The Phillies were no stranger to churn on the back of their roster, especially when it came to relievers. Throughout a season, due to injuries or ineffectiveness, you’ll usually get a revolving cast of names
taking up the final spot or two in the bullpen. One such pitcher was righthander Alan Rangel.
Since signing with the Braves as an international free agent in 2015, Rangel has bounced throughout the minor leagues. After he was released by the Angels in the middle of 2024, the Phillies signed him to a minor league deal and placed him in their AAA rotation.
That’s where he started the 2025 season until June 6th, when the Phillies needed another pitcher. He made his debut that night, and it didn’t go particularly well. He walked the first batter he faced and then served up a two-run home run to the next.
He returned to the minors after that, but the Phillies would call him up twice more during the season, and he showed some improvement in his return appearances.
The stats
5 games, 11 innings pitched, 0-0 W-L, 1 save, 2.45 ERA, 6.5 K/9, 4.9 BB/9, 0.2 fWAR
What went right
In a game against the Braves on June 27, a rain delay wiped out Mick Abel’s start, and the Phillies were forced to go with a bullpen game. The Phillies’ offense jumped out to an early lead, and not wanting to use up too many pitchers in a blowout, manager Rob Thomson asked Rangel to cover the final five innings. He did so capably, shutting the Braves out to earn his first major league save.
What went wrong
Rangel was largely unspectacular as part of the AAA rotation (4.55 ERA). He doesn’t strike out a lot of hitters, while walking too many, and giving up a fair amount of home runs. It probably didn’t help that he bounced between the majors and minors and changed up roles (minor league starter, major league reliever), but that’s the life of a “quad A” pitcher.
His future with the Phillies
He’s 28 years old, so there probably isn’t all that much upside with Rangel at this point. The Phillies will likely bring him back to camp with plans to utilize him in a similar quad A fashion this season. On the other hand, depending on how the offseason proceeds, the Phillies could decide that spot on the 40-man roster would be better spent on a younger pitcher with more potential.
