Phillies Bullpen Rankings: Is there a weak link heading into the postseason?
What's the pecking order in the bullpen heading into the MLB playoffs?
It took a little longer than expected for the Philadelphia Phillies to clinch a playoff spot, but thanks to a lopsided 12-2 victory over the rival New York Mets last Friday, the Phillies are now set to compete in the postseason for the third year in a row. With milestone No. 1 out of the way, the Phillies turned their attention to locking up a division title when they faced the Chicago Cubs on Monday night, and finally got over the hump with a 6-2 victory and the Phillies' first division title since 2011.
Like every other team that punches a ticket to the postseason, the Phillies will have a handful of interesting decisions to make when it comes to playoff roster construction, with players like Weston Wilson and Kody Clemens likely in consideration for a final roster spot. Following Taijuan Walker's benching in the playoffs last season, the Phillies front office will be tasked with not repeating the same mistake this postseason.
Phillies Bullpen Rankings: Is there a weak link heading into the postseason?
While playoff roster construction is a fun thing to dissect, the Phillies are still over a week away from having to finalize those decisions, and that gives us a chance to analyze other storylines on the roster, like the revolving door that's been the fifth spot in the rotation, and whether or not the bullpen finally has achieved a semblance of order with questions of who is handling the ninth inning no longer a daily concern.
However, there are still some interesting storylines to keep an eye out for in the Phillies bullpen down the stretch. To properly gauge how the Phillies could construct a postseason bullpen, we'll take a look at some power rankings based on some recent trends.
No 8: Tyler Gilbert
The final spot in the bullpen is up for debate and could change, but right now Tyler Gilbert has been the first choice to mop up innings for Rob Thomson in games where the Phillies are behind and don't want to use other more established bullpen arms. Sounds like a job for Walker, and like it or not, that could still be the case when final roster decisions are due.
In four games for the Phillies this season, Gilbert has mainly pitched in a middle relief role and hasn't really established himself as a name to follow in his first 6 1/3 innings pitched for the big club this season. In a small sample size, Gilbert has a 2.84 ERA to go along with three strikeouts and two earned runs while allowing eight hits and one walk. Gilbert is likely not a candidate for the postseason, but a solid final week could easily change things.
No. 7: Tanner Banks
Acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline from the historically bad Chicago White Sox, Tanner Banks was swapped in exchange for Phillies top 10 shortstop prospect William Bergolla.
With multiple members of the Phillies bullpen struggling around the trade deadline, the front office dealt Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto in separate deals to the Baltimore Orioles. With a space open for an acquisition, the Phillies opted to trade for Banks, a left-handed reliever with a recent track record of getting big outs.
Banks has fit in nicely since coming over from the White Sox in late July. In 19 games as a reliever, Banks has an ERA of 3.78 in 21 innings, with 20 strikeouts and seven walks while finishing seven games for the Phillies in that stretch. A late-bloomer who didn't make his MLB debut until his age 30 season in 2022, Banks has given the Phillies another option to mix and match with during middle and late-game situations.
No. 6: José Ruiz
José Ruiz has done a fine job in whatever relief situation the Phillies have asked of him. Ruiz has frequently been tasked with coming into games after the starter has been lifted and the Phillies are either clinging to a small lead or find themselves at a deficit. It's been in these moments that Ruiz has proven to be a very valuable commodity for Rob Thomson this season.
Signed by the Phillies to a minor league deal this past offseason, Ruiz quickly carved out a niche after being called up from Triple-A in place of Yunior Marte on May 3. Since then, Ruiz has appeared in 50 games, with a record of 5-1 and a 3.67 ERA in 49 innings, in addition to recording 50 strikeouts and 16 walks along the way. Ruiz is very likely to be part of the Phillies' postseason roster and will look to carry over that success into the playoffs.
No. 5: José Alvarado
Why is José Alvarado ranked No. 5 on this list? The answer to that is simple. Alvarado has had, without a doubt, his most difficult season as a member of the Phillies.
There was a time earlier this season when the Phillies put together an entire spectacle with flashing lights and walkout music, but that all changed when Alvarado went into a brutal two-month stretch that saw his save opportunities dry up while his ERA continued to climb.
A key cog in Topper's bullpen since arriving in Philadelphia in 2021, Alvarado has mostly been removed from high-leverage situations since bottoming out in early August. On the year, Alvarado holds a 2-5 record with a 4.22 ERA in 59 2/3 innings pitched over 64 appearances. While the veteran left-hander has shown modest signs of improvement over his last five outings, it will be interesting to see what role Alvarado falls into when the postseason starts next week.
No. 4: Orion Kerkering
Last year was a whirlwind ride for rookie pitcher Orion Kerkering. After starting 2023 at Single-A Clearwater, Kerkering impressively climbed every minor league level in one season, making his MLB debut for the Phillies last September. It was all a lot to process for the then 22-year-old Kerkering. It was immediately clear from his first appearance that Kerkering was an important piece of the Phillies' future.
The 2024 season allowed Kerkering to settle into the day-to-day routine of an everyday MLB relief pitcher. That experience early on prepared him for a move into higher leverage situations as the season progressed.
The youngster, who many think has the stuff to be a future closer, showed great promise as he mixed more of his 100 mph fastball into the mix with his devastating sweeper. Kerkering has been impressive this season with 73 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings and will try to carry a stealth 2.31 ERA into the postseason as one of Thomson's primary bullpen weapons.
No. 3: Matt Strahm
There was a moment this season when Matt Strahm was the talk of the baseball world when he went 25 appearances without giving up an earned run. All things come to an end, but Strahm's incredible run during the first half of the season was enough to secure the veteran left-handed pitcher his first selection to an All-Star team this summer.
Overall on the season, Strahm has put together a record of 6-2 with a pristine ERA of 1.93, while striking out 76 batters in 60.2 innings. While Strahm has the stuff to close games, his track record of being called upon to get big outs in tight situations with runners on base has prepared him for the type of workload he will soon face when the postseason begins.
No. 2: Jeff Hoffman
Jeff Hoffman's path to success took longer than expected, but after signing a minor league deal with the Phillies at the end of spring training last year, few could have predicted how important Hoffman's contributions to the 2023 Phillies would be. In 54 appearances out of the bullpen, Hoffman became a vital link to José Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel as the season progressed. Could he repeat his success in year two?
The answer to that is yes. Hoffman has actually been even better in 2024, posting a record of 3-2 and an ERA of 1.65, to go along with 10 saves and 87 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings pitched. Like Strahm, Hoffman was named to his first All-Star team this season and continues to be Topper's choice to save a game when trade deadline acquisition Carlos Estévez is unavailable to close ball games. Hoffman will again play a huge role for the Phillies during this upcoming postseason run.
No. 1: Carlos Estévez
When the Phillies acquired All-Star closer Carlos Estévez from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline, it was the final admission that the team needed help in the ninth inning with José Alvarado clearly no longer the first choice to close ball games. The Phillies paid a significant price to acquire Estévez, parting with top pitching prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri for what amounts to a three-month rental.
Since arriving in Philadelphia, Estévez has saved six games, while going 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 21 innings pitched. On the year, Estévez has saved 26 games and made the All-Star game as a member of the AL squad.
Estévez should be in line to handle the bulk of save opportunities out of the Phillies bullpen when the postseason starts. With the bar set low following Craig Kimbrel's epic meltdown in the NLCS last season, Estévez was brought in to erase any doubt that the Phillies are willing to gamble another trip to the World Series by doing business the same way in 2024.
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