Photo by Kasey Shamis | The Triangle

Between the MLB draft and trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies have completely overhauled the pitching talent on their roster over the past few weeks. With a struggling bullpen in the majors, the team used many of its resources bolstering that area, including draft selections and prospect capital. 

The 2025 MLB Draft took place on July 13, where the Phillies took a much different approach than in years past. The team had been accustomed to selecting high school pitching or college level hitting, but, in this draft, the first six selections were all collegiate pitchers. This included the team’s first round selection, Gage Wood, a 21 year-old pitching phenom from Arkansas, who threw the third no-hitter in College World Series history this season.

Nine of the Phillies’ first 10 selections were pitchers, and eight were selected out of college. Pitchers taken from universities, as opposed to high schoolers, are usually called up to the big leagues much faster given their advanced development, something Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski certainly considered when evaluating the team’s roster.

Wood could potentially see time in the postseason this year if the Phillies decide he’s ready for that level of competition. But in case he is not ready, Dombrowski made his biggest trade deadline acquisition in his Phillies tenure: acquiring closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins. 

Duran, seen as one of the top relievers in baseball, boasts a 1.93 ERA this season and is 18/20 in save opportunities, an area Phillies relievers have struggled mightily. Duran did not come without a cost. Dombrowski had to send right-handed pitcher Mick Abel, a former first round pick, and catcher Eduardo Tait, a top prospect in the Phillies system, to land the closer. The Phillies goal for the trade deadline was to bolster the current team’s chances, while not depleting prospect capital for the future. Abel and Tait are talented players, but not the top prospects in the Phillies system like Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller, so the reaction to the move was overwhelmingly positive.

How has Duran fared in Philadelphia, under much brighter lights? So far, so good. Duran has appeared in two save opportunities for the Phillies and converted them both, not allowing a run in either chance. That stability is exactly what Dombrowski and the Phillies were hoping to acquire. 

The postseason is the real test, but with the draft and acquisition of Duran, the Phillies organization is in a much more favorable position than they were just a few weeks ago. If Duran can continue his dominance in Philly, while Wood and the other draft choices develop, the Phillies bullpen should be set up for continued success.Â