The star status of the 2024 Philadelphia Phillies is well documented and goes deeper than most might think.
The Phillies were recognized for their first-half dominance with eight All-Star Game participants, more than any other team in Major League Baseball. Five of those were pitchers, and the Phillies were also the only team with two relief pitchers selected.
Those two were right-hander Jeff Hoffman and left-hander Matt Strahm, both of whom are having outstanding seasons. Without them, the Phillies would not be where they are today, with the best record in the National League at 73-51.
However, there is another reliever on the Phillies’ roster who has been almost as dominant but may have flown a little under the radar. An insider recognized that pitcher for his efforts on Tuesday.
Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic called rookie relief pitcher Orion Kerkering the “secretly best” player on the Phillies’ roster in the publication’s weekly rankings, in which Philadelphia finished third.
“Kerkering broke through the Phillies’ system last year and made his MLB debut last September,” McGrath said. “The expectations for Kerkering were high this season and he met them.”
At just 23 years old, Kerkering has quickly established himself as one of the most reliable options in the Philadelphia bullpen. He has a 2.51 ERA in 46 appearances and strikes out 10.2 batters per nine innings.
Kerkering’s rise has been meteoric. He opened the 2023 season in High-A, made it to the major leagues in time to pitch three innings before the end of the regular season, and then threw some key pitches in October for a Phillies team that made it to Game 7 of the NLCS.
This season, Kerkering is better prepared to play a major role in the postseason. And he was so good that the Phillies traded veteran relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto at the deadline, even though both were signed as key contributors.
If the Phillies win their coveted World Series this time around, Kerkering will likely play a big role in that success. And so far, he has seemed more than ready for the challenge.
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