The Philadelphia Phillies had some players who were named to the All-Star Game last year for the first time in their respective careers. Matt Strahm, Alec Bohm, Ranger Suárez and former Phillie reliever Jeff Hoffman made the contest for the first time in their careers. Starter Cristopher Sánchez also made the game for the first time as a replacement for injured Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale.
The Phillies' roster has several players who have appeared one or more times in the All-Star Games in their careers. However, the team has a few players who have yet to appear in the Midsummer Classic. Who could make the contest for the first time with the Phillies in 2025?
Orion Kerkering
Orion Kerkering can be the club's best reliever this year. Closer Carlos Estévez and setup man Hoffman signed with other franchises in free agency. Matt Strahm may not be active on Opening Day after he sustained a left shoulder impingement and bone bruise in spring training.
José Alvarado had an up-and-down 2024 season. Free agent addition Jordan Romano is coming off a season where he missed four months of last year with right elbow inflammation. Kerkering enters the regular season not having any concerns about his health or past performance.
The only question is, how much better can he be?
According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, Kerkering wants to throw more two-seam fastballs, locate those pitches better, and use a sinker more often.
"Maybe it’s like 25-25 [percent] between fastballs,” Kerkering said, per Zolecki, with the other half being sliders. “Split it a little bit more, and play off between righties and lefties a little bit more. Be able to locate left and right side of the plate a little better with it. Just keep growing off it. Last year, I don’t want to say [the sinker] was a play-around pitch, but [it was an] experiment almost. See how it is. But this year it’s take the next step into it.”
Kerkering posted a 2.29 ERA last season, third-best among Phillies relievers. He has a 1.42 ERA in six contests during spring training this year. If he excels with his pitching goals, the right-hander could be Philadelphia's best bullpen pitcher. He has the potential to emerge as the team's best option to close games. Being a dependable reliever late in contests will earn him consideration to make the first All-Star Game of his career.
Bryson Stott
Bryson Stott was on track to improve last year following his solid 2023 season. However, the second baseman played through an elbow injury, which impacted him offensively. His OPS two seasons ago was .748 compared to the .671 he totaled in 2024. According to FanGraphs' Steamer projection, he is on track to improve in 2025.
It remains to be determined if manager Rob Thomson will bat Stott first in the lineup at the start of the regular season. The second baseman may be a viable candidate to lead off for the Phillies, even though the club would have even more left-handed hitters at the top of their lineup.
Stott can return to being the reliable hitter for the Phillies, which he was for most of the regular season two years ago. The infielder has had a solid spring training offensively, with a slash line of .300/.500/.400 with 12 walks and five strikeouts in 14 games.
Spring training stats should be taken with a grain of salt. It will be a good sign that Stott's elbow injury is behind him if he has an excellent first few months of the season. If he does, he could make his first All-Star Game.
José Ruiz
Reliever José Ruiz's performance for the Phillies was a surprise since the club invited him to spring training a year ago. He first appeared with the club at the beginning of May last year after beginning the season in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The reliever finished with a 1.64 ERA in nine appearances during his first month with the Phillies, making a positive impression.
He regressed in June, allowing six earned runs during 12 appearances. Ruiz did not improve in July as he surrendered eight earned runs in 11 outings. However, the right-hander redeemed himself in August, finishing with a 1.80 ERA in 10 games. He ended the season decently, allowing three earned runs in 10 September contests. The 30-year-old struggled, as did the Phillies' bullpen overall, during the NLDS versus the New York Mets.
Ruiz has done well in spring training. He has a perfect 0.00 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP in five games. The native of Guacara, Venezuela, has earned a spot in the bullpen to start the regular season. If he is a reliable reliever for Thomson to use, he could be a candidate to make his first All-Star Game this summer.