Rob Thomson‘s trusted fireman could be back in business. José Alvardo has been untouchable throughout the Phillies‘ Spring Training. In seven innings pitched, Alvarado has struck out 16/27 of opposing batters.
That’s SIXTEEN strikeouts in just SEVEN innings.
José Alvarado is reportedly in the best shape of his career. If fastball velocity is any indication of his physical shape, he must be at the top of his game. Alvarado’s sinker averaged 97.8 MPH in 2024. On March 15, he hit 102.4 MPH: a career high.
It wasn’t an outlier either. Two other of his pitches reached the 102 MPH mark. His 11 sinkers averaged 101.5 MPH. A few days later, on Tuesday, Alvarado again averaged over 100 MPH on his sinker, hitting over 101 thrice.
A Rollercoaster of Trust
In 2022, José Alvarado’s struggles peaked. On June 12, he allowed two runs, and his ERA spiked to 8.36. He was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to get himself right. When he returned, Alvarado looked like a new pitcher.
His contributions down the stretch helped the Phillies reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011. In his last 37 innings pitched in the 2022 regular season, Alvarado allowed just five earned runs. He gave up just a singular home run while striking out 64. His sinker was electric, averaging 99.6 MPH.
That performance made Alvarado Rob Thomson’s most-trusted arm in the bullpen in the postseason. Between his first and last appearances of the 2022 playoffs, he allowed three earned runs in 10.1 IP while striking out 13. His last appearance ended a magical run for the Phillies, allowing a massive home run to Yordan Alvarez.
Even with an imperfect ending, Alvarado had become a made man in the Phillies bullpen, and in 2023, he cemented that. He allowed eight earned runs in the 2023 regular season. He was a menace on the mound, recording a 13.9 K/9 and a 249 ERA+.
In the playoffs, he was somehow better. He allowed just one run in the entire 2023 postseason.
In 2024, the rollercoaster came back down. Despite recording a career-high 13 saves, Alvarado had a 4.09 ERA. His strikeout rate fell significantly, and his sinker averaged only 97.8 MPH. He fell out of favor with manager Rob Thomson as he started to lean on Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman.
With Jeff Hoffman gone from the mix and his stuff on the rise, José Alvarado could re-claim his elite reliever status in 2025. If he continues his Spring Training performance into the regular season, Alvarado could be among the top relievers in all of baseball.
