Reliever Roundup & Bullpen Bonanza: Phillies Bullpen Adeptly Adapts at Turning Points
PHOENIX — The Philadelphia Phillies had a strong bullpen in 2024, with Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm both making the NL All-Star team. But the Phillies’ season ended in the NLDS when their All-Stars, along with the rest, ran into trouble against the New York Mets. In 2025, with Hoffman gone, the Phillies relief corps has had its ups and downs, but overall, they’ve been dependable. They have done so despite weathering challenges that threatened to submarine their season, the biggest being the suspension of Jose Alvarado. The league suspended him the morning of May 18 after he tested positive for a banned substance. With the season he was having, it could have been a death sentence for the Phillies. However, it was merely the first in a series of turning points that forced the Phillies to adapt.
Alvarado Suspension
At the end of the week containing his suspension, Alvarado ranked fourth among qualifying NL closers in our reliever power rankings. The Phillies, at the time of the suspension, ranked seventh in the NL and 15th in the majors in the Team Relief Corps Power Rankings. It would be natural to assume — and expect — that the Phillies relief unit’s performance declined. But it didn’t. “A lot of good things happened, actually,” manager Rob Thomson said, “because other people had to step up.”
And step up they did. The Phillies bullpen improved in several meaningful statistics. Their Scoreless Outing Percentage improved from 70.1% to 70.9%. ERA-minus, which adjusts for a team’s home ballpark and compares it to the league average, dropped from 113 to 101. Inherited runners scored 35.7% before the suspension, 31.1% after. WHIP improved by 22 points, dropping from 1.350 to 1.328. Goose Egg per Broken Egg Ratio (GE/BE ) mostly stayed the same, being 3.1 before (31–10 GE–BE) and 3.0 after (79–26 GE–BE). Only two areas saw decline: home run percentage (2.8% before, 3.7% after) and K–BB% (16.0% before, 13.5% after). (For reference, the NL relief average in home run percentage was 2.5% before the suspension and 2.8% after. Additionally, K–BB% averaged 12.5% among NL relievers before the suspension and 13.4% after.)
Phillies team relief stats at time of suspension (Early morning May 18):
3.1 GE/BE (31–10 GE–BE) (NLAvg: 3.1), 70.1 ScOtg (ER)% (101-for-144) (NLAvg: 72.8%), 113 ERA-minus, 35.7 IS% (42 IR, 15 IS) (NLAvg: 35.7%), 1.350 WHIP (NLAvg: 1.309), 2.8 HR% (2.5% NLRelAvg), 16.0 K–BB% (NLRelAvg: 12.5%)
Overall Score: 7.8; Overall Rank: 7th in NL, 15th in majors
Phillies team relief stats since suspension (Early morning May 18 through EOP Sept 23):
3.0 GE/BE (79–26 GE–BE) (NLAvg: 3.1), 70.9 ScOtg (ER)% (244-for-344) (NLAvg: 71.9%), 101 ERA-minus, 31.1 IS% (106 IR, 33 IS) (NLAvg: 32.9%), 1.328 WHIP (1.307 NLRelAvg), 3.7 HR% (2.8% NLRelAvg), 13.5 K–BB% (13.4% NLRelAvg)
Overall Score: 8.8; Overall Rank: 6th in NL, 10th in majors
Banks, Strahm Discuss “Stepping Up”
Thomson gave lefty middle reliever Tanner Banks as an example of someone in the Phillies bullpen who stepped up. “(He) has probably had the best year of his career. (Tanner is) a guy that we really rely on and have a lot of trust in. We use him in leverage situations.” Did anything change in Banks or the rest of the relief corps when they lost the services of Alvarado? “I wouldn’t say mentality changed,” Banks said, “other than knowing positions are gonna shift up one.” So what was it? “Early in the year, it was definitely a ‘next man up’ mentality. … There was never panic, (only) a matter of who’s gonna step up and how it’s gonna shake out.”
“But, you know,” Thomson added, “everybody else sort of fell into place. … (Matt) Strahm’s had a really good year. Guys just stepped up.”
Strahm said in an interview for the Reliever Roundup & Bullpen Bonanza show, in which he will be the featured guest, that little changed in his mind due to there not being that many defined roles. “In my three years here,” he said, “we’ve never really had roles. So I would say not much changed. Just everyone shifted back one.”
Duran Trade
The second turning point came at the Trade Deadline, when the Phillies swung one of the biggest deals involving relievers. They had picked up closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins fire sale. Banks was “excited” to hear that the deal had gone through, for multiple reasons. He stated, “To have a guy with his pedigree and capabilities to come in and slam the door— we had a great bullpen before, but to have someone that’s set in that role. It takes the pressure off some of the other guys, and I can settle into the seventh or eighth or whatever. We know when it comes down to it, like the ninth inning is his, and he knows it, and we know it, and everyone can prepare accordingly. You’re not wondering if you’re gonna throw the seventh or wonder if you’re gonna throw the or three, yeah.”
