Today is the official start of Spring Training: the day that Philadelphia Phillies pitchers and catchers are to report and begin their practice schedules and bullpen regiments at The Carpenter Complex and BayCare Ballpark in sunny Clearwater, Florida!
About 1,000 miles away, in the Greater Philadelphia Area, fans are watching Tuesday’s snow melt from their cars and roads while likely still holding resentment regarding the fate of the 2023-24 Philadelphia Eagles while also maintaining hope for the remainder of the Philadelphia 76ers and Flyers’ respective seasons.
But today is a new day in Clearwater! It’s a sunny day with highs in the upper 60s, there’s new grass on the field, and the sounds of cork and rubber connecting with leather mitts are filling the air!
As the 2024 rendition of the Hunt for Red October begins, let’s take a look at a few of the storylines you will want to be following from the mound this Spring out of Clearwater as pitchers and catchers report.
Taijuan Walker
When the Phillies took on Taijuan Walker last offseason on a three-year, $54 million contract, hopes were high that Walker would stand as the Phillies’ third anchor in the pitching rotation. Behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, Walker was expected to pitch like he had in 2022 for the New York Mets, yielding a 3.49 ERA over a 29-start season.
The 2023 version of Walker, instead, yielded a slightly higher ERA at 4.38. In fact, the Phillies didn’t even use Walker for a single pitch during the Postseason. But honestly, and this might be a hot take here: I don’t think the Phillies make the 2023 postseason without Taijuan Walker.
Look at his overall season in 2024. 15-6 record. 31 games started. 172.2 innings pitched. An ERA+ of 98. Looking at the broad strokes, Taijuan Walker gave the Phillies 5.2 innings pitched per-start over 31 starts with a 4.38 ERA.
Walker, along with Nola and Wheeler, combined to start 95 games for the Phillies in 2023. And while all three would probably said they had down years, that consistency knowing the Phillies could rely on the three of them each pitch at least five innings once every five days matters in a 162-game marathon.
Now, as Walker enters year two in Philadelphia, we will watch and see whether Walker will trend upward or if the Walker we saw in 2023 is the one we can come to expect moving forward. The difference between average starter and above-average starter may just be a difference-maker in 2024.
Is the Phillies Closer Job Jose Alvarado’s to Lose?
This has been a much-discussed topic over the offseason, so rather than rehashing it fully, let’s make this brief.
Barring a potential trade such an Emmanuel Clase or Kenley Jansen, the Phillies do not seem likely to bring in any additional relief pitchers at this point. At least any relief pitcher that will automatically enter the mind as a potential closer. That means that the Phillies will look to replace Craig Kimbrel’s 23 saves in 2023 from within.
The next man up, seemingly, is Jose Alvarado. Alvarado, now entering his age-29 season, was second behind Kimbrel in saves for the Phillies in 2023, closing 10 games. The reliever, overall, is coming off his best year stat-wise having yielded a 1.74 ERA over 41.1 innings, notching 64 strikeouts overall.
Additionally, over 8.0 innings of relief in the 2023 postseason, Alvarado allowed only one run, against the Diamondbacks. Fans may still remember Alvarado’s struggles against the Houston Astros in the 2022 World Series, but Alvarado is coming off what was a a strong year from start to finish.
Whether Phillies’ manager Rob Thomson names Alvarado closer or if he will opt for the “closer by committee” choice is still up in the air, but Alvarado’s name is currently the best guess as to who will earn the first save of the year for the Phillies.
Gregory Soto, Matt Strahm, and Seranthony Dominguez, meanwhile, all will be looking to show Thomson why they deserve their shot at the ball in the ninth inning as well throughout the Spring.
Orion Kerkering
Though only an outside candidate for any save opportunities going into the Spring, Orion Kerkering is perhaps the most promising name in the Phillies’ bullpen right now, and for good reason.
The 22-year-old relief pitcher was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 5th round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of South Florida.
Just 433 days later, on September 24, 2023, Kerkering made his Major League debut. Topping out at 99.8 MPH with his sinker, Kerkering quickly dispatched all three New York Mets he faced, striking out Brett Baty and Rafael Ortega to end the top of the eighth.
Having grown up just an hour-and-a-half away from Clearwater, it’s likely that Kerkering has been working out of the Carpenter Complex for much of the offseason already.
While the sky is limit for the young reliever, the truth is that he has yet to experience a full Big League season. Across all levels in 2023, from Clearwater to Philadelphia, Kerkering appeared in 49 games, pitching 53.2 innings for a combined 1.51 ERA.
Hopes are high that Kerkering can step up and take a big role in the Phillies’ bullpen in 2024, but it may be just as productive for the young gun to take a back seat role, establish himself in Major League Baseball, and learn from those around him before being thrust into a high leverage role this early in his career.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
