Phillies

A Pulse Check on the Phillies’ Bullpen

By Luke Arcaini

Published: Sep 21st, 2026 · 1:00 PM EDT

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The Phillies have six games left in the regular season, and it’s nearly impossible for them to miss the postseason. The magic number is down to 3, and the earliest they can clinch is on Tuesday at Citizens Bank Park vs. the Milwaukee Brewers.

The vibes right now are… not great. The offense has returned to their stagnant ways, although they did produce in Sunday’s 7-2 victory over the Mets. The starting pitching is still good. Jesus Luzardo threw for the first time on Sunday and came out well.

The bullpen is…not in great shape. With 6 games to go, it feels like Jhoan Duran, Alex McFarlane, and everybody else.

Let’s do a pulse check.

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Jhoan Duran

Not worried in the slightest. Duran has been awesome yet again this year. He’s logged 32 saves, 79 strikeouts, a 1.01 WHIP, and a 1.76 ERA. He has allowed just three earned runs since the beginning of August.

The question for me, right now, is will you see Duran in any multi-inning spots this October? You saw it last year at Dodger Stadium, and the Phillies’ bullpen is even thinner now. There is a very good chance that Duran will have to pull off 4-6 out saves in the postseason.

Alex McFarlane

I’m somehow not worried in the slightest, and if you told me that four months ago, I would’ve called you crazy. Alex McFarlane has been with this team for two months and he’s already flew up the board of trusted relievers. Although he did allow one inherited run on Sunday, McFarlane’s stuff continued to look electric. He struck out Juan Soto on 99, 100, and 101. He’s going to be the 8th inning guy for the Phillies, and he’s earned it after just two months in the pros.

Tim Mayza

All of a sudden, Tim Mayza has turned into the 3rd most important reliever in the Phillies bullpen? Hitters have just a .224 average against Mayza this year when he comes into the game as a reliever. He hasn’t fared extremely well as an opener, but that won’t be needed in the postseason. Mayza is going to have to get outs, especially against left-handed hitters. Lefties are hitting just .221 against him in 2026.

Jonathan Bowlan

What a complete 180 from my pulse check on Bowlan two months ago. The big righty was slated to take down most of the 8th innings for the Phillies. He then proceeded to allow one earned run in five straight appearances, build up a 6.75 ERA in the month of September, and injure his groin with a week until the postseason. Bowlan was expected to play catch on Sunday. The Phillies do not know if Bowlan will truly be ready for the postseason, but they will not put him on the IL in hopes that he’ll be ready to return to the mound.

Brooks Raley

Oh man. I loved the Brooks Raley trade when it happened, and it just hasn’t worked. It’s a mix of bad usage from Don Mattingly and bad pitches from Raley, but the last two months have pretty much been a disaster. I wouldn’t be shocked if you don’t see Raley in the postseason, but with the state of the bullpen, they may be forced into it. If he steps on the mound, it’ll be against a left-handed hitter in a very specific pocket.

Chase Shugart

From mop-up-man to potential leverage reliever. Shugart has looked more the part over the last few weeks, which is something the Phillies needed. There is a serious chance that Shugart could find himself in a playoff game after being the clean-up guy for four months.

Jose Alvarado

You never know what Alvarado you’ll get on the mound, but the Phillies will hope for the September version. Alvarado has a 1.17 ERA over that time (7.2 innings) with 9 strikeouts and 4 walks. The Phillies will need the electric version of Alvarado, not the erratic version.

Tanner Banks

The Phillies will hope for the 2025 version of Tanner Banks… not the version they got earlier this season. Banks threw two shutout innings on Friday night in Queens, and maybe he can build some late momentum into the postseason.

Andrew Painter and/or Jesus Luzardo?

This is where things get interesting. Painter will most likely throw innings out of the bullpen for the Phillies in the postseason, and Painter said he’s ready for the challenge. Mattingly mentioned on Sunday the possibility of getting Painter in a bullpen spot over the next six days if the opportunity comes up. It’ll be interesting, but there is potential for Painter’s stuff to be electric in a 1-2 inning role.

In an ideal world, Jesus Luzardo is healthy by Game 1 and can start for the Phillies. But there’s still a lot of unknown, even after a successful throwing session on Sunday afternoon. Maybe the Phillies are better off with Luzardo coming into the middle of the game and locking down the 6th-8th inning. If Aaron Nola starts a playoff game, which could certainly happen, the Phillies could go to Luzardo once Nola gets back around for the 3rd time through the order.

There are options with Luzardo, but it all falls back on his health.

Orion Kerkering (AAA)

Did we watch Orion Kerkering’s last pitch as a Phillie? I don’t think that’s out of the equation. The Phillies optioned one of their top righties of the last three years to Triple-A on Saturday night after a disastrous outing. He will not be on the postseason roster, and there’s a chance he doesn’t put on a Phillies uniform again.

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So, what’s the real pulse check? It’s not a quick pulse. It’s not even a normal pulse. But there is a pulse. Will Duran and McFarlane have to take down a combination of 7-8 outs in the postseason? Yes, that is a possibility. The Phillies will have to get creative. Mattingly will have to perfectly manage this bullpen for the Phillies to win ballgames, because it is not a deep unit. The longevity of the Phillies season relies on game length from the starters. They are going to need to be on their game, because asking for four innings from this bullpen is not what the Phillies are hoping for.