Fueled by Determination and Doubt

The Wilmington Blue Rocks have had a lot of roster changes throughout the 2024 season, including players coming and going from injuries, promotions, and rehabilitation assignments.

Phillip Glasser was one of the team’s mid-season additions.

Unlike most minor league players, Glasser spent less than a year in Low-A before being promoted to the Blue Rocks. He began the 2024 season with the Fredericksburg Nationals and, after excelling and being named the Carolina League Player of the Week, joined the High-A team in late April. Now performing at the top of his game and acting as a main contributor to the Blue Rocks’ offense, Glasser took some time to reminisce on his path to pro ball ahead of the MLB All-Star Week festivities.

Born and raised outside of Canton, Ohio, Glasser recalls his earliest memories of playing baseball with his dad.

“My dad and I would always go to the field, ever since I was five years old. And my mom would always have to get me because we'd be up until 11 on school nights.”

Glasser continued playing the game he fell in love with into high school as his school’s shortstop, and admits that he had a slight disadvantage to other players regarding college recruitment.

“I was kind of a late bloomer out of high school and in college,” Glasser says. He accepted his only D1 offer from Youngstown State University, a small school near his hometown in Ohio, and began building his career from the ground up.

Glasser spent three years at Youngstown State pursuing his passion for baseball and a degree in finance. Following his junior year in 2021, he entered the transfer portal.

“I just wanted to see what was out there,” Glasser says, adding that he knew a lot of D1 coaches that were familiar with Indiana University head coach Jeff Mercer, and ultimately decided to spend the next two years there. “It was just a really good fit.”

Glasser continued to improve his personal game while contributing to the Hoosiers’ achievements. The team had “ups and downs” his first year there, but had an overwhelmingly successful 2023 season. All in the span of a few months, Indiana University went 43 and 20 and was one game away from the Super Regionals, Glasser received his graduate certificate in cybersecurity, and, most notably for him, he was selected in the MLB Draft.

Sitting at his parents’ home in Ohio, Glasser patiently waited for his name to be called.

“Every minute was like an hour,” he remembers. “I was just sitting there with my parents and girlfriend, and then that 10th Round came around and the Nationals called and selected [me].”

As the 285th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Glasser joined the Washington Nationals organization, something that, to others, seemed impossible just a short time ago.

“I have such a long list of people who said I couldn’t play in college and I couldn't play Division 1 at Youngstown,” he recalls. “And then it was that I ‘couldn’t play at Power Five,’ and then I ‘couldn’t play pro ball.’”

So much negativity could easily steer someone off their dream path, but Glasser took it in a different and more productive direction.

“It fuels me. It fuels me a lot.”

Along with this long-burning flame to drive him, Glasser has dedicated every aspect of his life to baseball.

“I’m here for baseball. And that's my number one priority and it affects all the decisions I make,” he explains, adding that everyday decisions like going to bed early, eating right, and getting to the ballpark early are all based on furthering his career.

“Your work ethic, how you take care of your body, all those small things add up.”

This mindset is paying off, and the 24-year-old is well on his way to proving that he can reach great success within the Nationals’ organization. Since joining the Blue Rocks in April, he leads the team in four different statistics including batting average (.297) and OPS (.798).

When asked about his goals for the second half of the season, Glasser finds that his achievements come when he focuses on the present.

“Just being where my feet are. I think some people get stuck on looking ahead or to the future,” he says. “Going about my day the best I can, doing everything I can for this day, and doing it again tomorrow. Pretty simple.”