"The Phillies' bullpen has and always will be the reason why they lose the big game, and they keep proving it time and time again with no improvement in sight." - Sports Editor / Sarah Shockey
When you think of the Phillies the last few years, you think of that magical 2022 World Series run, the postseason success, the high-power offense at times, and the crowd atmosphere of Red October. But something most fans want to forget about is the bullpen. The bullpen has been the Achilles’ heel of this team for as long as fans can remember.
Think of every low moment in the Phillies’ history over the last few years. Every down moment has involved the bullpen blowing the game somehow, especially in big moments.
In 2020, the Phillies missed the postseason by one game in a shortened season. That year, the bullpen posted a historically bad 7.06 ERA, the second-worst bullpen ERA in the history of Major League Baseball. The worst bullpen ERA was set in 1930 by, guess who, the Philadelphia Phillies with an 8.06 ERA. It didn’t matter how many runs the offense scored, no lead ever felt safe. The front office scrambled at the deadline, bringing in names like David Phelps and Brandon Workman, but instead of stabilizing the situation, it only seemed to worsen things in 2020.
The Fightins finished the season second in the NL East with a record of 82-80 in 2021. The Phillies that year had a record 34 blown saves. The team had a record-breaking 27 relief pitchers throughout the season, with names like Jojo Romero, Hector Neris, Brandon Kintzler, Sam Coonrod, and Archie Bradley on the 2021 team.
In 2022, a magical postseason run with a trip to the World Series had fans on their feet. There was unexpected hope all over Philadelphia, until the moment that ended the Phillies’ season.
“This game has turned upside down.”
Phillies fans know what I am talking about. Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez sent a 450-foot go-ahead three-run home run to center field off of Phillies reliever Jose Alvarado. The Astros would then go on to win game 6 of the World Series 3-1. The bullpen completely spoiled a gem from superstar Zach Wheeler, as usual.
There was a high expectation team for success again headed into the 2023 regular and postseason until the bullpen completely imploded when it mattered most. The Phillies took a 2-0 series lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLCS, but Craig Kimbrel came in late in games 3 and 4 to blow two big leads which could have sent the Phillies back to the World Series. The Phillies would then go on to lose Game 7 at home, which could be considered one of the biggest chokes in MLB postseason history.
In the 2024 regular season, the bullpen starts off the season on Opening Day picking up right where they left off by blowing a Wheeler gem. Wheeler went six shutout innings, allowing five hits against a rival the Atlanta Braves. Matt Strahm, Jose Alvarado, Jeff Hoffman, and Connor Brogdon came in as relief and allowed a combined nine unanswered runs in innings eight and nine. The Phillies would go on to lose 9-2 in a disappointing start to the season. But, the bullpen after that was pretty consistent through the regular season, having two all-stars in Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm. They even picked up a closer via trade in Carlos Estevez.
In the 2024 postseason, the bullpen was the entire story for the Phillies. Wheeler pitched seven shutout innings in game 1 of the NLDS, one of the best games of his career at home against their rivals, the New York Mets. Hoffman and Strahm come in the next inning and can’t get a single out, allowing five earned runs and leaving the game with both INF postseason ERAs, ruining all momentum for the rest of the series. The Phillies would go on to lose game 1 of the series 6-2.
In game 2 of that series, Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos each hit home runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game 3-3. Orion Kerkering comes in and immediately gives up a home run to Mark Vientos to put the Mets up 4-3. The Phillies offense puts the team back up 6-4 in the top of the eighth, but Strahm comes in to attempt a save in the bottom of the inning and immediately allows a base runner and a game-tying two-run home run to Vientos, his second of the game. The offense in the next inning immediately ends the game 7-6 on a walk-off double from Castellanos, so the bullpen can’t allow any further damage.
In a do-or-die game 4 with the Phillies down 2-1 in the series, Ranger Suarez pitches five scoreless innings, walking tightropes, getting out of three bases-loaded jams, and picking up nine strikeouts. The team goes to the bullpen in the sixth for Jeff Hoffman to walk the bases loaded, and Estevez to allow the go-ahead grand slam to Francisco Lindor, which was the knockout punch to the Phillies 2024 season. The bullpen ended this disastrous postseason with an 11.37 ERA.
Now in 2025, the bullpen is the center of attention for the team with an ERA of 5.81, which ranks 29th in the majors. No matter the lead, it never feels safe for the Phillies. Not only that, but their best bullpen arm in Alvarado, the only optimism for fans to look forward to when someone comes out of the pen, received a PED suspension for 82 games and is ineligible for the postseason. Now the bullpen ranks 9th in the league in most blown saves for the season.
The Phillies’ bullpen has been and always will be the reason why they lose the big game, and they keep proving it time and time again with no improvement in sight. In order for the Phillies to contend for a World Series, they need to search the trade market and make a few moves to get a competent bullpen, in hopes of making another deep postseason run.
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