Who is Orion Kerkering? Everything you need to know about Phillies prospect set to make MLB debut amid playoff race

The Philadelphia Phillies have promoted pitching prospect Orion Kerkering to the MLB as they look to secure a postseason berth.

The 22-year-old right-handed pitcher will look to help his club maintain their Wild Card position. It's expected that Kerkering will operate out of the bullpen, which should allow him to ease his way into major league action.

"RP Orion Kerkering has been called up to the Phillies. Along with Johan Rojas, Kerkering received the Paul Owens Award as the Phillies' top minor league pitcher! Welcome to the show! #PhilliesRadioBooth" - @GMurphPhils

The recipient of the 2023 Paul Owens Award, handed out annually to the Philadelphia Phillies minor league pitcher of the year, Kerkering has earned his promotion, thanks to his dominance this season.

The young pitching prospect has played across four minor league levels this season for the Phillies. Over 53.2 innings across Low-A, High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, Kerkering has been brilliant, posting a 4-1 record with a dazzling 1.51 ERA, 14 saves and 79 strikeouts.

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A look at Orion Kerkering's road to the MLB

Born in Huntington Beach, California, Kerkering enrolled at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa Bay, Florida.

The young pitcher struggled during his time with the USF Bulls, posting a 10-11 record with a 4.79 ERA over 129.1 innings. However, the Philadelphia Phillies saw his potential, selecting him in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft.

After opening the 2023 season with Low-A in Clearwater, Kerkering quickly proved himself to be a dominant arm out of the bullpen. The pitching prospect climbed up the minor league levels at a meteoric rate, moving from Low-A to the MLB over the course of one season.

His elite fastball and sweeper, as well as his 38% strikeout rate make him an intriguing addition to the Phillies bullpen.

"Phillies have called up prospect Orion Kerkering who started out the season in low A Clearwater. And oh boy... his stuff is ELECTRIC. His sweeper has been up to 89.7 MPH this year which is Ohtani/Brash-esque sweeper velocity. Across all levels: 53.2 IP, 36 H, 9 R, 12 BB, 79 Ks" - @RylanDomingues