Brandon Kintzler overcame stress and anxiety to make the Phillies’ bullpen

Brandon Kintzler said the instincts that have helped him survive 11 big-league seasons seemed to kick in naturally this spring each time he stepped on the mound.

He pitched, Kintzler said, without a fear of failing, which is how a 40th-round pick who was released two years later as a minor-leaguer carved a career as a trusted veteran reliever.

But winning a job in the Phillies’ bullpen – which Kintzler did Friday – proved to be mentally taxing for even the most determined of pitchers. He was fearless this spring when he pitched, but Kintzler was clouded with doubt when he was alone at night.

“Sitting in a hotel room by yourself, obviously with COVID, my family isn’t here, you can talk yourself into a lot of bad habits and how bad you can mess up this next outing,” Kintzler said.

The Phillies alerted Kintzler two or three days before he pitched this spring, providing enough time for anxiety to build. Kintzler, a 36-year-old right-hander, would rather just be surprised that he’s pitching that day. Scheduled outings, he said, are the worst.

“Two to three days to think about the next outing, you get a lot of anxiety,” Kintzler said. “You have all this time for anxiety to build up and you know you’re getting judged on every pitch. A lot of things can go through your mind. You have to convince yourself to be in absolute attack mode and not be afraid to fail. It was just the buildup. I hated it.”

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His tension broke last week when Kintzler learned that his 5-year-old son Knox broke his jaw in a BMX race in Phoenix. Competing for one of the final spots in the bullpen no longer seemed so dire. Baseball, Kintzler said, went out the window.

“The stress went out,” he said. “Everything came into perspective.”

Unable to find a red-eye flight home, Kintzler waited in Florida for updates on his son’s recovery while continuing to have a strong spring. His son had surgery on Sunday and is healing, Kintzler said.

The pitcher’s anxiety was lifted, and he finished building his case for a job. Kintzler allowed just one earned run this spring in nine appearances and allowed more than one hit in just two outings. He struck out nine batters while walking two in 8⅔ innings.

He had a 2.55 ERA over his last two seasons, a mark that is 73% better than the league average. His 12 saves last season with the Marlins were the second-most in the National League. He’s 36 years old, but he’s coming off the two best seasons of his career.

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“I’ve learned how to take care of my body. Every year I get smarter about that,” Kintzler said. “And pitching, I’ve learned what makes me successful. The fear of failure has gotten behind me. I think that’s what guys have trouble with early in their careers. At this point, I’m not afraid to fail. I just want to win. Hitting is hard so if you make guys swing the bat, a lot of times you’re going to come out on top.”

Kintzler joins right-handers Hector Neris, Archie Bradley, and Connor Brogdon, and left-hander Jose Alvarado in the bullpen. Four relievers – right-handers Vince Velasquez, Sam Coonrod, and David Hale, and left-hander JoJo Romero – are competing for the final three spots.

Kintzler was Miami’s closer last season, but could serve a variety of roles for the Phillies. He had exceptional numbers last season against right-handed batters and did his best work with men on base.

Opponents hit .340 against him with the bases empty but just .119 with runners on and .125 with runners in scoring position. The Phillies could throw him into a tight situation that calls for a reliever who pitches without fear.

Last season, the Phillies’ bullpen had baseball’s highest ERA in 90 years. But they rebuilt it this winter. They signed Bradley, traded for Alvarado and Coonrod, and invited Kintzler to camp on a minor-league deal. After five weeks of stress, Kintzler found his way onto the roster.

“I don’t recommend it for everybody,” Kintzler said. “It’s probably one of the most proud accomplishments I had in my career. It wasn’t easy. Mentally, it was definitely a grind. But luckily, they gave me every opportunity to make the team and the fact that I made it is a relief. The easy part now is trying to win games. I think this was a lot harder than the regular season.”

Matt Joyce, a veteran utility player, was informed that he will make the team as a bench player. He was in camp on a minor-league deal. ... Spencer Howard was assigned to triple A where the Phillies will continue to build him up as a starting pitcher. ... Left-handed reliever Tony Watson was granted his release after having a decent spring. ... Alec Bohm hit and threw Friday afternoon after leaving Thursday’s game with tightness in his groin. He won’t play Saturday, but Girardi said Bohm feels good. ... Aaron Nola will start Saturday in Lakeland, Fla. against the Tigers.