The star power of the 2024 Philadelphia Phillies is well-documented, and it runs deeper than most might think.
The Phillies were recognized for their first-half dominance with eight All-Star Game participants, the most of any team in Major League Baseball. That included five pitchers, and the Phillies were also the only team with two relief pitchers selected.
Those two were righty Jeff Hoffman and lefty Matt Strahm, both of whom are having tremendous seasons. The Phillies wouldn't be where they are, owners of the National League's best record at 73-51, without both of them.
However, there's another reliever on the Phillies roster who has been nearly as dominant, but may have flown a bit under the radar. One insider recognized that hurler for his contributions on Tuesday.
Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic named rookie relief pitcher Orion Kerkering as the most "sneaky-good" player on the Phillies roster in the publication's weekly power rankings, in which Philadelphia was ranked third.
"Kerkering shot through the Phillies system last year, and made his MLB debut last September," McGrath said. "Expectations were high for Kerkering this season, and he has lived up to them."
Just 23 years old, Kerkering has quickly established himself as one of the most trustworthy options in the Philadelphia bullpen. He owns a 2.51 ERA over 46 appearances while striking out 10.2 batters per nine innings.
Kerkering's rise has been meteoric. He opened the 2023 season in High-A, made it to the big leagues in time to pitch three innings before the end of the regular season, then threw some important pitches in October for a Phillies team that made it to Game 7 of the NLCS.
This season, Kerkering is more prepared for a high-leverage role in the postseason. And he's been so good that the Phillies traded away veteran relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto at the deadline, both of whom were signed to be key contributors.
If the Phillies are going to win their highly-coveted World Series this time around, Kerkering will likely have a big role to play in that success. And so far, he's looked more than ready for the challenge.
More MLB: Phillies linked to Orioles All-Star in potential marquee free-agent signing
