The Philadelphia Phillies are trending up, but one performance over the weekend caught the attention of radio host Jon Ritchie. The former Eagles fullback turned radio host turned his attention to reliever Orion Kerkering.
“Every weekend we come back watching a bunch of baseball, and I have the same question,” said Ritchie on 94 WIP’s morning show. “What did Kerkering do to be elevated to this degree?”
This comes after Kerkering loaded the bases on three walks in the Phillies’ 5-4 win over the New York Mets. Despite the extra traffic, the right-hander left them loaded on a popout and a strikeout.
On the season, Kerkering boasts a 2.76 ERA. His strikeout rate sits at 26.8% compared to a 12.0% walk rate in 32.2 innings. In leverage situations, he has 10 shutdowns compared to five meltdowns.
“He’s thrown a little bit better this year than what I remember, but still…”
Orion Kerkering’s 8th-Inning Role Scrutinized by Jon Ritchie
The topic shifted to how the bullpen should be constructed. Co-host Joe Decamara asked Jon Ritchie who should be the Phillies’ top setup man in front of All-Star closer Jhoan Duran.
After Ritchie couldn’t come up with a quick answer, Decamara answered Ritchie’s question of why Orion Kerkering is elevated. Roster Resource on FanGraphs listed the right-hander as the team’s eighth-inning arm.
“When our bullpen is fleshed out, when we believed a little more strongly in those guys, when we were thinking we had the best bullpen in baseball, Kerky was still at the top of the list,” said Ritchie.
Kerkering has been asked to step up with the injuries and struggles in the bullpen. Right-hander Brad Keller and left-hander Jose Alvarado were supposed to be the top leverage arms when the season started.
“To me, Kerkering entering this year was about the fourth-best reliever,” said Decamara. “But everyone has been so bad this year. The (Jonathan) Bowlans, the (Kyle) Backhuses…Alvarado is a disaster.”
But that plan has been scuttled. Keller is currently on the injured list with a forearm injury after pitching to a 4.15 ERA. Alvarado has a 5.70 ERA in 36 appearances, and his fastball velocity is down 2 MPH compared to last season.
Ritchie tried to assert that Kerkering is also a disaster, but Decamara pushed back on that exchange.
Orion Kerkering’s 2026 Opportunity
Perhaps the biggest issue with Kerkering’s perception is what he was projected to be. Or at least it is for Ritchie.
The right-hander flew through the minor leagues, debuting a year after getting drafted. He pitched to a 2.29 ERA in his first full season in 2024, leading Phillies fans to believe he was a future shutdown closer or high-leverage arm.
“He was elevated to (a) high-leverage guy from the moment he arrived,” said Ritchie.
“Yeah, right away they gave him (an) opportunity,” answered Decamara. “But he had an arm that showed it.”
Kerkering averages 97.1 MPH on his four-seamer and sinker. His primary secondary pitch is a hard and big-breaking sweeper. Kerkering has started adding a splitter to his arsenal, to give him a counter vs. left-handed hitters.
However, that transition hasn’t been a smooth one. Kerkering made a critical mistake that cemented the Phillies’ NLDS loss to the Dodgers. After struggling to field a comebacker, the right-hander threw to the wrong base and committed a throwing error. The Phillies were eliminated on that play.
That led to the club signing Brad Keller in the offseason, although a contender always looks to add bullpen depth. They also traded for Kyle Backhus and Jonathan Bowlan, the two arms that Decamara mentioned.
However, the injury to Keller gives Kerkering an opportunity to lock down a leverage role. In the month of June, the right-hander has five shutdowns to just one meltdown.
Whether or not Ritchie believes Kerkering belongs in the eighth inning, the Phillies currently have few better alternatives. With Keller sidelined and Jose Alvarado struggling, Kerkering has an opportunity to solidify the role before the trade deadline.
Considering their needs at the deadline, the team probably would prefer addressing its rotation and lineup first.
Phillies Reliever Orion Kerkering Draws Criticism From Radio Host After Mets Series