Philadelphia Phillies 2021 player grades: Relievers

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.