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.