Noah Song discharged from Navy, set to report to Phillies camp

Right-hander Noah Song was discharged from the Navy on Wednesday, paving the way for him to report to Philadelphia Phillies spring-training camp Thursday and make the team's Opening Day roster after they chose him from the Boston Red Sox in December's Rule 5 draft.

Song, 25, last pitched in 2019, when he posted a 1.06 ERA in 17 Low-A innings after the Red Sox drafted him in the fourth round out of the Naval Academy and signed him for $100,000. Song was denied a waiver by the Department of Defense to forgo his service obligation.

In order to keep Song, the Phillies must place him on the active 26-man roster for the entire season — a difficult path with Philadelphia coming off a World Series appearance and boasting a deep bullpen. Song's upside still was clear from his dominance in college and his short minor league career.

During his four seasons at the Naval Academy as a starter, Song struck out 428 batters in 334.1 innings with a 2.37 ERA. He was particularly excellent during his senior season, when he pitched 94 innings with 161 strikeouts and 31 walks while only allowing 55 hits and two home runs, leading to a 1.44 ERA.

Song emerged as a pro prospect later in college, rating as a consensus second-round talent in the 2019 draft despite having no national scouting profile at the start of the spring. He was selected by the Red Sox with the last pick of the fourth round, 137th overall, and signed for a bonus well below the $406,000 slot for the pick due to the uncertainty around his future with the Navy. Philadelphia selected Song this winter in the Rule 5 draft and paid Boston $100,000 for his rights.

At his best, Song would sit in the mid-90s with his fastball, touching 99 mph, while relying mostly on a plus slider but