Orion Kerkering

Richard Orion Kerkering

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 204 lb.
• School University of South Florida
• High School Venice (FL) High School
• Debut September 24, 2023

• Born April 4, 2001 in Huntington Beach, CA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

In Game 4 of the Division Series on October 9, 2025, Orion Kerkering came in to pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the bottom of the 11th inning with two outs and two on. After walking the bases full, he threw the ball away while attempting to get an out at home on a comebacker by Andy Pages, letting LA's winning run score and knocking the Philadelphia Phillies out of the postseason with a 2-1 loss.

He had first come to the majors with the Phillies late in the 2023 season and had only three games of major league experience under his belt when he became a key reliever for the team during the 2023 Postseason. He pitched once in the Wild Card Series and twice in the Division Series, not allowing a run in three innings, then was used four times against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS. However, he was not as effective at that stage, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks in 2 1/3 innings. In his first full season in 2024, he pitched 64 times, including 2 starts in bullpen games, and went 5-3, 2.29 as a set-up man, with 74 strikeouts in 61 innings. He was again a busy man in the postseason, appearing in all four games of the Division Series against the New York Mets. In 2025, prior to his misadventure in the Division Series, he had gone 8-4, 3.30 in 69 games and recorded his first four major league saves. He had become one of manager Rob Thomson's most trusted options out of the bullpen, and he had pitched in all three previous games of the series before becoming the goat in Game 4.

He was drafted by the Phillies in the 5th round of the 2022 amateur draft out of the University of South Florida, so his rise to the majors was a very quick one, taking a little over a calendar year.

Further Reading

• David Adler: "The Phils' secret playoff weapon is here ... and his stuff is scary", mlb.com, September 26, 2023. [1]
• Paul Casella: "Phillies make sure Kerkering 'knows he's not alone' after tough error", mlb.com, October 10, 2025. [2]
• Andrés Soto: "Inside the chaotic 11th-inning walk-off win that punched Dodgers' ticket to NLCS", mlb.com, October 10, 2025. [3]
• Todd Zolecki: "With tears in his dad's eyes, Kerkering shines in MLB debut: Philly's No. 7 prospect shows how he might fit into club's postseason plans", mlb.com, September 24, 2023. [4]

Related Sites

• Orion Kerkering on mlb.com
• University of South Florida bio