The Closer and Honorable Mention Relievers
Finally, it is perhaps fitting for a sorrowful Phillies stretch of time that their closer of the decade was Jonathan Papelbon, who left town one of the most hated athletes in the city’s history (largely for flipping off the fans while leaving the field once). Papelbon did put up some impressive numbers, though, for several pretty bad teams, averaging 66 appearances in his three full Phillies seasons (2012-’14), compiling 106 saves and a 2.45 ERA. In 2015 he added another 17 saves and a 1.59 ERA before being traded to Washington.
More from Call to the Pen
- Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
- Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
- Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
- Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
- 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals
He was selected an All-Star twice for his work in Philly.
Beyond Papelbon, though, the relief pitcher situation for Philadelphia has had only a few twinkling lights if the entire past decade is considered.
Most recently, Hector Neris has been something of a workhorse, and is by all accounts far more pleasant as a person than Papelbon. A career Phillies player at this point, Neris has saved 67 games in 307 appearances, and twice posted yearly ERAs below 3.00, most notably in 2016, when he appeared in nearly half of all Phillies games (79) and recorded a 2.58 ERA. When his splitter is working, Neris is very effective.
Here and there, a few relievers’ seasons have been somewhat inspiring without literally being created by the Phillies saves leader. Antonio Bastardo appeared in 64 games in 2011, for example, and compiled a 2.64 ERA, saving eight games. That same year, the best Phillies season of the decade, Ryan Madson was the team saves leader with 32 close-outs and a 2.37 ERA in 62 games.
The rest of the decade for the Philadelphia Phillies, and not only the relievers, was only “somewhat inspiring.”