The Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen is becoming a strength with the performance of one relief pitcher.
The Philadelphia Phillies are backed by one of baseball’s elite closers, Jhoan Duran, who anchors their bullpen.
Since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins just before the 2025 MLB trade deadline, Duran has been outstanding. Still, the path to getting the ball to him in the late innings hasn’t always been seamless.
This offseason, the front office aimed to address that issue by signing Brad Keller in free agency. While Keller’s performance has been inconsistent, another pitcher has stepped up as a dependable asset for the team: Orion Kerkering.
There was considerable curiosity about how Kerkering would bounce back after a costly error ended the Phillies’ 2025 season. That mistake helped the Los Angeles Dodgers push past Philadelphia in the playoffs, a devastating turn of events.
Orion Kerkering Delivering at an Elite Level
A misstep of that magnitude could derail any player’s career. Early on, there seemed to be lingering effects Kerkering allowed two runs in his first outing of the season and gave up runs again four games later.
He had trouble finding a groove. Kerkering didn’t record his first strikeout until his third appearance of the year, and in five of his first seven outings, he failed to fan a single batter. It wasn’t until April 28, when he struck out two San Francisco Giants, that his season strikeout total finally surpassed his walks for good.
That Giants series the first under interim manager Don Mattingly marked a turning point for both the team and Kerkering. Over his first 23 appearances, he’s posted a 2.21 ERA across 20.1 innings.
The strikeouts have since piled up, with Kerkering notching at least two in four straight games, bringing his season total to 21. In his most recent appearance against the San Diego Padres, he walked Manny Machado to open the inning, then retired the next three batters on just 12 pitches.
“You saw it in that game,” Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham told Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required). “It was a four-pitch walk, and you just watch him. There’s really no emotion. No sense of, ‘I need to do something different.’ He just gets back on the mound and makes pitches. It comes from him not overthinking things.”
That lack of emotional reaction is clearly helping Kerkering thrive on the mound. His sweeping slider—widely considered his best pitch has also improved, elevating his game even further.
Now, he’s set to return to the site of his infamous error. It will be the ultimate test of whether he has truly moved past that low point.
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