Phillies Bullpen Needs Brad Keller, Jonathan Bowlan, Other Newcomers to Rise in 2026

The Philadelphia Phillies are relying on newcomers to bridge the gap between their rotation and closer Jhoan Duran during the 2026 season. There's a plan for lefties, with Jose Alvarado and Tanner Banks offering wildly varied looks from the mound, but on most nights, Brad Keller will be an innings eater.

Jonathan Bowlan, who was acquired from the Kansas City Royals in the Matt Strahm trade, will also be asked to pick up a good bit of slack. As MLB.com's Paul Casella notes, other newcomers need to rise to the occasion in 2026 to make it all work for Rob Thomson, Cesar Ramos, and Co.

"The Phillies hope to capitalize on a breakout 2025 season from right-hander Brad Keller, whom they signed to a two-year, $22 million deal on Dec. 18," Casella prefaced before saying, "Keller was excellent out of the bullpen for the Cubs last year, striking out 75 hitters in 69 2/3 innings with a 2.07 ERA. Opposing batters’ 30.6% hard-hit rate against him was the fourth-best mark among qualifying pitchers, and other Statcast metrics suggest the hard-throwing righty has found a recipe for sustained success.

"The Phillies will also be depending on right-hander Jonathan Bowlan, who was acquired from Kansas City for Strahm a day after Keller’s deal became official. Bowlan had a 3.86 ERA in 44 1/3 innings for the Royals in 2025 after making just three combined appearances between 2023 and ’24. His sinker graded out as the best weapon in his five-pitch arsenal, according to Statcast.

"With two spots left to fill in their Opening Day bullpen, the Phils will need other pitchers to step up, too. Trade acquisitions Chase Shugart and Kyle Backhus, veteran righty Zach Pop and Rule 5 Draft pick Zach McCambley are among the newcomers to the club who could contend for innings out of the bullpen."

Dave Dombrowski and Preston Mattingly Invested in Major Phillies Weakness

One thing you can't accuse the current Phillies regime of is not investing in the roster to move the needle. Since last summer, when Philly sent top prospects, pitcher Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait, for Duran, Dave Dombrowski has been willing to pay up for whoever Preston Mattingly brought to the table.

This year, that's expected by many to pay off. Philadelphia is one of the top favorites to win the World Series come October/November.

Of course, bullpens sometimes appear closer to ideal than they end up being in reality. Getting the matchups right every night is on Thompson and his coaching staff. Juggling egos is also important with pitchers who never know when they'll get the ball next.

If the Phillies could get this right, the sky is the limit for the City of Brotherly Love on the baseball diamond.