The Philadelphia Phillies signed former Texas Longhorns left-hander Cal Higgins as an undrafted free agent, according to the MLB Draft League.
While Higgins went undrafted, he did enough to earn the attention of the Phillies.
Philadelphia Phillies Quietly Sign Former Texas Longhorns Pitcher Cal Higgins
GettyPhiladelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski
Higgins, 23, transferred to Texas for his final collegiate season after three years with Western Kentucky.
Higgins made just 11 appearances in his lone season with Texas as a graduate student, posting a 5.56 ERA with a 2.12 WHIP and 16 strikeouts.
Higgins pitched for Iowa Western during his freshman season in 2022. He allowed four earned runs with 14 strikeouts across nine innings.
The new Phillies prospect posted a 9.58 ERA with a 1.79 WHIP and 22 strikeouts over 20 2/3 innings in his first season (2023) with Western Kentucky. He improved significantly in his second year with the school, recording a 3.18 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP and 29 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Higgins took his game to the next level during his final season at Western Kentucky, posting a 1.87 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and 52 strikeouts over 43 1/3 innings. His impressive final season with Western Kentucky allowed him to transfer to Texas, one of the top baseball schools in the nation, for his last collegiate season.
The left-hander certainly struggled in his one year as a Longhorn, but his high strikeout rate and impressive final season at Western Kentucky are reasons to be optimistic about his future.
Philadelphia Phillies Right Now
Phillies fans have been treated to an exciting week. The Home Run Derby and All-Star Game took place at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
Phillies stars Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber competed in the Home Run Derby, and Schwarber nearly won it before Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals came through in the clutch. Regardless, it was a fun night for Phillies and MLB fans.
Then came the All-Star Game. The National League may have lost, but Phillies fans got to see Harper, Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Cristopher Sánchez, Jhoan Duran and Jesús Luzardo play in the game.
The Phillies began the year with a poor 9-19 record, leading to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski firing Rob Thompson at the end of April.
Since then, with Don Mattingly as the new manager, the Phillies have gone 45-24. As it stands, Philadelphia holds the second National League Wild Card spot with a 54-43 record and a -10 run differential.
The Phillies are also trailing the Atlanta Braves by just two games for first place in the National League East. For a season that started so poorly for the Phillies, it’s impressive how they’ve clawed their way back to postseason contention.
The Phillies are coming off a 2-1 series victory over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park this past weekend. They’ll play in the first MLB game after the All-Star break, with a matchup between Philadelphia and the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park scheduled to begin at 7:10 p.m. EDT. Both teams will be off on Friday before finishing the series on Saturday and Sunday.
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