Philadelphia Phillies 2021 player grades: Relievers

How did the Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen perform in 2021?

The 2020 Philadelphia Phillies bullpen had a reputation for being one of the worst in baseball. The team’s relievers ranked last in the majors in ERA (7.06) and WHIP (1.790), while recording the most blown saves (14, tied with the Los Angeles Angels) and highest opponent batting average (.315). 14 blown saves in 60 games (though not every game was a save opportunity) amount to 23%, which would be more than 37 blown saves in a full 162-game season.

With the bullpen being a point of emphasis entering 2021, did it improve? Here are grades for some individual relievers and the bullpen as a whole.

Philadelphia Phillies RHP Héctor Neris

Héctor Neris has had a love-hate relationship with the closer role during his career and 2021 was no different.

Once again, Neris started the season as the closer, where he continued his late-season momentum from 2020. He had a 1.90 ERA and nine saves in his first 25 appearances, through June 6. He had only two blown saves and the team went 17-8 when he was on the mound.

But once again, Neris started to struggle, giving up 16 runs (13 earned) in 7 2/3 innings, across his next nine appearances. He had four blown saves during that stretch and ultimately lost the closer role.

Neris looked much better during his next 30 games, recording a 1.19 ERA and nine holds, before giving up eight runs in his final 12 2/3 innings. His 74 games and 74 1/3 innings pitched were his most in a single season since 2017, leading all Phillies relievers this season, so perhaps fatigue was an issue down the stretch.

Overall, he had a 3.63 ERA and 1.170 WHIP. He pitched well during most of the year and proved to be one of the more reliable options in the Phillies bullpen.

Hector Neris’ 2021 grade: B

Philadelphia Phillies RHP Archie Bradley

Archie Bradley signed a one-year deal with the Phillies, following a season where he had a 2.95 ERA in 16 games, including a 1.17 ERA after being traded to the Cincinnati Reds at the August 31 deadline.

Bradley’s biggest challenge this year was his lack of consistency. He gave up seven runs (five earned) in his first 6 2/3 innings, which did include more than a month on the injured list. He then allowed just one run in his first eight games of June, before giving up a run each in his next three appearances.

He had a strong stretch of 17 games between June 30 and August 12, allowing only one earned run in 18 2/3 innings, before giving up six runs in his next 5 1/3 innings. He ended the year by giving up five runs in 10 innings. Despite the streakiness, he still had decent numbers overall, with a 7-3 record, two saves, three blown saves, 13 holds, a 3.71 ERA, and 1.431 WHIP.

Archie Bradley’s 2021 grade: C+

Philadelphia Phillies RHP Sam Coonrod

The Phillies acquired Sam Coonrod in a trade with the San Francisco Giants during the off-season, following a year where Coonrod missed some time with injuries but gave up 16 runs in 14 2/3 innings.

Coonrod got off to a hot start in 2021, giving up just four runs, off of 17 hits and three walks, in his first 21 innings. But things took a turn against the Miami Marlins on May 26, when he gave up three runs in an inning. Including that game, he gave up 11 runs (nine earned), off of nine hits and seven walks, in seven innings, before landing on the injured list.

The right-hander missed more than two months with a forearm injury, before returning in late August and giving up six runs in his final 14 1/3 innings. Overall, he had a 4.04 ERA, 1.323 WHIP, two saves, four blown saves, and eight holds this season. He showed promise early before fading, though his injury could’ve been a significant reason why.

Sam Coonrod’s 2021 grade: C

Philadelphia Phillies RHP Ian Kennedy

The Phillies acquired veteran reliever Ian Kennedy, along with starter Kyle Gibson and minor-leaguer Hans Crouse, in a deadline trade with the Texas Rangers, where they sent Spencer Howard and a pair of prospects to Texas.

Kennedy had a 2.51 ERA, 1.052 WHIP, and 16 saves in 32 games with the Rangers, compared to a 4.13 ERA, 1.167 WHIP, and 10 saves in 23 games with the Phillies. The numbers are similar, with the main difference being ERA, mostly due to early struggles.

Kennedy gave up five runs in his first 3 1/3 innings with the Phillies, before allowing just seven runs (six earned) in his final 20 2/3 innings of the season. He gave up an earned run or more in six of his games while recording at least one strikeout in 17 appearances. He pitched less than an inning in just three games.

While it took a bit of time, Kennedy looked good as a closer for the Phillies down the stretch. He gave up just one earned run, while recording two wins and four saves, in his last nine games and was a solid option out of the bullpen overall.

Ian Kennedy’s 2021 grade: B+

Philadelphia Phillies – Other Notable Relievers

Before we grade the bullpen as a whole, here’s a quick look at some other notable Phillies relievers from this season.

Ranger Suárez pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen to start the season, with a 5-3 record, 1.12 ERA, 0.868 WHIP, and four saves in 27 appearances, before being moved into the starting rotation. Even more impressively, he did not surrender a single earned run in his first 21 innings of the year, through nearly 12 games.

Brandon Kintzler signed a minor-league deal in the off-season, after recording a 2.22 ERA in 24 games for the Miami Marlins in 2020. The former All-Star did not live up to the hype this year, with a 6.37 ERA and 1.787 WHIP in 29 games, before being released in early August.

Enyel De Los Santos gave up 34 hits, 14 walks, and 21 earned runs in 28 innings for the Phillies, before being designated for assignment on September 12 and claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bailey Falter made his MLB debut on April 25 and became a regular in the bullpen in mid-June. He missed nearly a month in mid-summer, while on the COVID-19 injured list, and had a 5.61 ERA and 1.188 WHIP in 33 2/3 innings for the Phillies overall, across 22 appearances.

J.D. Hammer returned to the majors for the first time since 2019, on July 10, and did not disappoint. He pitched eight scoreless innings in his first seven games and had a 2.75 ERA entering his final appearance of the season. However, he gave up five runs to the Chicago Cubs on September 16, while recording just one out, and was optioned to Triple-A the following day.

JoJo Romero had a rough start to the season, giving up five runs in his first two innings, with no strikeouts, but he turned into a good option after that. He allowed two earned runs in his next eight games, striking out eight batters in seven innings. However, Romero’s season was cut short with an elbow injury in early May, which required Tommy John surgery.

Philadelphia Phillies bullpen

The Phillies’ relievers, as a whole, were unimpressive this season. They finished the year with a 4.60 ERA (ranked 25th in the majors), 1.395 WHIP (24th), and 36 saves (tied-21st). Their .248 opponent average was tied for sixth-highest and they had the second-most blown saves, with 34. They were also second in the percentage of inherited runners who scored, with 42 percent.

There were at least a few good MLB rankings for the Phillies bullpen. They had 42 wins and a .600 win-loss percentage, both tied for eighth, and pitched into 57 groundball double plays, the fourth-most.

The Phillies bullpen looked better than it did in 2020 but was still a far cry from being one of the better units in the majors and its lack of depth was apparent. There were impressive stretches for some of the Phillies’ go-to relievers, but the bullpen was still disappointing as a whole.

The overall grade is reflective of a pitching staff that was in the bottom third of the majors, but still had some highlights from its top relievers.

Phillies 2021 bullpen overall grade: C