Orion Kerkering Might be Key To Fixing Phillies Bullpen Woes
The Phillies bullpen was as good as any bullpen in the league going into August. The opposite has been true since August began though. The guys we could rely on, are no longer getting the job done. Craig Kimbrel has struggled. Soto has struggled Alvarado has at times struggled. There have been way too many late-inning collapses, and it had Phillies fans nervous about what will happen in October. But they may have an answer to some of those problems. Orion Kerkering.
Kerkering made his MLB debut over the weekend after tearing up nearly every level of the Minor Leagues. He started in Low A and blew everyone there away. Then he moved up to High- A, and it was more of the same. He continued to dominate through AA, and then even a small stint in AAA. That was finally enough for the Phillies to call him up to the bigs, where he got his first MLB outing on Sunday against the Mets.
Yes, it was vs. a Mets team that has nothing to play for. But his stuff is nasty. His fastball hits 100, and then he can get you with what many are calling one of the best sliders in the league. This bullpen needed a fresh face who could come in and blow people away. And Orion Kerkering might be that guy. He is a strikeout machine. 38.4% of batters who faced him this season struck out. And he struck out 2 of the 3 guys he faced so far in the MLB.
Does that mean you put him in high-leverage situations? Maybe not right away. Keep building his confidence. But if he keeps looking like this on the mound, he may earn himself a chance to get those tough innings. And he could very easily be the Phillies closer in future seasons if not next year.
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Every Member of the Philadelphia Phillies Wall of Fame
1978: Robin Roberts
Robin Roberts was the first name to go up onto the Wall of Fame. He was inducted in 1978 at Veteran’s Stadium. He pitched 14 seasons with the Phillies, racking up 234 wins, with a 3.46 ERA. Robin Roberts was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1976.
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1989- Steve Carlton
I dont need to explain to anyone who Steve Carlton is. He is the best pitcher in Phillies history and one of the best lefties period. He made 10 All-Star teams, won the Cy Young award 4 times, won the Triple Crown in 1972, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.
(Photo by Chris Gardner-Pool/Getty Images)
1991- Larry Bowa
Another member of that 1980 team, more than anyone, Larry Bowa has kept strong ties to the Phillies. His actual career may not be as prolific as Schmidt or Carlton, but he is just as beloved, if not more so, because of how involved he has been with the team and city since. As a player, he won two gold gloves at SS and made 5 All-Star teams. He went on the manage the team for 4 years in the early 2000s and even won Manager of the Year once.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
1994- Dick Allen
One of the most underappreciated players in Phillies history. He won Rookie of the Year with them in 1964, and over 9 seasons with the Phillies, he hit 204 HRs, made 3 All-Star Games, and went on to win MVP and make 4 more All-Star games after he left the Phillies. He should probably be in the Hall Of Fame, but he is one of the 9 players whose number the Phillies retired.
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1998- Greg Luzinski
“The Bull” roamed Left Field for the Phillies for 11 years from 1970 until 1980. In that time, he made 4 All-Star teams and hit 223 HRs. He is also a regular part of Citizens Bank Park, having opened “Bull’s Barbeque inside Citizens Bank Park.
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2005-Bob Boone
The defensive-minded backstop won 7 gold Gloves in his career, including 2 with the Phillies. If it wasn’t for Johnny Bench, he would likely have far more. He caught games with the Phillies from 1972 until 1981, catching the final strike of the 1980 World Series.
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2006- Dallas Green
Green pitched for 6 seasons with the Phillies in the ’60s but may be better known as the Manager who led the Phillies to their first-ever World Series. He only managed the team from 1979 to 1981. But he didn’t need much time to make his mark on Phillies history.
(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)
2007- John Vukovich
A baseball lifer, Vukovich spent 41 seasons in the MLB as either a player or a manager. 30 of those were with the Phillies, with 7 as a player. He did not necessarily shine as a player but was on the Phillies Coaching staff for longer than anyone else in Phillies history. After he passed away in 2007, the Phillies honored him with a “Vuk” patch on their jerseys, and then they inducted him into the Wall of Fame in August.
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2008- Juan Samuel
249 steals, 921 hits, 100 HRs, and 71 triples across 7 seasons in a Phillies Jersey. Then he returned as a 3rd Base Coach and later a First Base Coach for the Phillies.
(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
2010- Darren Daulton
A leader of that 1993 Phillies team, Darren “Dutch” Daulton was beloved in Philadelphia. The case for the best catcher in Phillies history is between him and Carlos Ruiz. He caught for the Phillies across 14 seasons, winning 1 Silver Slugger award, and making the All-Star game 3 times. In those 13 seasons, he racked up 134 Hrs. And in 1992 he led the NL in RBIs with 109.
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2011- John Kruk
Whether you knew him as a player in the 90s or now as a broadcaster, there are very few people who don’t love John Kruk. He had a .309 Batting average for the Phillies across 6 seasons. He also made 3 All-Star teams and was a vital part of that 1993 team that almost went all the way. I think we can forgive him for wiggling out of an obligation to visit the St. Louis Arch.
(Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
2012- Mike Lieberthal
It may be because his time with the Phillies was a dark age, with very little winning going on, but Lieberthal is one of the most underappreciated Phillies, maybe ever. It could also be because he was stuck between the two most beloved catches in franchise history Darren Daulton and Carlos Ruiz. But Lieberthal played 13 seasons with the Phillies, racking up 1,155 hits, 150 HRs, and 610 RBIs. He also made two All-Star teams and won a Gold Glove.
(Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
2013- Curt Schilling
Schilling spent 9 of his 20 seasons in the MLB with the Phillies. And while his actions off the field, there 8is a town in Rhode Island very unhappy with him, have left him a bit of a pariah, his play on it was never in doubt. a 3.35 ERA, 101 wins, and 1,554 strikeouts.
(Photo by Jim Gund/Getty Images)
2018- Pat Gillick
Gillick was the 4th GM to make it into the MLB Hall of Fame, and the 2nd to go onto the Phillies Wall of Fame. While it is true most of the Phillies core was in place already when he took over for Ed Wade, it was Gillick who traded for Jamie Moyer, Brad Lidge, and Joe Blanton, and it was Gillick who found Jayson Werth and Matt Stairs. All key figures of that World Series team. He never made that big splashy move many fans wanted, but his subtle moves rounded out the roster.
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2022- Ron Reed
Ron Reed spent the first half of his career starting games for the Braves. But when he came to the Phillies in 1976, they moved him to the Bullpen, where he played some of the best Baseball of his career. In 8 seasons here, his ERA was 3.06, with 90 saves. He was a big part of the bullpen in the 1980 World Series Season.
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