3 Surprise Phillies Who Could Make the Postseason Roster

With a five-game lead in the NL Wild Card standings and only six contests left, the Philadelphia Phillies are in full control of a playoff spot in the final week of the regular season. While we still haven’t officially clinched yet, it should happen any day, which means we can start looking ahead to the playoffs.

One of the most important parts of preparing for October is setting the postseason roster. Not everyone will make the 26-man unit, of course, but we could see some surprise additions, especially for players who blossomed late in the season.

That said, here are three surprise Phillies who could end up on the playoff roster.

3 Surprise Phillies Postseason Roster

1. Orion Kerkering

Kerkering has pitched a grand total of 1 inning in the major leagues since being called up. We still have no idea if he’s ready for the big leagues, let alone the postseason.

And yet, there’s every reason to believe he can handle the bright lights of October. He blazed through the minor leagues this year and dominated at every step. Including last year as well, he went 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP and a 12.8 K/9 in 55 appearances. That’s just absurd.

In an admittedly small sample size, his stuff has already translated to the Show. He pitched a scoreless frame in his MLB debut on Sunday, punching out two batters in the process.

This kid is clearly special and has a bright future. He’s going to be around for a long time, assuming he stays healthy, so why not get him some playoff experience right off the bat?

He’s hungry, confident and fearless, which is exactly the type of attitude you want a guy to have on the mound in October.

I’m not saying throw him into a high-leverage situation right away, but it couldn’t hurt to use him in some lower-leverage situations to start so he can get his feet wet.

His status as a rookie is also an advantage in some ways, as none of these hitters have seen him before. By the time they figure him out and adjust, it will be too late.