Ranking every Phillies reliever in a bullpen tier list heading towards October

Out at Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ, where Philadelphia Phillies' dreams have gone to die in the 2020s, the bullpen finally clicked on August 31. Mixing veterans and rookies, the unit pitched four scoreless innings, stranding two runners and striking out five.

This was how it was supposed to be when Phillies president Dave Dombrowski organized his bullpen this offseason, but few parts of the plan have materialized as envisioned.

The Phillies’ bullpen was a strength coming into 2026; FanGraphs ranked them fourth in the game to start the season. They were adding a full season of Jose Alvarado and free-agent signee Brad Keller to a mix led by Jhoan Duran that included shutdown arms Tanner Banks and Orion Kerkering. If that back five could perform as they had in 2025, or even close to it, the bullpen would be rivaled by few teams across the league.

Now, entering September, the only reliever from that mix that can be trusted in high leverage is Duran. It’s unclear whether or not Keller will pitch for the Phillies again after suffering a torn UCL in July, while Alvarado, Banks, and Kerkering have all gone through varying degrees of regression. The unit ranks 19th overall in ERA at 4.19.

In their stead have emerged several more unlikely late-inning heroes. Though the bullpen is nevertheless weaker than the Phillies’ brass might have imagined they’d be at this point in the season, it has finally begun to stabilize. 

Since the calendar flipped to August, the Phillies bullpen has an ERA of 3.18, fifth in MLB. The additions of Alex McFarlane and Brooks Raley have stabilized a shaky core while Johnathan Bowlan has established himself as a trusted late-inning weapon.

The bullpen is not yet a strength, but it's easier to see how each of the eight relievers in the ‘pen fits a piece of the puzzle. With fewer than 25 games to go until the playoffs begin, here’s how each member of the Phillies relief corps can be trusted.

Phillies Bullpen Tier List: Ranking All Relievers

S Tier

Jhoan Duran

One year removed from the trade that sent Duran and his electric walk-in sequence to Philadelphia, you can confidently claim the Phillies won the deal.

Duran has established himself as one of the two best closers in the National League; his Baseball Savant page lights up red like Citizens Bank Park in October; he boasts a devastating five-pitch mix to make any established starting pitcher jealous, and his 1.61 ERA would be the best for any full-time Phillies closer since Tug McGraw in 1980.

A Tier

Jonathan Bowlan

6’6”, 240-lb “Big John” Bowlan was an unknown quantity when he arrived in Philadelphia. The 29-year-old righty had only appeared in 37 career games to that point, his velocity sitting in the mid-90s.

After working with pitching coach Caleb Cotham and the Phillies staff, Bowlan brought his velocity up more than a few ticks and now tops out at 100 mph. His 31% K-rate is 8th among all NL relievers (min. 40 IP), and since June, his ERA is 1.95.

Alex McFarlane

McFarlane is a weird one. The Phillies kept their secret weapon hidden at Double-A Reading until July 18. Perhaps they wanted to inflate his value for a potential deadline trade.

Whatever the cause, since arriving in Philadelphia, McFarlane has been dominant. Despite five walks in just 10 appearances, he’s surrendered only one run, his latest Houdini act coming in the sixth inning on Monday night when he prevented two Aaron Nola-inherited runners from scoring. His 100.3 mph average fastball velocity is fifth among all big league pitchers behind only Mason Miller, Edgardo Henriquez, Jacob Misiorowski, and Duran.

B Tier

Brooks Raley

Since 2022, Raley has a career 2.46 ERA over 190 IP. That figure is 3.52 since arriving in Philadelphia, but it doesn’t really feel like it. Maybe that's because over that five-year span, the soft-tossing lefty has surrendered 11 home runs and two of them have come in Phillies pinstripes.

Of anyone on this list, Raley may have the most upward mobility. He ranks at the top of B Tier only because he hasn’t had enough time to establish himself in Philadelphia. If he puts a strong finishing touch on the 2026 season, Raley will find himself in A Tier.

Tim Mayza

Mayza has been everything the Phillies have hoped for and more since he re-signed in Philadelphia after an eight-game cup of coffee in 2025. His presence has stabilized the left-handed half of the Phillies bullpen after Banks, plus Alvarado regressed and Matt Strahm was traded to Kansas City. He’s filled many roles, from opener to late-game fireman, and has pitched in every inning from one to 10. 

While his numbers are still recovering from a rocky July in which he surrendered nine earned runs in 10 IP, Mayza’s August was a reminder of the dependability he’s offered the Phillies this year. He finished the month with an ERA of 0.84.

Orion Kerkering

It feels hard to believe Kerkering was drafted the round after McFarlane in 2022. Their careers have followed such different paths.

There have been times throughout his Phillies tenure when Kerkering could have found himself an S-Tier reliever, but right now his stock has never been lower. The 25-year-old is at his worst pitching in high-leverage situations with a .353 opponents' OBP. He just seems to crumble in the spotlight.

That said, his avg exit velocity ranks fifth among all pitchers (min. 50 IP) at 85.3 mph. Kerkering has certainly suffered through some stretches of bad luck, but it’s hard to tell if he’s the same pitcher as he was before his NLDS Game 4 gaffe in Los Angeles last year.

C Tier

Jose Alvarado

It’s tough to know what to make of Alvarado in 2026. His xERA is 3.91. His FIP is 3.81. His HardHit% is 13th among all relievers (min. 40 IP). Nevertheless, only three relievers in baseball have pitched more innings to a worse ERA.

Clearly something is wrong under the hood for Alvarado, but he’s been better of late. Since July 12, he has a 3.06 ERA over 17.2 IP. Perhaps luck has finally turned in his favor, or maybe he’s figured something out. In August, his sinker usage has increased by 13%.

D Tier

Chase Shugart

It’s a little bit unfair to place Shugart in D Tier. If he’s your least trustworthy reliever, then your bullpen probably doesn’t have too many problems. But even though his ERA is only 4.60, he’s the only reliever in the Phillies bullpen for whom it’s difficult to say something positive.

His 10.8 K/9 is solid, but 10 home runs allowed in 45 IP is just deplorable. At the very least, he eats innings. If he makes the postseason roster, it will only be to serve as a mop-up man if the Phillies are way up or way down.

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