Philadelphia Phillies: Archie Bradley has quietly become a reliable arm
When the Philadelphia Phillies signed Archie Bradley to a one-year, $6 million contract back in the middle of January, the expectation was the bullpen now had a solid high leverage arm.
After the embarrassment the franchise endured with their bullpen in 2020, adding Bradley was seen as a big addition and one that could help transform the pen for the Phillies. I mean hey, Archie had a strong showing last season for the Diamondbacks and the Reds, posting an ERA of 2.95 in 16 appearances.
However, the early returns on this investment were less than ideal for the Phillies. Bradley got off to an incredibly slow start and even missed most of April with an oblique issue.
Through his first seven appearances in red pinstripes, Bradley had an ERA of 7.50 and was getting absolutely crushed, with an OPS against of 1.017. Luckily for the Phils, Bradley has found a groove, posting an ERA of 2.05 across his last 23 appearances, recording an OPS against of only .673 in that time span.
Bradley has quietly become one of the Philadelphia Phillies’ best bullpen option.
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In the month of July, Archie Bradley went through his first eight appearances without allowing a run and holds an ERA of 0.90 for the month.
The Philadelphia Phillies are 8-1 in games Bradley has pitched in; and 20-10 overall in his 30 appearances. For the season, Bradley holds a record of 5-1 with an ERA of 3.21.
The one main concern that can be brought up when looking into the season for Bradley is the fact that he has been walking hitters at an alarming rate.
Currently, Archie is averaging 5.1 walks per nine innings, which is even crazier when you realize he is only averaging 4.8 strikeouts per nine. His WHIP is north of 1.5, which means he is allowing 1.5 base runners per inning; certainly not ideal.
However, he has been getting hitters out, so for the time being, we will take the good with the bad.
This is an issue that will need to be cleaned up though, as his success doesn’t seem sustainable if there continues to be traffic on the base path.
Set to hit the market this winter once again, it may be in the Phillies’ best interest to retain the veteran right-hander. Sure he has been productive and will continue to be relied on in big spots, but his impact in the clubhouse is significant as well. His personality makes him an incredibly likable guy, and he seems to be a teammate that guys gravitate towards.
dark. Next. Is Dombrowski turning his attention to Jon Gray?
As the Philadelphia Phillies continue their push towards possibly ending their now-decade-long playoff drought, Archie Bradley is set to continue to be an important piece of the puzzle.