Phillies: Three young relievers who could crack the roster
JD Hammer
JD Hammer was an instant fan favorite, with his Wild Thing-style glasses and his goofy demeanor. His on-field performance was not as electric as Ricky Vaughn, but the 25-year-old held his own appearing in 20 games, with at least one strikeout in half his appearances.
Hammer also fits the bill with the Phillies trying to improve their inability to keep the ball in the yard, only giving up two home runs. Hammer’s MLB stint in 2019 only lasted two months, but he managed to strand 100% of runners in 16 of his appearances.
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One of the biggest areas that needs to be addressed is his walk numbers, with the fifth-highest walk rate on the team (14.8%). Yet, paired with his ability to leave runners on, Hammer induced ground balls over 40% of the time, which is huge for a pitcher coming out of the bullpen.
Pitching 19 innings in 20 of the 44 games over two months showed that the Phillies had confidence to go to him when necessary. In contrast to Cole Irvin, who would be an inning-eater, Hammer would be a reliable piece to turn to when the Phillies need to prevent the long ball, or maintain a lead against the meat of the order.
Hammer could prove to be reliable in higher leverage situations, and could bridge the gap between starter and late-game relievers.