“Strike 1, Strike 2, and good luck”. Alvarado came out firing the same way he ended last year. He has been one of the leagues best relievers ever since his short stint in AAA in 2022. He managed to only surrender one earned run in his first 14 appearances of the year. Showcasing a mean cutter and sinker to stifle any batter regardless of what side they are swinging from. He then missed almost the entire month of May with elbow inflammation. When he came back, they stuck him right into the fire with high leverage opportunities. Since his return, it has not been as lights out as we have seen as of late but he has worked out of jams with his strikeout ability. Phillies depend on him to be a shut down guy and he has been just that.
Grade: A
The Phillies gave up two beloved members of the Day Care for the All Star reliever from Detroit and so far this year he has delivered on expectations. The majority of the time, Soto answers the call and puts up zeros. But when he is not on top of his game, it can get bad in a hurry. In his 36 appearances he has given up zero runs 30 times. In the other six, he has surrendered runs of three, one, four, three, three, and one. All in all, he has done what he has been asked. He has nailed down the 6-7th inning and gotten the team out of tight jams or has filled in on higher leverage spots nicely. Sad to see Vierling and Maton go but Soto has been a well-needed addition to this team.
Grade: B