Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering is just getting his feet wet in the major leagues, but he’s been lights-out thus far.
After a rapid rise through the minors this season, Kerkering made his MLB debut on Sept. 24. He made three appearances in the regular season, pitching three scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits and struck out six. That late-season audition earned him a spot on the postseason roster, and he rewarded the Phillies’ confidence in him on Wednesday with a flawless outing in Game 2 against the Marlins.
Kerkering was called upon in the eighth inning with the Phillies up 7–0 and pitched a one-two-three inning. The highlight of his night was this filthy sweeper that he threw on an 0–2 count to Jesús Sánchez. It started over the inner part of the plate and finished behind Sánchez. He never stood a chance.
Orion Kerkering, Disgusting 88mph Sweeper. 🤮 pic.twitter.com/scbeyokKHD
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 5, 2023
Kerkering, 22, is the team’s No. 7 prospect, according to MLB.com. He started the season with Class A Clearwater in the Florida State League and rocketed his was through the Philadelphia system before being called up to the majors for the stretch run.
The sweeper is a big reason why Kerkering is so highly regarded. It’s his primary pitch. Of the 60 pitches he’s thrown as a big leaguer, 51 have been sweepers. He throws it hard (86.0 mph on average) and it’s got a ton of break (18.6 inches of horizontal movement, 6.3 inches more than the average MLB sweeper). On top of that, he throws a sinker that averages 97.8 mph and has topped out at 100 mph. Sánchez won’t be the last hitter to get embarrassed by Kerkering.
