Florida State baseball added another transfer portal arm to its pitching staff Monday afternoon, as junior right-hander Alex Philpott committed to the Noles.
Originally out of Tampa, the 6-foot-6, 200-pound right-hander started his career at Florida, where he spent two seasons in Gainesville with the Gators. As a freshman, Philpott made 14 appearances with three starts and posted a 6.90 ERA over 30 innings, striking out 28 and walking 16. He followed that up with a 7.30 ERA over 37 innings in his sophomore year, making 22 appearances with three starts, fanning 44 while walking 18.
Last season with the Gamecocks, he made 16 appearances and one start, throwing 27.2 innings. He allowed 20 earned runs on 27 hits for a 6.51 ERA, posting 19 strikeouts against 15 walks. Worth noting: Philpott missed a chunk of the year with an elbow issue that briefly had Tommy John surgery rumors attached to it before South Carolina cleared him to pitch through it. That’s a real factor in why the numbers look the way they do, and it’s part of why FSU can get him on a buy-low deal with something left in the tank.
The former top-15 RHP recruit in Florida (per Perfect Game, No. 12 RHP and No. 37 overall in the state) brings a five-pitch mix, fastball, slider, cutter, curveball and changeup, that’s reportedly touched 98 mph. His numbers won’t wow you, but he’s got experience and brings real velocity to a staff that has plenty of holes to fill. It’s unlikely he’ll be in the running for a weekend starter spot, but FSU just needs him to give quality innings out of the pen or fill the midweek slot.
He’ll join Big East Pitcher of the Year Cayden Suchy (LHP) and FGCU right-hander Sebastian Lippman as the transfer class continues to fill out. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!