At a time where they desperately needed a boost in the bullpen, right-handed relief pitcher Alex McFarlane has gotten off to a great start to his MLB career for the Philadelphia Phillies.
After a strong performance on Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, McFarlane’s ERA dipped to 0.87, which puts him at fifth place in franchise history for a reliever’s first 10 career appearances with the club. He joins some elite Phillies company on this list, as he places just behind Seranthony Dominguez (0.00 in 2018), Todd Frohwirth (0.00 in 1987), Ryan Madson (0.42 in 2003-2004), and Ricky Botallico (0.66 in 1994-1995) all of whom made an excellent first impression during their time in Philadelphia.
Alex McFarlane’s 0.87 ERA is tied for the fifth-lowest through a reliever’s first 10 career appearances in Phillies history (since 1913):
— Cole Weintraub (@WeintraubCole) September 1, 2026
0.00 — Seranthony Domínguez (2018)
0.00 — Todd Frohwirth (1987)
0.42 — Ryan Madson (2003-04)
0.66 — Ricky Bottalico (1994-95)
McFarlane, 25, was selected by the Phillies in the fourth round of the MLB Draft in 2022. It was a tough start to his minor league career, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 after just one year in the Phillies system with the Clearwater Threshers. Fast forward to 2026, and McFarlane returned to form, pitching to a 1.83 ERA in 36 games between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading before making his MLB debut on July 22 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After a short initial stint where he was sent down, McFarlane returned in early August and has held a firm grip on a roster spot ever since.
Alex McFarlane's rise comes at the right time for the Phillies
His strong performance has been a huge lift for the club, as they have been beset by injuries to Brad Keller, Tanner Banks, and Caleb Killian. This has given the rookie the opportunity to pitch in high leverage situations, something he has thrived in so far this year. The latest example of that came on Monday night when he was lights out in relief of Aaron Nola. After Nola allowed a leadoff single and a walk to start the sixth inning, McFarlane entered the game with two runners on and the Phillies holding a 2-1 lead. In a tough spot, he delivered three consecutive outs to get his second hold and send the team to the top of the seventh inning. This set the tone for the rest of the bullpen, which allowed just four hits and no runs over the next three innings in the win.
So far in 10 games of action, McFarlane has picked up four wins and has allowed just five hits and one earned run while striking out ten. Opposing hitters are hitting just .147 with a .256 on base percentage against him in 10.1 innings of work. While this is all a small sample size, it is certainly the kind of performance that the Phillies want to see out of the bullpen which has struggled at times in 2026. As a unit, the team ranks 19th in baseball this year with a 4.22 ERA, leaving much to be desired in relief of solid starting pitching.
McFarlane will continue to get the chance to shine down the stretch as the Phillies begin their push for the postseason. Whether or not he will get a big role in the playoffs depends on how he handles the pressure in the back end of the bullpen. So far his audition has been a great one, and time will tell if he can sustain it when the Phillies need it most.
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