Kirby Yates
When the Padres traded closer Brad Hand to the Indians for top-prospect Francisco Mejia, a window of opportunity opened for Kirby Yates. He has pitched great this year in a setup role, picking up 16 holds and three saves. Yates has a team-best 0.90 WHIP over almost 45 innings of work.
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This year has been a true breakout for Yates at 31 years old. He has a 1.62 ERA, 2.27 fielding-independent pitching, and .170 batting average against, all career-bests. Yates has racked up 58 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 44.1 innings pitching for the Padres.
Yates has been great in high-leverage situations this season. Opposing hitters have a .108 batting average in these situations, with Yates striking out 15 of the 43 batters he has faced under pressure. Even though the Padres don’t get placed in that many high-leverage situations, Yates has proven effective when he needs to shut down the opposing team.
Hopefully, the Phillies get through this series without seeing Yates, as it is unlikely the Padres would put him in a non-save