‘Part of our family’: How veteran Phillies relievers have welcomed 22-year-old Orion Kerkering

ATLANTA — Matt Strahm was sitting in the bullpen with Orion Kerkering before his outing on Saturday night, and was struck by how calm the 22-year-old rookie appeared. He was about to enter a big spot in a big game, facing a historically good Braves lineup in the seventh inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series. With the Phillies holding just a two-run lead, he didn’t have much room for error.

But Kerkering wasn’t sweating it. And that translated to the mound. He retired Orlando Arcia, Sean Murphy, and Eddie Rosario on just eight pitches. He was so efficient that manager Rob Thomson left him in to face Ronald Acuña Jr. in the eighth, but Kerkering walked him and was pulled after that.

Nevertheless, it was a relatively stress-free outing in a stressful game.

“This bullpen is very cool, calm and collected,” Strahm said. “And he’s adapted very well. To me, it looked like just another day for him.”

What made the outing more impressive to Strahm was that Kerkering had not looked as cool, calm and collected a few days earlier. Jeff Hoffman was sitting next to the rookie in the bullpen ahead of his first postseason outing against the Marlins on Wednesday and noticed that a vein in Kerkering’s neck had started to pulse.

“Strahm,” Hoffman said. “Look at that.”

Strahm turned to face Kerkering.

“Hey, Orion,” he said. “Make sure you breathe, kid.”

Kerkering laughed and began to walk around the bullpen to get loose. Sometimes he gets antsier waiting for his outings than he does in the outings themselves. But Strahm’s words helped him. He took a breath, went out for the eighth, and pitched a 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout. It took him only nine pitches.

After the game, closer Craig Kimbrel approached Kerkering in the clubhouse.

“How’d that feel?” he asked.

“It felt good,” Kerkering responded.

“Well, it looked good,” Kimbrel said.

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The Phillies’ bullpen is full of veterans. Before Kerkering was called up in September, José Alvarado was the youngest reliever they had, at 28. Kerkering was born in 2001. When Kimbrel, 35, made his big league debut, Kerkering was just 9. But despite the age gap, the Phillies relievers have made a concerted effort to welcome the new kid into the group.

“I was very fortunate to have a veteran-based clubhouse when I made my debut with the Royals,” said Strahm, who broke in at 24. “There were a lot of guys I observed and learned from. I kind of talked a lot as a rookie, and Orion, his first week here, I don’t think he said more than two or three words unless he was spoken to. So I’ve tried to kind of break him in, make him feel comfortable. He’s going to help us a lot.”

“I was in a similar spot when I was a rookie,” said Kimbrel, who debuted just before he turned 22. “I got the opportunity to pitch in the playoffs my first year with the Braves. I got a chance to make a difference and it kind of jump-started my career. So hopefully this is an opportunity for him as well. He’s going to be a big piece for us.”

Their efforts have not gone unnoticed. What Kerkering has done in the span of a year is remarkable, but it can also be overwhelming for such a young player, no matter how even-keeled he is. Little interactions, like the ones he had with Strahm and Kimbrel, have helped him feel like he belongs.

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“Everyone has been really welcoming,” Kerkering said. “They’re trying to get to know me. It’s not, ‘Oh you’re a rookie, we don’t care about you, you’re taking someone else’s spot.’ It’s, ‘You’re here for a reason. You’re part of our family now.’ They treat me like I’m someone who has been around. Not someone new.

“And it’s because of the little things. Talking [bleep] in the bullpen, things like that.”

Kerkering is more of a visual learner. He has watched Kimbrel and Alvarado warm up for their postseason outings, and noticed that they don’t change a thing. His teammates have encouraged him to ask questions when he needs to. But most of all, they’ve emphasized how much trust they have in him.

“After that game on [Wednesday], I asked him how his heartbeat was,” Hoffman said. “He said it felt like a normal game, and I was like, ‘Well, if you’ve got that under wraps, everything else will take care of itself. So keep doing what you’re doing. You’re going to be fine. We believe in you.’”