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A Long Man Like Nick Nelson Is a Luxury for the Phillies Bullpen

Nick Nelson has been so much more than a mop-up man for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022.

Author:
Leo Morgenstern
Aug 20, 2022 11:00 AM EDT

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Nick Nelson isn’t the kind of guy who’s going to get a lot of attention. The fourth-round draft pick made his debut with the Yankees in 2020. In 22 total appearances for New York, he posted a 6.43 ERA in 35 IP.

In November 2021, the Yankees dealt him to the Philadelphia Phillies in a move primarily intended to free up a roster spot. Clearly the Phillies saw something in Nelson when they traded for him, and when they later added him to the Opening Day roster, but no one was counting the 26-year-old right-hander among the major offseason acquisitions.

Nelson’s 2022 numbers aren’t flashy. He has a 4.19 ERA in 32 games. He is much more likely to pitch in a blowout than a save situation. So no, he’s not going to be a guy who gets a lot of attention. But he has been a reliable contributor and a valuable member of Philadelphia’s bullpen all year. That deserves some recognition.

With 53.2 innings pitched, Nelson leads all Phillies relievers. Indeed, only a handful of relievers in the National League have pitched more than he has.

To be fair, Nelson leads the bullpen in innings pitched because he’s a long man and an occasional bullpen game starter, not because Rob Thomson just loves to use him as much as possible. He mostly pitches in lower leverage situations, and that’s partly why his 4.19 ERA is as low as it is.

Even so, pitching a lot of innings with a league-average ERA is valuable. Someone has to be the long man, and Nelson has done a great job filling that role. He is a big reason why Philadelphia’s bullpen is so good this year.

He’s no Seranthony Domínguez or David Robertson, but the upgrade between Nelson and the guys who were filling his role over the past few years is astronomical. His entrance doesn’t trigger a grimace from the fanbase.

There is no better marker of how good the Phillies bullpen has become than the man at the bottom of the big league depth chart. A consistent and reliable long man is something only good teams have.

Nick Nelson may not be a star. He may not get much attention at all. But he is also a luxury, of the sort this team hasn’t had in quite a long time. The bullpen is good again, and Nelson is one reason why.