The Phillies are digging into the farm system again, and this time it's for a fastball that touches 101 mph. Alex McFarlane, the club's 4th-round pick out of Miami back in 2022, is getting the call from Double-A Reading, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Phillies To Promote Alex McFarlane t.co/pPjX0moZEd
This isn't some throwaway September look either. McFarlane has been nasty in the minors this year, posting a 2.06 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and a .187 opponent average across 32 appearances for Reading, racking up 47 strikeouts in 35 innings out of the bullpen. Miami's staff clearly figured out he's a reliever, not a starter, and the results speak for themselves.
The timing matters. The Phillies just got hit with the news that Brad Keller is dealing with a torn UCL, which is about as bad as bullpen news gets this time of year. That thinned-out relief corps got exposed further in a 6-1 loss to the Mets, and now Philadelphia needs fresh arms who can actually miss bats right as the trade deadline stretch heats up.
McFarlane, the Phillies' 17th-ranked prospect overall and 10th among pitchers, is set to make his MLB debut whenever he gets into a game — and reports have him potentially getting thrown right into a series against the Dodgers, which is about as loud an introduction as a rookie reliever can ask for.
For a Phillies team with real October ambitions, this is exactly the kind of move that either quietly stabilizes a shaky bullpen or turns into a feel-good story about a 4th-rounder answering the call at the perfect time. Either way, the Reading Fightin Phils just lost their best setup weapon, and Philadelphia's staff just got an infusion of triple-digit heat right when it needed one most.