Phillies minor league pitcher, 20, dies of cancer. ‘Will always be a special person’

Not long after minor league pitcher Corey Phelan was diagnosed with cancer, the Philadelphia Phillies are mourning his death.

“The Phillies family is extremely saddened by the tragic passing of Corey Phelan,” the organization said in an Oct. 13 post shared to Twitter. “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“While he was incredibly passionate about the game of baseball, his love for his family and his strong faith superseded everything else,” the organization continued. “We extended 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.”

Phelan, 20, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma in April, according to ESPN.

“I was taking a shower and I passed out in the shower. So I called 911 and the ambulance came,” Phelan told WPVI in June. “I got a CAT scan of my chest and they told me I had a 9-inch mass in my chest.”

He was 19 at the time of his diagnosis.

“Corey is and will always be a special person,” Phillies director of player development Preston Mattingly said in a statement. “His smile lit up a room and everyone who came in contact with him cherished the interaction. His memory will live on, especially with the Phillies organization.”

In August 2020, Phelan bypassed college to sign a contract with the Phillies. Before beginning his professional career, he was committed to play at Division II Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida.

The Greenlawn, New York, native appeared in five games as a relief pitcher for the Phillies’ rookie league team in 2021. He had a 1-0 record with six strikeouts and a 0.93 earned run average.