The Philadelphia Phillies have been searching for an answer at the back end of their rotation ever since former wunderkind Andrew Painter flamed out in his first crack at the big leagues. Monday night saw Alan Rangel receive the first opportunity to stake a claim to the fifth starter spot, and his solid outing should net him a longer look in the majors.
Rangel came to the Phillies as a minor league free agent back in 2024, and was stashed away as Triple-A depth until he made his major league debut in June of the following year. The Mexican hurler made his way into five games for the Phillies last season, all in relief, where he allowed just three earned runs over 11 innings of work. He was a bit less impressive in Lehigh Valley, where he posted a middling 4.55 ERA across 25 starts.Â
Rangel has spent the majority of this season in the Ironpigs’ rotation, where he’s worked to a 3.99 ERA over 70 frames. That may not be the most impressive body of work, but it put him miles ahead of fellow journeymen Tucker Davidson and Bryse Wilson when it came time for the Phils to turn to another starter.
That time came on Monday night in Washington when interim manager Don Mattingly turned to Rangel after using Tim Mayza as an opener. Despite the fact that the Phillies ultimately lost the game 4-1, Rangel shined by firing five innings of one-run ball, punching out four Nationals hitters while surrendering just five hits and walking none.
Alan Rangel's solid outing on Monday should earn him a few more chances with Phillies
Rangel’s solid performance as the bulk man should earn him at least a few more turns through the rotation considering the paucity of quality options in the organization. Old friend Kolby Allard was brought in on a minor league pact last week, but his 10.38 ERA with the Cleveland Guardians earlier this year doesn’t inspire much confidence. Tucker Davidson’s ERA sits above 6.00 in 13 Triple-A outings, while Bryse Wilson was recently designated for assignment after a one-game stint with the parent club.
Sooner or later the Phillies will need to trade for a reliable starting pitcher. Between the Painter/Rangel/whoever else carousel and the ghost of Aaron Nola past, two of the team's five starting rotation spots are almost scheduled losses each time out. An ace like Tarik Skubal is certainly not in the cards considering how many holes the club needs to fill, but a dependable arm like Robbie Ray or Brady Singer would do wonders. Heck, even former rebuild Phillie Drew Anderson would do the job.
Alan Rangel doesn’t need to be excellent to hold down the back end of the rotation. If he can just take the mound every fifth day and provide the Phillies with five or six innings without getting blown up it’ll be enough. Come October, they won’t be leaning on him in high-leverage situations against teams like the Dodgers. There’s a long way to go till October, though, and Alan Rangel can make that journey a little bit easier.
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