Corey Phelan, Philadelphia Phillies Prospect, Dead at 20

By Brian Jones

Corey Phelan, a minor league pitcher for the Philadephia Phillies, has died, the team announced on Thursday. He was 20 years old. The Phillies revealed that Phelan died after a battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He signed with the team as an undrafted free agent out of high school in 2020. 

"The Phillies family is extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Corey Phelan," the team said in a statement. "Corey's positive presence and selflessness influenced everyone around him. While he was incredibly passionate about the game of baseball, his love for his family and his strong faith superseded everything else. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, as well as his teammates and staff who were by his side, providing emotional support throughout the course of his courageous battle with cancer."  

"Corey is and will always be a special person. His smile lit up the room and everyone who came in contact with him cherished the interaction. His memory will live on, especially with the Phillies Organization." In his first season, Phelan gave up just one run in nearly 10 relief innings in 2021 for the rookie-level Phillies of the Florida Complex League. He was diagnosed with cancer in April of this year. In May, Phelan visited the team when they played the New York Mets in New York. 

"It was awesome. I can't put into words how awesome it was," Phelan said later that night. "Every time I can watch them on TV, depending on what channel they are playing on, I watch them and I root for them every game. I love watching them play. They bring my spirits up."  

"He is going through some hard times right now," Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola said after Phelan's visit. "The hard times that we go through in baseball doesn't compare to what he is going through. The positivity that he showed -- his faith and belief that God has it under control. Obviously, it shows what kind of person that he is, what kind of man he is. The guys in the clubhouse saw that."  

The Phillies have made the playoffs and currently taking on the Braves in the divisional series. They qualified for the postseason after finishing the year with an 87-75 record. Last weekend, the Phillies defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card round of the playoffs. 

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