Aug 31, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (49) walks to the mound to make a pitching change during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Phillies Bullpen Should Be Able to Thrive in October Despite Key Pitcher Out

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies have entered the final week of the season with the hopes of trying to get the best record in the National League. Philadelphia ended up running away with the NL East thanks to their strong performance and the collapse of the New York Mets, but they have some bigger goals in mind as well.

This is a team that has made the playoffs for what will now be four straight years. In 2022, they were able to reach the World Series. Since then, they have been eliminated earlier and earlier each October. The loss to the Mets in the NLDS in the 2024 campaign was a major disappointment after how successful they were.

Philadelphia will be entering the postseason as arguably the team to beat in the NL now, and they will be hoping to make up for some of their playoff struggles. This summer, the team went out and got aggressive at the trade deadline to fix a couple of their significant problems.

Most importantly was the addition of closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins. The right-hander has been very good for Philadelphia, and he gives them exactly what they have been missing in recent years. Now, the team will be hoping that the bullpen, which was a weakness for most of the campaign, can turn into a strength in October.

Phillies Should Have Confidence in Bullpen

Even though the bullpen has been considered a weakness for most of the year, that narrative should be changing now. Since the addition of Duran, the unit has been much better, and there is reason to believe that they could be good enough to finally get the team over the hump this campaign.

While Jose Alvarado has been pitching since returning from his suspension, he will be ineligible for the playoffs. Even without him, the unit has a nice core in place to help get the ball to Duran with a lead. Currently, bridging the gap from the starters to their star closer will have David Robertson, Orion Kerkering, and Matt Strahm. This is a fairly solid trio, and having the southpaw in Strahm is a bonus.

Due to the team not having their ace Zack Wheeler for the rest of the season, it is going to be the bullpen that will likely have to step up from time to time. Fortunately, even without Alvarado, this should be a unit that will be good enough for the team in October.