Jhoan Duran was a very sought after pitcher at the MLB trade deadline before he inevitably landed in Philadelphia. He has also instantly become one of the best closers the franchise has had in a very long time. His splitter has been the biggest weapon to close out ball games, and who would've thought it all came to be by accident?
Closers are notorious for their signature pitch against opposing lineups. The Philadelphia Phillies traded for Duran because of his wipeout splitter and how much of a weapon his arm can be. The splitter has been a favorite for Duran in his short career. It's turned him into one of the most feared closers in the league, and it all happened while just experimenting on the mound, according to Michael Baumann of FanGraphs.
Phillies' Jhoan Duran turned into a dominant closer after discovering his unique splitter
Duran already had a splitter established by the time he debuted in 2022. At the time, he was looking to add a two-seam fastball, but the bullpen session turned into something much more for him.
“I tried to throw a two-seamer,” Duran said recently, per Baumann. “At the time, I had a real splitter, so I moved the ball and tried to mix it up. I moved it a little bit to sink it, so I tried to put something different on it. Almost the same velo, but different movement.”
Duran was a starter at the time, but as Phillies fans have witnessed for themselves, the magic has easily translated into his new closer role. It's also forced Phillies manager Rob Thomson to finally embrace the traditional closer role for the first time since his managerial takeover.
“That day I pitched in the minor leagues for the Twins, I tried it,” Duran said, per Baumann. “I pitched a second time, when I joined a bullpen session, and when I threw it I could see the movement. It’s good, everything, I feel good with that pitch. The next time I threw it in a game, I threw seven innings. I said, ‘That’s my pitch.’”
Fast-forward to 2025, and Duran now throws that same splitter 39.2 percent of the time, holding batters to a .220 batting average with it. He also throws it at an average of 97.8 mph, with an average launch angle of -11 degrees. According to Baumann, Duran has reached 100 mph with the splitter five times this season and 39 times total in his career, making him the only player ever to throw a 100-mph offspeed pitch in a MLB game.
“He was electric. Four pitches, the first pitch was a 98 mph splitter. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that before,” Thomson said after Duran's first appearance with the Phillies on Aug. 1.
He's been a sight to see on the mound with the Minnesota Twins and now the Phillies. In 70 games, he has a 1.99 ERA, 31 saves and 77 strikeouts in 68 innings.
Duran has been a completely different pitcher with a splitter. He's been an exciting commodity with playing in some big games already for the Phillies, and now they hope he can carry his arsenal all the way through the postseason.