The Phillies have been searching for consistency in their bullpen outside all season. Outside of Jhoan Duran at closer, they’ve experienced peaks and valleys, injuries, and demotions. They acquired some help at the deadline in Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian, but the latter is injured and may miss the rest of the season while the former appears to be suffering some regression. However, those two weren’t the only additions to the bullpen to have come in early August.
Alex McFarlane had been called up a few times this season, but he didn’t start to receive real playing time until August 11th. He’s appeared in ten total MLB games this season, nine since last being recalled, and has looked impressive. McFarlane has flashed his explosive stuff that made him so tantalizing while in the minor leagues, as he’s averaged 99.8 MPH on his fastball and has struck out ten hitters in 9.1 innings with a 26.5% whiff rate entering play on Wednesday. However, he’s also shown the thing that kept him in the minor leagues even as the Phillies were on the hunt for relief help, as McFarlane has also notched five walks in his short time in Philadelphia with 46.5% of his pitches being outside of the zone, a lower rate than the 50.7% mark he was running in Triple-A.
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In any case, McFarlane has been a welcome addition to the Phillies bullpen since arriving for good from Triple-A. He’s been charged with three runs, only one of which was earned, and has allowed only four hits. He’s primarily been used in the sixth or seventh inning, but he’s been able to tally four wins as the team has scored late after his appearances, thanks in small part at least to his performance.
How Don Mattingly and the Phillies use McFarlane over the next month will be telling. Will he begin to see more leverage as the games get more important, getting his feet wet before a possible role in the postseason? Or will the team opt to keep him in the same medium leverage role he occupies now?
So, what do you think of Alex McFarlane so far?
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