Barring an unforeseen offseason trade, it appears that one of the most consistent arms in the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen this year has solidified his role for the 2026 season. In a season that saw many moving parts in the Phillies bullpen, Tanner Banks was a breath of fresh air and a very reliable arm in late innings.
The 34-year-old reliever pitched to a 6-2 record to go along with a 3.07 ERA in 69 games. In the process, he led all Phillies relief pitchers in innings pitched (67 1/3) and was tied with Orion Kerkering in outings (69), providing durability and flexibility to a group that lacked a clear identity for most of the season.
Banks pitched in two games in the postseason as well and held the eventual World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers scoreless in 1 1/3 innings of work.
Tanner Banks solidified his role in Phillies bullpen with impressive effectiveness against left-handed hitters
While Jhoan Duran solidified himself as the team’s best reliever following a mid-season trade, Banks proved to be the most dependable pitcher to spend the entire year with the Phillies. His numbers were a big improvement compared to his career stats as his 4.5 percent walk rate and 1.01 WHIP were the lowest of his career thus far.
In 30 2/3 innings of work against lefties, Banks held batters to just a .175 average and gave up 18 hits while striking out 28. These numbers are much better than his metrics against righties who hit .259 in 36 2/3 innings. This made Banks a high-leverage situational option for manager Rob Thomson late in games.
Saving Mr. Banks pic.twitter.com/K4qtaxsQaQ
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 24, 2025
This was Banks’ first full year with the club following a 2024 trade from the Chicago White Sox, where he spent the first three years of his major league career. All in all, through parts of two seasons with the Phillies, Banks holds a 6-3 record with a 3.24 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings of work.
The Phillies have a lot of unanswered questions in the bullpen, heading into the offseason as David Robertson, Jordan Romano, Walker Buehler, Lou Trevino, and Tim Mayza are all free agents. It remains to be seen who from this group, if anyone, will return in 2026.
Banks, however, is only entering his first year of arbitration and is under team control through the 2028 campaign. Given his dependability and his versatility, he figures to play a big role in this Phillies bullpen in the years to come.