The Phillies may need to make room in their bullpen for Bryan Mitchell

A former Yankee who spent a brief amount of time under current Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi over in NY, right-hander Bryan Mitchell has been a rather surprisingly productive player this spring. With the Phillies bringing in so many new additions in an attempt to revamp their bullpen, Mitchell is a guy who’s seemingly gone unnoticed by most.

However, if you look at his actual in-game performances, he’s been one of the Phillies best pitchers this spring. Across four games and 5.0 innings pitched, Mitchell has allowed just two hits and one walk, while also recording an eye-popping seven strikeouts. His fastball velocity has been particularly impressive, as he’s routinely throwing pitches in the 95-96 MPH range.

Just a few days ago and I personally left Mitchell off my eight-man bullpen prediction. However, after yet another impressive outing against the Tigers earlier this afternoon, one has to wonder if the Phillies try and find a spot for the 29 year old veteran. Not only has Mitchell looked impressive down in Clearwater, but he also has experience operating as a starter in the past.

RHP Bryan Mitchell could end up cracking the Phillies bullpen.

More from Section 215

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

If Joe Girardi was ever in a pinch, and needed someone to make a quick 3-4 inning start, Mitchell could easily be tasked with that duty.

Mitchell hasn’t formally pitched in the major leagues since 2018, so the odds of him cracking the Phillies’ Opening Day roster are probably slim, despite his slew of dominant outings. With that said, the Phillies bullpen is by no means a polished product at the moment – there’s definitely a chance that one of the team’s relievers flames out early on in the season, opening up an opportunity for a guy like Mitchell to earn himself a major league roster spot.

Someone like Sam Coonrod (who throws absolute heat but had an ERA in the 9.00s last season) could easily be replaced with Mitchell, for example.

I’d even make the argument that Mitchell gives you more upside over the likes of Vince Velasquez, who is on a far larger salary. If the Phillies opted to trade Velasquez, clearing the way for Mitchell, they’d not only save themselves $4+ million, but they’d also be improving a bullpen spot on their main roster (in my opinion).

Ultimately speaking, Spring Training performances should always be taken with a grain of salt. They’re rarely a reflection of what a player will look like during the regular season.

However, Mitchell has undoubtedly done his part when it comes to showing up to camp in good pitching shape. He’s outperformed the likes of Velasquez, Ivan Nova, Hector Rondon, David Hale, and even JoJo Romero to an extent. If there was ever a “surprise bullpen arm” to come from this year’s group of non-roster invitees, Mitchell is where my attention would naturally drift to.