This past winter, the Philadelphia Phillies front staff made a point of bringing in extra starting pitching depth through a number of minor league agreements and off-the-radar trades. After a string of excellent starts in Taijuan Walker’s place, Spencer Turnbull, a right-handed pitcher, has appeared to be a steal for the Phillies. The trade of two underappreciated minor league pitchers between the two teams, Adam Leverett and 24-year-old right-hander Michael Mercado, for Mercado in November hardly made news in the baseball world. Mercado, who was chosen in the second round of the 2017 MLB Draft, was coming off a lackluster 2023 season in which the once top prospect posted mediocre results at Double-and Triple-A
Mercado had space for improvement even if his power arm appeared to recover well from Tommy John surgery in 2019. This was because the Rays rotated him between the starting rotation and different relief positions. Mercado went 4-3 with a 4.79 ERA in 52 appearances (two starts), including six saves in 10 opportunities. Mercado finished the season with a 1.43 WHIP, striking out 95 batters and walking 35 in 62 innings pitched. There was clearly an issue with the 12 home runs he gave up. In the little time he spent in spring training with the Phillies this year, Mercado showed flashes of greatness. Despite walking just one batter and recording ten strikeouts, he left major league camp with an ERA of 6.35 after giving up eight hits in his five appearances.
The Phillies saw signs of a pitcher who might eventually be useful to the major league team, but more time in Triple-A was obviously going to be required. Mercado of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs is off to a great start in his mound career. He has a 0.44 ERA, 18 strikeouts, 10 walks, and a 1.02 WHIP in 20 2/3 innings through eight games (four starts).He pitched five innings against the Syracuse Mets on May 8 in his most recent start. He struck out five and walked one, giving up one unearned run on one hit. Mercado may face a heavier workload in the future given that he was stretched out to open a five-inning game.
Over his first three starts of the season, he averaged about three innings. After Mercado’s most recent appearance, manager Rob Thomson reportedly stated that the Phillies are treating Mercado like a starter, according to Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.Mercado hasn’t given up a home run since returning to the starting lineup, which is noteworthy considering how he was hampered by the big ball the previous season. Though he walked five batters in his previous start against the Worcester Red Sox, he has generally exhibited strong control on the mound this season, giving up only one earned run in his eight combined appearances. Are we witnessing a late bloomer making a career move at last?
The Phillies appear to be one of the only MLB teams with an excess of starting pitchers at the moment. Although having this problem is a positive thing, big league pitching staff injuries are almost inevitable due to the length of the season. This season, could Mercado start for the Phillies? It’s feasible, but it would probably take a devastating string of injuries to warrant a call-up, with Spencer Turnbull probably the preferred option in the event that a starter is sidelined. Being in the bullpen would be the more likely situation. Despite having one of the best bullpens in baseball this season, the Phillies could still have some opportunities if Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez have bad games.
If Lehigh Valley’s Mercado keeps up his impressive play, he might be considered as a right-handed bullpen arm in the event that the Phillies decide to look within before exploring the trade market. This past winter, the Phillies front staff did a fantastic job of bolstering the team with interesting pitching depth. Given the impact Spencer Turnbull has had, is it possible that Michael Mercado will also be able to carve out a place for himself on this team?