Inside The Panthers

Chicago White Sox Draft Pitt LHP Phil Fox

The Chicago White Sox took Pitt Panthers RHP Phil Fox in the Seventh Round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Dominic Campbell

The Chicago White Sox took Pitt Baseball RHP Phil Fox in the Seventh Round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
The Chicago White Sox took Pitt Baseball RHP Phil Fox in the Seventh Round of the 2024 MLB Draft. / Courtesy of Pitt Athletics

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers right-handed pitcher Phil Fox received the call that he has been waiting for all his life, as the Chicago White Sox took him with the No. 199 overall pick in the Seventh Round of the 2024 MLB Draft.

Fox is a native of western Pennsylvania, as he served as a pitcher and an outfielder for Hempfield in the WPIAL from 2018-21

He posted a 2.62 ERA with six appearances as a sophomore in 2019. Fox also played a vital role for Hempfield, as they made it to the WPIAL 6A Championship game, where they fell 4-0 to North Allegheny.

Hempfield would play in the PIAA Playoffs and defeated McDowell High School to move out of the First Round, but eventually lost to Spring-Ford, 10-1, in the quarterfinals.

Fox spent his first two seasons of college at Gardner-Webb, redshirting in 2022 and pitching as a redshirt freshman in 2023. He appeared in 20 games, pitched 28.2 innings, started one game and earned three saves last season. Fox also won three games and lost two, made 34 strikeouts, while allowing just 19 walks. He allowed 15 earned runs, 23 hits, four home runs and finished with a 4.71 ERA. For his efforts, he made the Big-South All-Freshman team.

He would transfer to Pitt ahead of 2024 and served as the best pitcher on the staff for the program in his sole season.

Fox came out of the bullpen for 23 appearances, with a 3-2 record, 1.47 ERA and eight saves in 36.2 innings pitched. He also made 45 strikeouts, while just allowing six earned runs, three walks and 45 hits, while holding opponents to a .198 batting average.

He received ABCA Third Team All-American and ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-Region honors for his efforts last season.

Fox is the second Pitt player to go in the 2024 MLB Draft, joining fellow right-handed pitcher Ryan Andrade who went a few picks later, No. 216, to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Pitt has had three players earn draft selections in the past two seasons. This includes catcher Tatem Levins, who the Seattle Mariners took in the Eighth Round of the 2022 MLB Draft, and right-handed pitchers Logan Evans and Billy Simmons, who the Seattle Mariners took in the 12th Round and the Cincinnati Reds took in the 15th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, respectively.

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Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

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