Orion Kerkering’s latest outing against the Atlanta Braves was a total disaster, pushing his season ERA to an ugly 4.12. This isn’t just a blip on the radar, folks. We’re talking about a right-hander whose struggles have officially hit a critical point, and if you’re a Phillies fan, you know this feeling all too well. It’s the kind of bullpen meltdown that makes you want to throw your remote through the TV.
Kerkering’s Numbers Are Flat-Out Scary, And Philly Can’t Ignore It
Look, the Phillies have been solid in some key areas this year. Their starting rotation is fantastic, absolutely lights out, and the offense? It’s finally clicking, looking a lot better lately after a slow start to the 2026 season. Jhoan Duran is a fantastic closer, no doubt. But what about *getting* to Duran in a save situation? That’s where the wheels fall off, and Orion Kerkering is Exhibit A. Matt Gelb from The Athletic didn’t pull any punches after Kerkering’s poor showing against Atlanta. Gelb wrote, and you can practically hear the frustration, “It was hard not to think about October – and the inning that came before Kerkering’s latest stumble.” Ouch. He even called Kerkering “a symbol of past postseason bullpen failures.” That’s heavy, especially when you consider it’s September and every game matters. You just can’t have a guy symbolizing *past failures* when you’re trying to win *now*.
The numbers themselves are brutal. Kerkering’s ERA is sitting at 4.12, which is bad enough, but check out his recent work. Over his last four outings, this guy has an eye-popping 12.27 ERA, giving up three walks and only striking out two. Seriously? And it gets worse: his ERA over the last ten outings is a truly awful 7.71. That kind of production just doesn’t belong in a high-leverage spot in the bullpen, especially not when you’ve got other guys stepping up.
Philly Has An Easy Fix, So Why Wait?
While Kerkering was busy allowing a two-run homer that put the Braves well ahead of the Phillies on Friday night, a different story was playing out an inning earlier. Alex McFarlane came in and got through a clean seventh inning, no sweat. The contrast between McFarlane’s solid performance and Kerkering’s absolute blow-up couldn’t be clearer. It’s basically an flashing neon sign saying, “MAKE A SWITCH!”
Jhoan Duran is the closer, obviously. Jonathan Bowlan has handled eighth-inning duties for most of the year. But that third high-leverage spot? It *has* to go to McFarlane. He’s proving to be trustworthy, especially when you compare him to Kerkering right now. The Phillies aren’t going to get rid of Kerkering, that’s clear. But keeping him in critical, late-game situations is just asking for trouble. It makes total sense to move him down the reliever depth chart, putting him in lower-leverage opportunities alongside Jose Alvarado and Brooks Raley. Duran, Bowlan, and McFarlane are the three best relievers in Philadelphia this season, period. McFarlane is thriving, and he can easily slide into that third reliever role. The Phillies need to make this change, and they need to make it now. What are they waiting for? The rest of their season could depend on it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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