How Orion Kerkering evolved from USF Bull to Phillies bullpen whiz

When Orion Kerkering took the big-league stage for the first time in late September, his walk-out music was acoustic, performed solely on heartstrings.

Virtually the entire baseball stratosphere by now has seen that viral moment in Philadelphia the night of Sept. 24. Kerkering — a Phillies rookie right-hander and former USF closer — used his confounding slider to retire three Mets in succession (two by strikeout) in his majors debut as his dad, Todd, pumped his fists, howled and ultimately sobbed from his seat at Citizens Bank Park.

“It was an awesome moment,” Kerkering told reporters afterward. “It was a real moment.”

And therein lies the true wonder of Kerkering’s breakneck big-league ascension. Many late-season call-ups would have been typecast by that heartwarming half-inning, possibly not remembered for any other autumnal feat, and likely not retained on a postseason roster.

Kerkering, by contrast, has transcended that emotional scene with his play. Sure, it remains a signature moment, but hardly a singular one. Since then, Kerkering, 22, mostly has continued neutralizing major-league bats.

In his first seven big-league innings — including four one-inning postseason appearances — Kerkering didn’t allow an earned run, striking out 10 and walking three in that stretch.

The first sign of mortality occurred in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Arizona in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, when the slider that Kerkering relies on heavily hung a bit too much, resulting in a run on three consecutive Diamondbacks hits in Kerkering’s highest-leverage situation to date.

But the following night, Phillies manager Rob Thomson went right back to him. Summoned in the bottom of the seventh with runners at the corners, two out and the Phillies up by three, Kerkering walked the first two batters he faced on 10 pitches (scoring one run) before forcing Pavin Smith into an inning-ending groundout to first.

“From the second he stepped on the mound in his debut, he looked (as) confident as anybody we have,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said after Game 3. “When he’s doing that, it gives me confidence. I’ve seen him do it, so I have no doubt he’ll throw another big inning for us.”

For all the juice on his high-90s fastball, Kerkering’s most astounding velocity was witnessed in his speed-of-light surge through the Phillies ranks. A fifth-round pick of Philadelphia in 2022, the Venice High alumnus pitched at four different levels this year (Single A, high Single A, Double A and Triple A) before his big-league debut.

Fueling that improbable rise has been that versatile, vexing slider with a late break that complements Kerkering’s fastball. Crafting and refining that slider were a pair of local college coaches.

Oscar Espada, currently the coach at St. Petersburg College, had just set up shop as a private pitching tutor at Sarasota’s Florida International Baseball Academy when Kerkering — then an introverted high school sophomore — walked into the facility in 2016. Espada initially saw promise in the kid’s lanky frame and long fingers, but not in his breaking pitch.

“Orion had a very bad curveball, I kid you not,” recalled Espada, who pitched at Iowa State and has coached at numerous collegiate levels.

“Orion, as you know, has a three-quarter (arm slot), so getting on top of the ball to throw a 12-6 type of breaking ball (which breaks downward in a straight line) was very tough for him, considering his cross-body motion. And my concern at the time was, is there any possibility of him getting hurt over trying to develop a curveball? What seems to be more natural?”

The two talked at length, experimented with different grips, discussed the importance of mental preparation and mental toughness, and eventually came to an agreement: Based on his three-quarter delivery and long fingers, a slider might be a more natural pitch.

“And we started working on that immediately,” Espada said.

With that, Kerkering’s career began its celestial trajectory.

Primarily a junior varsity player as a freshman and sophomore at Venice High, he evolved into the Indians’ No. 1 pitcher as a junior and senior, helping lead the program to consecutive Class 7A state titles. Though still far removed from his current frame (6-foot-2, 204 pounds), Kerkering still totaled 214 strikeouts and a 1.05 career ERA at Venice.

“He always had that slider,” longtime Venice coach Craig Faulkner said. “Not like it is now, obviously, but he could command his slider. He was at times a little bit wild with his fastball, but struck out so many guys that walks didn’t really hurt him.”

The only drawback at that time: Kerkering hadn’t yet filled out physically, and his fastball hovered in the mid- to high-80s. But USF coach Billy Mohl saw a kid with a high ceiling, and spin rate.

“I think the reason I recruited Orion was the fact that he could spin a breaking ball,” said Mohl, who has watched five Bulls pitchers reach the big leagues since arriving at the school in 2015.

“It’s not what it is today, but he showed at an early age that he had a chance to be really good. Most guys, when they can spin it at a young age, the (velocity) is going to come and everything’s going to get better. We actually got that one right, so that was good.”

Working mainly out of the bullpen, Kerkering totaled 167 strikeouts in 129⅔ innings at USF, with a 4.79 career ERA. His breakthrough occurred during the Bulls’ surreal 2021 postseason run that ended with an NCAA Super Regional berth.

In his first 10⅔ postseason innings, starting with the American Athletic Conference tournament in Clearwater, Kerkering allowed two earned runs on seven hits, fanning 14 and walking four.

After earning a three-inning save in an elimination-game victory against Tulane in a contest that ended after midnight, Kerkering came back the following afternoon and worked two scoreless innings for the save in an 8-7 triumph against UCF in the AAC tourney final.

“He would touch 88 or 89 (mph), maybe hit 90, but that’s pretty much where he was at in high school,” Faulkner said.

“And when I saw how hard he was throwing in college, I was like, ‘Wow, how did that happen?’ And it really just happened because he started filling out. Like I said, we worked hard in the weight room, and he was one of those guys that worked hard, but his body just kept maturing and maturing and getting longer and taller and just filling out. He was just a little skinny fellow in high school.”

Today, Kerkering’s frame and go-to pitch are fully formed. Because of his long fingers, he can change speeds on the slider by tucking the ball closer to his palm or having it closer to his fingertips, without sacrificing control. Meantime, the pitch’s late break continues baffling elite bats.

And his fastball now approaches triple digits.

So could his approval rating in Philly, if he continues to bounce back from his roughest big-league outing to date. Those who mentored him have no doubt he will.

“Super confident, not cocky, doesn’t really seem to be overwhelmed by anything,” Espada said. “But then again, that doesn’t surprise me, because he is an ultra competitor.”

Contact Joey Knight at jknight@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Bulls.

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