected with a selection earned by trading Quinn Priester, another right-handed pitcher, to the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in 2025. In the deal, the 33rd overall pick was returned to Boston, which they’d use on Phillips. That’s an MLB Draft slot that has a $2,898,300 value. So, the Red Sox were able to land him slightly under that slot value.

Marcus Phillips is a native of South Dakota and attended Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls. He would later go to Iowa Western Community College as a two-way prospect. From there, he would be able to transfer to Tennessee, where his focus turned toward pitching.

In two seasons with the Volunteers, Phillips pitched in 36 games, making 19 starts. He’d pitch 103 innings over the course of those two seasons. During that time, Phillips would have a 4.11 ERA and a 1.350 WHIP. He also had 120 strikeouts, 49 walks, and 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings pitched over the course of his college career. That’s a career that included winning the 2024 College World Series.

Ahead of the MLB Draft, scouts were high on Phillips. In particular, he was noted for his powerful fastball, which can touch triple digits, and a slider that touches 90 mph. On MLB.com, he received a favorable write up from scouts.

“Phillips can blow hitters away with a fastball that sits at 96-98 mph and touches 100, compensating for lackluster shape with deceptively low release height and plenty of carry and extension,” his MLB scouting report reads. “His slider parks in the mid-80s and reaches 90 mph with more depth than sweep.

“He doesn’t use his low-90s changeup very often, but it features so much fade that is creates more chases and empty swings than his heater and slide piece. … He gets down the mound well and has improved his control as a junior, though he doesn’t have the smoothest arm action and may never have more than fringy command.”

Marcus Phillips is now set to join the Boston Red Sox organization. It’s an organization that has recently put an emphasis on pitching, particularly in the team’s efforts to develop pitchers. That’s been under the oversight of former MLB relief pitcher and current Chief Baseball Operator Craig Breslow. In fact, Breslow selected 14 pitchers with Boston’s 21 selections in the 2025 MLB Draft.