The Philadelphia Phillies are in dire need of playoff risers. In 2022 and 2023, it felt like every decision manager Rob Thomson made was the right one. His bullpen pieces were lights-out when they needed to be, and even Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner had their moments.
But since then, it feels like individual Phillies have seldom stepped up in big moments except for the starting rotation, owners of a collective 2.96 ERA in 11 postseason games over the past three years.
The bullpen, meanwhile, has a 6.28 ERA over that span in 43 innings. Some of that poor performance is due to bad luck; the unit’s xFIP is 4.34, and their SIERA is 3.92. Regardless, the Phillies must have a better ‘pen than the one they rolled into the 2026 postseason with if they aim to make a deep run.
So if you’re looking for cold-blooded relievers with slow heartbeats to come out of the bullpen and escape jams, where better to look than the men who did so in 2026 and will be available this winter?
Jojo Romero
One of the few relievers on our list whose team is still alive in the postseason, the former Red Bull can-crushing Phillie has had a career resurgence over the past three seasons. Since 2024, Romero has thrown 117.1 IP to the tune of a 2.68 ERA, appearing in 5.1 innings this postseason and allowing one run.
His nine strikeouts to one walk in the sample show that Romero has risen to the big moment. Especially given that he’s never had a K/9 better than 9.0 in a full season, and his advanced stats don’t quite back up his big-time performance: not enough Ks and too many BBs. Nevertheless, it’s hard to argue with results, and Romero will get a nice payday this offseason.
Adrian Morejon
Morejon will be a very hot commodity on the market this winter. Since 2024, he’s had a 2.58 ERA and 2.46 FIP with the San Diego Padres. He’s among the best available relievers on the market and, over the past two seasons, has allowed only one run in 8.1 postseason innings.
The Cuban-born lefty can handle a big workload too; he threw 86.0 IP in 2026, following up on 73.2 IP last year. Plus, his Baseball Savant page looks like an apple tree in fall: all red. He finished in the 97th percentile or higher in xERA, fastball velo, chase rate, whiff rate, barrel rate, and ground ball rate.
Jason Adam
Despite pitching only 3.1 innings in the playoffs this year, Adam’s track record of playoff success is undeniable. He has a 2.53 ERA in 10 career postseason games since 2022, walking only two batters and striking out eight. The 35-year-old has a 2.13 ERA over the past five seasons, and may be entering a slow decline. Any team that signs him may be paying more for past performance than future upside, but he still gets outs when it counts in the playoffs.
"Wow" is right.@Jason_Adam9 with the casual no-looker to end the game 🤯 pic.twitter.com/3XueCuaM7f
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) April 16, 2023
Paul Blackburn
Blackburn finally put it all together this year as a reliever after nine seasons as a fairly mediocre journeyman starter. Over 85 regular-season innings, Blackburn posted a 1.69 ERA and threw six scoreless postseason innings, allowing only two of the 19 batters he faced to reach base. There are some fair Brad Keller comps to Blackburn, but just because they both reshaped their careers out of the bullpen before hitting free agency doesn’t mean the Phillies should be scared off.
Alex Vesia
If anything, Vesia is better known for his postseason success than his equally impressive regular-season dominance. Since 2021, the crafty lefty has pitched in 31 postseason games with a 1.59 ERA. His five shutout appearances this postseason are further icing on the cake. Given his history with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vesia will likely accept their best offer, but the Phillies should make a run at him this winter to see if they can poach him from LA.
Evan Phillips
Phillips has never allowed a run in the postseason across 17 appearances spanning five seasons. Since joining Los Angeles in 2021, he has been among the sport's most dominant playoff performers, even if his name has never shone as brightly as Shohei Ohtani's or Junior Caminero's. Even after missing the 2025 playoffs—and most of the 2025 and 26 regular season—with a torn UCL, Phillips returned and threw 3.0 more scoreless innings against the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers this year.
Add us as a preferred source on Google