José Alvarado has been one of the top relievers out of the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen in recent years. That, unfortunately, has led to somewhat of a fork in the road after his recent struggles. Luckily, Gregory Soto has stepped up just in time.
Alvarado has taken a step back from 2023, when he had a 1.74 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings pitched in 42 games. His 2024 regression has led to a 4.24 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. It's not the leap the Phillies were hoping for, as the bullpen may need to be added to for the second half with the looming trade deadline.
While José Alvarado struggles another Phillies reliever finds his groove
To go along with the solid options of Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman, the left-handed Soto has been nails as of late, picking up the slack from Alvarado. Soto, on the year, has a 3.31 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings in 39 games. It's much better as an overall body of work than Alvarado's season has been.
Even more refreshing is that since June 1, Soto is sporting a 1.10 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings in 18 games. He also has an opposing batting average of .210 during that span.
Soto's recent resurgence has been a breath of fresh air for the bullpen. What was at the beginning of the season supposed to be a strong part of the staff, has now become one of their weaknesses. According to FanGraphs, the Phillies' starting pitchers rank first in MLB in ERA at 3.22. The bullpen on the other hand, ranks 14th with a 3.86 ERA.
There have been many ups and downs with the squad with injuries and uncertainties about the roles within the pitching staff. The team has rallied and found ways to win despite the flaws. Soto's recent burst of excellence may be exactly what this team needs to give Alvarado a chance to step back, reassess and build back up to be ready for postseason baseball where the mentality of all hands on deck will certainly apply for a club that is hungry to bring home a championship.