Philly Leader

Orion Kerkering is poised to fill the role left by Jeff Hoffman, who recently signed a three-year contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. Hoffman had been a key reliever for the Philadelphia Phillies over the past two seasons, earning a spot on the 2024 NL All-Star team due to his performance in high-pressure situations.

Hoffman reached out to Kerkering after signing his new deal, offering words of encouragement. "He said he was still going to check up on me, and make sure that I’m listening to [Matt] Strahm," Kerkering shared at Citizens Bank Park.

In his first full season with the Phillies last year, Kerkering posted a 5-3 record with a 2.29 ERA across 64 appearances. The team is confident in his ability to take over Hoffman's responsibilities. “Just go be you,” Kerkering recounted as Hoffman's advice, emphasizing individuality and fun in approach.

The Phillies have adopted a flexible strategy regarding their bullpen roles in recent years. While they have experimented with traditional closers like Craig Kimbrel and Carlos Estévez, other pitchers such as Jordan Romano could also be considered for late-inning duties alongside Strahm and Kerkering.

“I think it’ll be super fun,” said Kerkering about potential closing opportunities. “No pressure at all... No matter what inning it is, I think they’re all super important.”

Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham expressed confidence in Kerkering's capabilities during an appearance on The Phillies Show: “He’s a good thinker... He likes those sticky, hot situations... He’s a trash man."

Cotham believes that Kerkering has closer potential: “For sure... If we define closer like the ability to get the most important outs in a game, he’s there.”

Kerkering plans to refine his fastball this spring by incorporating more two-seam pitches and improving accuracy. He aims for balance between fastballs and sliders while enhancing control against both right-handed and left-handed batters.

Regarding filling Hoffman's former role as Matt Strahm's catch partner, Kerkering remarked lightheartedly about being uncertain if he'll step into that position: "I think that’s really up in the air right now... We’ll see about that one."