It’s been a whirlwind for Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering.
He began 2023 in Low-A Clearwater and rose all the way to the big leagues, making the Phillies’ playoff roster and pitching in the biggest spots.
Kerkering’s extremely productive first full season of professional baseball did not have a happy ending. He ran out of gas and struggled in his last few appearances of the NLCS.
His inability to locate the sweeper along with a dip in fastball velocity probably had more to do with fatigue than anything else. Nonetheless, the 22-year-old will have to earn his spot on the big league roster this spring.
Kerkering began throwing off the mound last week. He’s not close to beginning a full-on ramp up, but he did say that he has worked on refining his two-seam fastball.
“Just kind of going more east and west with everything between two-seam and slider. That’s the goal for next year,” Kerkering said at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday afternoon.
No matter how great the slider/sweeper is, Kerkering will need a better feel for his fastball than he showed late in the postseason to stick in the back end of the Phillies bullpen. Hitters will either lay off the slider or sit on a certain location near the zone if they can eliminate the fastball.
Either way, Kerkering’s biggest strength is his demeanor. The Phillies saw first hand last season just how unflappable Kerkering is and it’s the reason why the team has high hopes for Kerkering in 2024 and beyond.
“He’s way up on my list as far as the talent level and where he stands in that bullpen,” manager Rob Thomson said. “I like the stuff. I like the makeup. I think he’s going to be a big part of this thing moving forward — and including this year.”
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