The Phillies have spent much of this season looking like one of baseball’s better teams, and now they’ve got another reason to feel good about where they stand. Jhoan Duran was named NL Reliever of the Month after a dominant June, giving Philadelphia a high-end answer in the ninth inning as the club moves through the summer.
That matters for a team sitting at 49-39 and trailing the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. Philadelphia has built itself into a contender over the last several years, but the finish line has kept slipping away. This time around, the Phillies are again in position to push for more, and Duran has been one of the biggest reasons why.
The right-hander was acquired by Philadelphia at the trade deadline last season, and the move has paid off exactly the way the club hoped. He was strong after arriving last year, then carried that momentum straight into 2026. Through 29.2 innings this season, Duran owns a 1.52 ERA, a 0.94 WHIP and 21 saves, while blowing only one save.
His June was even sharper. In 11 innings, Duran posted a 1.64 ERA with nine saves and 18 strikeouts, which put him at the top of the National League relief pack for the month. The full league announcement also listed Jacob Latz as the AL Reliever of the Month, with Duran earning the NL side of the honor.
For a Phillies team that has often searched for stability at the back end of games, Duran has become a major luxury. The middle relief group still needs help, and the club could use more arms, possibly a southpaw, but the ninth inning is in good hands. That’s a big deal for a team trying to keep pace now and build toward October later.
In Other News...
Phillies Send Down A Starter Right After He Earned Another Look
The Phillies are making another adjustment to their pitching mix as the All-Star break approaches, optioning Andrew Painter and right-hander Alan Rangel to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Rangel had just earned a longer look in the rotation, and his recent turn gave the club a chance to see how he might fit if they needed another starter down the stretch.
Philadelphia only has to cover the back end of the rotation one more time before the break, and a bullpen game remains in play for next week. Even with the move back to Lehigh Valley, Rangel still looks like a pitcher the Phillies could lean on again later this summer if the need arises. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Are Trying Another Bullpen Fix Fans Have Seen Before
After splitting a four-game series with the Pirates, the Phillies turned their attention to a three-game set with the Royals and made another bullpen adjustment along the way. Alan Rangel was sent back to the minors, and Tanner Banks was recalled to give the relief group another left-handed option as the club keeps searching for more stability in the middle innings.
Banks has been through this kind of reset before, and the Phillies are clearly hoping a return to the majors helps him settle in. His season has been marked by a 5.86 ERA and control issues, which have made his outings harder to trust, but the organization is giving him another chance to clean things up while the bullpen continues to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Could Steal Philadelphias All-Star Spotlight From The Phillies
Philadelphia is set to host the 2026 NL All-Star Game, and that alone should make the week feel like a showcase for the home club. But one early projection from Bleacher Report suggests the spotlight could tilt in an unexpected direction, with Atlanta forecast to arrive in town as the leagues biggest All-Star contingent. For a Phillies team that expects to be part of the center of the summer baseball conversation, it is the kind of wrinkle that would make the event feel a little less like a homecoming and a little more like a challenge.
Zachary D. Rymers prediction has the Braves sending seven players to the game, a total that would lead the National League if it holds up. The list also comes with some built-in debate about how the roster would be chosen, since not every projected Atlanta name looks like a lock on merit. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is forecast to have a strong showing of its own, but the broader picture is clear enough already: if this projection proves accurate, the All-Star spotlight in Philly could end up shining just as brightly on the visitors as on the team that calls the city home. [Read more 🡒]