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Philadelphia Phillies Counting on Andrew Bellatti to Stay Strong Down the Stretch

Andrew Bellatti has been a key contributor to the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen thus far, but can he keep it up while pitching his first full season in seven years?

Author:
Leo Morgenstern
Aug 9, 2022 1:00 PM EDT

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Philadelphia Phillies

Andrew Bellatti's performance out of the bullpen has been one of the best surprises this season for the Philadelphia Phillies.

The right-hander was signed to a minor league contract in November. He had pitched just 26.2 innings in his big league career. He did not make the Opening Day roster, nor was he expected to contribute much throughout the season.

But Bellatti has turned out to be one of the most reliable bullpen arms on the team. In 40 appearances, he has a 3.47 ERA. The underlying numbers suggest he might be even better. His xERA ranks in the top 25% of pitchers, his SIERA puts him among the top ten relievers in the National League, and his DRA (per Baseball Prospectus) ranks among the top ten relievers in all of baseball.

Most impressively, Bellatti ranks fourth among qualified NL relievers with 13.38 K/9. His whiff rate (swinging strikes per total swings) ranks seventh. His fastball/slider combination has been making opposing hitters look silly all season long.

Yet for exactly the same reason Bellatti has been such a pleasant surprise, there is cause for concern. He has already pitched more innings this year (36.1) than in the rest of his MLB career combined. Can he keep up this level of performance as his workload grows heavier and heavier?

Including his minor league numbers, Bellatti has not pitched more than 38 innings in a season since 2015. Here are his innings totals from the last several years, including both MLB and minor league experience:

2016: 14.1 innings (13 games)
2017: Did not play
2018: Did not play
2019: 37.2 innings (25 games)
2020: Did not play
2021: 36.1 innings (33 games)

It will be a big jump for Bellatti to appear in 55-60 games this season after having pitched so sparingly for the past six years.

Andrew Bellatti is in the midst of a breakout season for the Philadelphia Phillies.
© Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

From 2012 to 2015, Bellatti was a durable relief pitcher in the minor leagues (and in a brief cup of coffee with the Rays). He threw at least 70 innings each year. It is not as if he has never pitched a full season.

Even then, however, he was a multi-inning reliever, and he never appeared in more than 46 games in a single season. On average, he played in 40 games per year.

With 54 contests remaining on the Phillies' schedule, Bellatti is set to blow past his career high in games. He'll throw more innings than he has in seven years. For the first time, he'll be pitching down the stretch in a serious playoff race. That's a lot for an arm to handle.

Going forward, manager Rob Thomson will have to be mindful of Bellatti's workload. It will be a challenge, but with the right coaching and conditioning, the 31-year-old rookie should be able pitch the remainder of the season and stay healthy and effective.

If he can continue to pitch this well, it would be a huge boon for Philadelphia's bullpen. And even if he is not quite so dominant, Bellatti can still play a key role in helping the Phillies reach the postseason for the first time in over a decade.