Can the Phillies Find a Way To Come Together After Another Bullpen Setback?

It is clear that the Philadelphia Phillies‘ bullpen has been an area of concern for years. Multiple times, their bullpen would come in the game and allow game-winning runs, causing a lot of damage to the team. Despite already having a very shallow bullpen, Brad Keller tore his UCL and is likely out for the remainder of the season. Keller was 2-1 with an ERA of 4.02 and recorded 32 strikeouts. With that being said, we take a look at the rest of the bullpens’ struggles and what the Phillies will need to do to continue their success.

Can the Phillies Figure Another Bullpen Setback?

Phillies Bullpen Issues and the One Spark

Again, the bullpen is arguably the Phillies’ biggest weakness, and with the loss of Keller, it becomes even worse. Jose Alvarado, Kyle Backhus, Tanner Banks, Seth Johnson, and Max Lazar all have an ERA of more than five. This is a massive problem, as this is over half of the bullpen that typically pitches.

The one spark the Phillies do have is closer Jhoan Duran. Duran is 1-3, but his ERA is just 1.38, making him a more than reliable relief pitcher. The issue is that Duran can not pitch every game, meaning someone else will have to be able to close the game without blowing the lead, or if they’re losing, give up more runs. The bullpen will have to be stronger when the Phillies are in a neck-to-neck game if they want any shot at winning even against worse teams. 

The Bats Must Wake Up

It is no doubt that the starting pitching has not been much of a concern for the Phillies, but with the bullpen struggling and now losing Keller as well, the bats will need to get hot to have any chance of competing with good teams. The Phillies’ other issue is that when they do hit, they give up a lot of runs. They very rarely have dominant victories without giving up a scare.

The stars have struggled to hit, and their strong pitching on the mound is what is keeping this team alive. Brandon Marsh is the only Phillie on the entire roster that has an average of .270 or higher. Marsh is hitting .294 but even he is struggling after hitting over .320. The Phillies are batting below .250 as a team.

If the Phillies’ bats do not get hot, they could be in big trouble after losing another relief pitcher. To make matters worse, the Phillies have a tough schedule coming up. After playing the New York Mets, they will host the dominant Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees and travel to a young but competitive Miami Marlins team. A struggling bullpen that now loses Keller and a stone-cold offense could get exposed to these teams. It will ultimately come down to if the Phillies can get the bats hot to take away pressure from the bullpen and if the starting pitching can remain dominant. 

Do you think that the Phillies can replace Keller?

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