Meet Aaron Combs, a Phillies minor leaguer who brings a Michael Jordan-like edge

CLEARWATER, Fla. — When Aaron Combs arrived in minor league camp this spring, he was handed No. 23. It felt fitting. The right-handed pitcher does not throw the hardest, but he said, he brings a Michael Jordan-like edge.

He says that he will latch onto any sign of disrespect the opposing hitter might show. Even something as simple as looking at him the wrong way could be enough to spark his adrenaline.

“It could be anything,” Combs said. “Take too much time in the box. Do a little [Juan] Soto shuffle. Anything they do that kind of [ticks] me off.”

That mindset was part of the reason the Phillies traded for Combs from the White Sox in January. Team officials have described him as “interesting.” His fastball sits in the 91-94 mph range, but the throws from a low slot and low release point.

It creates a unique look for a hitter, as if the ball is rising as it approaches home plate.

“He spins it really, really well,” said director of pitching development Travis Hergert. “He has a kind of a slower like slurry curveball. It’s kind of [Aaron] Nola-esque, is how I would describe it. And then he’s got a harder slider and changeup that we’re developing as well too, that he can throw for strikes.”

Combs was the return for left-hander Tyler Gilbert. He was not expecting to be traded. He and teammate had been joking about it in December — “I’m an eighth-rounder. I wasn’t a prospect,” Combs said — and then it happened.

He was so taken aback that when he received a call from a White Sox official informing him of the trade, he began to laugh. But the Phillies saw upside, despite the fact that he wasn’t on any top 10 lists.

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“You look at his outings at [the University of] Tennessee, and he’s playing for something, obviously,” Hergert said. “They won a national championship [in 2024]. And ultimately, that’s our goal here in Philly, right?

“I think that to be successful in Philly, you got to have that edge. And to me, he’s got that. Now we just need to develop all the other tools to think you could be a guy, hopefully sooner than later.”

Combs was used in all sorts of roles at Tennessee. He was a starter for a brief time, but also pitched out of the bullpen, often closing out games. He wouldn’t just pitch one inning. Combs would regularly take the seventh, eighth, and ninth.

It was something he came to enjoy. He thinks he performs better under pressure. But for now, the Phillies are envisioning him as a starter — which he is excited about.

They’d like to build him up to 93-95 mph. Combs says he’s currently at 205 pounds, but will be looking to add some muscle. It is a better 205 than it was a few months ago.

“I was a little fatty,” he said. “Now, I’ve leaned out.”

The 23-year-old lives in Bradenton, Fla., and has been in Clearwater for high-performance camp since January. He pitched only six outings for the White Sox’s low-A affiliate last season, allowing two runs (both unearned) and five hits over 7⅔ innings with 13 strikeouts.

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He posted a 3.24 ERA across 50 games (66⅔ innings) at Tennessee, with 105 strikeouts to 30 walks. He will likely start his 2025 season in high-A Jersey Shore.

There’s no way of knowing where this will go, if it’ll go anywhere. But for now, Combs feels he is in the right place.

“I love it here,” he said. “All the coaches have the same mentality that I do. Just attacking all hitters and that’s always been my mindset.

“I have all the emotion when I pitch. So, even if my stuff isn’t top tier, I think my compete factor is a lot higher than some other guys.”