Identifying Biggest Weakness for Phillies Heading Down the Stretch

As the Philadelphia Phillies start up their weekend series against the Texas Rangers, they will be looking to continue their momentum against a talented team.

With the Rangers seeking to move up in the American League, the Phillies are trying to hold on to their lead in the National League East.

Even though it has been a solid season thus far, the Phillies were aggressive at the trade deadline to make some upgrades. Fortunately, the team didn’t have to worry about adding anyone to their starting rotation like a lot of the other contenders.

Philadelphia features one of the best starting rotations in the league, and they were seeking upgrades in other areas.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, two of the areas that plagued them in the 2024 playoffs have still been an issue for them this campaign. Philadelphia was aggressive in trying to fix these issues once again, but there is some concern that it didn’t do enough.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the biggest weakness for the team heading down the stretch still being the bullpen despite the blockbuster addition of Jhoan Duran.

“Philadelphia going out and getting Jhoan Durán to serve as closer for what ought to be the next two-plus seasons was a fantastic decision. But we thought they'd do more, right?”

Coming into the summer, the most significant goal for the team was to acquire a top-tier closer, and they were able to do so with Duran. Their talented right-hander makes this unit look a lot better, but there was some hope that they would do more.

Will Others Step Up in the Bullpen?

Philadelphia Phillies closer Jhoan Duran — Aug 3, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran (59) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Citizens Bank Park. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The other significant recent move by Philadelphia was to sign David Robertson for the rest of the season. Even though the veteran right-hander pitched very well in 2024 with the Texas Rangers, but he remained unsigned until just recently. He has struggled a bit in the minors, but he will likely need time to knock some rust off.

One thing that is for sure for the Phillies' bullpen is that Jose Alvarado will not be eligible to pitch in the postseason. While he will be able to come back and help them down the stretch, whatever role he is being used in will have to be filled by someone else.

As the rest of the campaign rolls on, Philadelphia will be hoping to establish their plan in the bullpen.

Fortunately, they were able to address the most significant issue with the addition of Duran, but there will be a looming concern that they didn’t do enough.

Will Others Step Up in the Bullpen?

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