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 LHP José Alvarado

The Phillies acquired José Alvarado from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade during the off-season, where Garrett Cleavinger was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Alvarado pitched in just 44 games between 2019 and 2020, missing time due to injury and personal reasons, but looked good in 2018 when he had a 2.39 ERA in 70 games.

Alvarado missed some time this past April and August but was still able to appear in 64 games this year. He was one of the more reliable options in the bullpen, giving up an earned run or more in just 15 games while recording seven wins, five saves, and 16 holds.

Despite that, the southpaw did have a 4.20 ERA. He gave up multiple earned runs in just nine games, but those outings had a larger effect on the ERA since he averaged less than an inning per game this season. His worst stretch came before the All-Star break, where he gave up 10 runs (nine earned) in seven innings between June 25 and July 11.

Another concern for Alvarado was the number of walks he issued. He walked 47 batters, which was the second-most in the majors among qualified relievers, and had a 1.599 WHIP, which was fourth-highest.

Still, with that ERA and WHIP, he did manage to limit the damage. His 68 strikeouts were the second-most among Phillies relievers and he pitched into nine groundball double plays, tied for sixth-most in the majors among qualified relievers.

José Alvarado’s 2021 grade: C+

Philadelphia Phillies RHP Connor Brogdon

Connor Brogdon joined the bullpen for his first full season in the majors this year, after making his debut and pitching 11 1/3 innings, across nine games, in 2020. He had a strong start to 2021, going six appearances without giving up a single run, including picking up the win in his first three games.

However, Brogdon struggled mightily on April 20 against the San Francisco Giants, giving up six runs in 2/3 of an inning, picking up a blown save and a loss. He spent the remainder of the season whittling down his ERA from 7.36 to 3.43 at year’s end.

Brogdon redeemed himself from that Giants game during a road trip in June, when he appeared in one game against the Los Angeles Dodgers and two games against the Giants, striking out four batters in three scoreless innings, with just one baserunner, who reached on an error.

Brogdon ended the year with a 5-4 record, his first career save, four blown saves, and 11 holds. He gave up an earned run or more in just 13 of his 56 appearances and had a 1.127 WHIP. The rookie was impressive in most of his games and was one of the better options out of the bullpen.

Connor Brogdon’s 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.