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.