Philadelphia Phillies: 5 bold predictions for the 2022 MLB season
By Tim Boyle
Bold Philadelphia Phillies prediction: The bullpen isn’t a disaster
What the Phillies did with the bullpen this offseason was smart. Will it work? That’s a whole different story that will need to unfold.
The Phillies brought in three guys with closer experience. Corey Knebel, Jeurys Familia, and Brad Hand by themselves feel weak. Together, the Phillies are going to give themselves options for the final three outs each day. They may even find themselves going with a closer-by-committee although this isn’t a plan I’d be in favor of other than the occasional opportunity for Hand, the lone lefty of the three, to take the mound depending on the handedness of the hitters.
As horrendous as the bullpen has been for several seasons, there are some promising players joining those three veterans. Jose Alvarado is what he is and that’s a guy who can is either completely on or off each time he steps on the hill. My expectations aren’t high for him. A few of the less experienced pitchers, however, have some room to grow.
Specifically, it’s Connor Brogdon I’m ready to see more from. Since debuting in 2020, he has delivered a 3.52 ERA in 69 innings of work. As nice as it is, he’s not alone in the bullpen.
Seranthony Dominguez is back and hopefully healthy. He has pitched only a single inning post-2019. Still young, maybe he can find his 2018 self again.
The bullpen has a lot to prove. As of now, I’m keeping the faith and predicting fewer storm clouds in 2022.