Thomson used this new weapon accordingly. “Well,” he said, “it moved everybody back and gave us a lot more depth in that bullpen. And he’s been fantastic closing games out. He’s amazing to me, because with as much power as he has, the strike throwing ability that he that comes with it is just phenomenal.”
It Shows on the Field
This improvement wasn’t merely in personnel. It showed on the field. Prior to the deadline, the Phillies had a Team Power Ranking score of 4.7. In both the NL and across the majors, their score was toward the bottom of the middle third: ninth in the NL and 18th in the majors. But after the deadline, their score through the end of play Tuesday was 24.5 — third in the NL and eighth in the majors. Everything except home run percentage improved.
Phillies team relief stats through July 31 (Day of Trade Deadline):
3.0 GE/BE (72–24 GE–BE) (NLAvg: 3.2), 70.1 ScOtg (ER)% (232-for-331) (NLAvg: 72.8%), 111 ERA-minus, 32.7 IS% (104 IR, 34 IS) (NLAvg: 33.3%), 1.372 WHIP (NLAvg: 1.302), 3.3 HR% (2.6% NLRelAvg), 13.6 K–BB% (12.8% NLRelAvg)
Overall Score: 4.7; Overall Rank: 9th in NL, 18th in majors
Phillies team relief stats since Trade Deadline (August 1st through EOP Sept 23):
3.2 GE/BE (38–12 GE–BE) (NLAvg: 2.9), 72.0 ScOtg (ER)% (113-for-157) (NLAvg: 70.7%), 91 ERA-minus, 31.8 IS% (44 IR, 14 IS) (NLAvg: 34.7%), 1.245 WHIP (1.318 NLRelAvg), 3.7 HR% (3.0% NLRelAvg), 15.7 K–BB% (13.7% NLRelAvg)
Overall Score: 24.5; Overall Rank: 3rd in NL, 8th in majors
Of the current NL Playoff teams and hopefuls, the Phillies were the only ones whose relief unit improved after the Deadline. The Chicago Cubs stayed virtually the same, being strong both before and after the Deadline, but all the other teams got worse. Some, like the Mets, grew dramatically worse, even after making multiple relief deals. The Los Angeles Dodgers made one deal, but that player went on the IL before a month had even passed. Another, the Arizona Diamondbacks, suddenly contended even after the front office seemingly surrendered and are trying to finish off games with guys who realistically should still be in the minors. And the San Diego Padres added Mason Miller, but some of the guys who were already there have slipped in their performance.
Robertson Return
Another turning point saw the return of a beloved veteran: 40-year-old David Robertson, who came out of retirement. While his on-field performance has been up and down, off the field it has given the Phillies bullpen another jolt. Banks said of Robertson, “He’s a good piece, man. Got good energy. Obviously, a ton of baseball knowledge. I think he gives us a good reminder to keep it light and enjoy the moments in the process. … He’s a nice piece to learn from, and he’s done a great job. Another weapon in Rob Thomson’s arsenal that he can deploy.”
Thomson mentioned that Robertson’s addition “added some depth and (brought in) another leverage guy.” He continued, “Robbie’s kind of a freak of nature, you know, he’s 40 years old. I had him in New York when he first came up to the big leagues, and he’s probably in better shape now than he was then.” Thomson was on the Yankees’ big-league coaching staff from 2008 to 2017. Both he and Robertson were on the 2009 World Series championship team. Thomson went on to mention an impressive milestone. On Sunday, Robertson was ninth all-time in strikeouts as a reliever and 10 strikeouts away from passing Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers. “It’s just amazing what he’s done,” Thomson continued. “He doesn’t throw quite as hard as he used to, but he’s still really effective and commands the baseball. His curveball is really good, and the cutter is still good. So yeah, he’s really something.”
Thomson also sees the value of having a sage veteran among a group with several younger players. “He’s such a great teammate as well,” Thomson said. “And he’s really good in the in the bullpen with younger players. He’s got all this experience and all the savvy.”
Looking Ahead for the Phillies Bullpen
Though the Phillies lost Sunday to the Diamondbacks, 9–2, and again Tuesday to the Miami Marlins, 6–5 in 11 innings, they are in good shape. They clinched the NL East on Monday the 15th, the first team in the majors to clinch their division. On Wednesday, they clubbed eight homers en route to an 11–1 rout of the Marlins. With a 93–65 record, they sit comfortably as the #2 seed in the NL. Their win over the Marlins Wednesday guaranteed them a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the Division Series. And a big part of their success has been their relief unit, a group that adeptly adapted to the turning points they faced in 2025.
See Matt Strahm’s full interview in Episode 2519 of Reliever Roundup & Bullpen Bonanza, available on YouTube and Rumble this coming Saturday, Sunday, or Monday. Subscribe to @evanthompson8435 on YouTube or follow SportRelay on Rumble to stay up to date as new episodes drop.
All relief stats used here are available by contacting the author: evan@sportrelay.com.
More Philadelphia Phillies Articles
More MLB Articles
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
- Category
-
Philadelphia Phillies
