The Phillies added a well-traveled right-hander on a minor league deal and assigned him to Double-A Reading. Sam Carlson, who was released by Houston early last month is the latest addition to the Phillies organization.
Carlson, 27, was originally drafted by Seattle in the second round of the 2017 Draft out of Burnsville High School (Minnesota). He underwent Tommy John surgery a year later and missed the entire 2019 season. He became a minor league free agent following the 2023 season and signed with Milwaukee and then joined the Dodgers on a minor league free agent deal in January of 2025. Following last season he was again a minor league free agent and signed with Houston.
Carlson once touched 96-97 mph as a high schooler, but Tommy John surgery and years of injuries stalled him as a starter. He’s remade himself into a reliever, and last year at Triple-A Oklahoma City (Dodgers) he posted an 11.8 K/9 in 45 appearances. This year with Sugar Land (Astros) he had a 3.47 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 36⅓ innings before Houston released him leading to the Phillies signing him to a minor league deal.
Currently, Carlson relies on the fastball and cutter for success out of the bullpen. The four-seam fastball sits in the mid-90s and is the pitch that has allowed him to keep pitching in pro ball even as his career bounced from one organization to another. The cutter was his most-used pitch in 2025, thrown roughly 45% of the time. It’s become his bread-and-butter weapon out of the bullpen.
The slider gives Carlson a second fastball shape to work off of and the slider is his best secondary pitch that has a sweeping movement. The right-hander uses the pitch to get swings and misses in key spots.
Please scroll down to comment on this story or to give it a rating. We appreciate your feedback!
Disclaimer: Some of the products featured or linked on this website may generate income for Philly Baseball News through affiliate commissions, sponsorships, or direct sales. We only promote items we believe in, but please assume that PBN may earn a cut from qualifying purchases that you make using a link on this site.
© 2026 LV Sports Media. All rights reserved.
