Philly Leader

Taijuan Walker, the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher, expressed confidence during his Grapefruit League debut at TD Ballpark. Walker's performance marked a significant improvement from last spring as he allowed two hits, one run, and struck out one over two innings against the Blue Jays.

“All last year,” Walker commented during the 5-4 loss to Toronto. He added, “The biggest thing for me is I can just control what I can control. Go out there and get results. Pitch the best I can pitch. And whatever happens, happens.”

Walker has two years remaining on his four-year contract worth $72 million but is not guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster due to his previous season's performance of 3-7 with a 7.10 ERA in 19 appearances.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson stated, “Jobs are up for grabs. The best guy is gonna get it.” When asked if this included a rotation position, Thomson confirmed: “No, rotation... Who knows what’s going to happen? We’ve got a ways to go yet.”

Walker could potentially secure a bullpen role as injuries or trades might alter team dynamics. “We have five really good pitchers,” Walker noted. “So my thing is just go out there, get outs.”

In Sunday's game, Walker's fastball reached speeds up to 93.9 mph compared to an average of 89.4 mph in last year's start. Despite allowing a solo home run by Daulton Varsho on a sweeper below the strike zone, Walker felt optimistic about his progress: “It was a really bad year... I feel like I'm a lot better pitcher than that.”

Teammates observed improvements in Walker's performance and health this season after dealing with knee and shoulder issues previously.

“It felt like the heater was coming out good,” said shortstop Trea Turner.

Catcher Rafael Marchan praised Walker’s pitches: “Since the first day of Spring Training... everything is looking good... he looked confident, he looked healthy.”

Walker remains focused on preparing for any role needed by the team: “My thing is just to get built up like a starter and see where it goes.”