It may be backward, but Alex McFarlane made his major league debut last week and this week will make his Triple-A debut with Lehigh Valley. Twice this season McFarlane was recalled to Philadelphia from Double-A Reading and after being optioned from the Phillies this time, was sent down to the IronPigs rather than to Double-A.
McFarlane was on a path to being a starting pitcher when he developed elbow issues and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in September of 2023. The injury disrupted his path to being one of the better starting prospects in the organization and cost him the entire 2024 season. He returned last season with Jersey Shore and posted a 4.91 ERA through 18 starts. It was at that point that the Phillies moved him to the bullpen and in 10 appearances, the last four with Reading, he posted a 4.50 ERA over the rest of the season.
Coming into this season, nobody was quite sure what to expect from McFarlane. His velocity was close to normal by the end of the ’25 season in the mid to high 90 mph range. When the season started, McFarlane’s velocity was not only back, but he was consistently hitting the 100 mph range. He opened the season with five straight scoreless appearances and on the way to moving into the closer’s role with Reading. His first save opportunity came on April 17th, but he allowed two runs – one earned – and blew the save opportunity. Five days later he was back in a save situation and picked up his first career save. It would be the first of 12 straight saves that he converted with Reading this season with a 2.06 ERA and a 1-1 record.
Making the most of an opportunity
When McFarlane became a major leaguer for a day back in April, the odds of him getting into a game were small. Still, he made the most of the opportunity and as he has done throughout his career, he soaked in everything he could from watching and listening to coaches and other players, especially about the routines that they use to prepare.
“Routine-wise, I took that into Double-A and allowed myself to develop routines to prepare myself earlier and just figure out things that I wouldn’t normally do,” said McFarlane. “It was a great experience up there as well to translate into this one (being at Lehigh Valley for the first time).”
In his most recent visit to Philly, McFarlane did get to pitch in a game and again, made the most of the opportunity. With the Phillies down 9-4 against the Dodgers going into the top of the ninth, McFarlane got the call. He had quite the welcome to the majors when the first batter he faced was Shohei Ohtani, even though at first, he didn’t realize he would be facing him.
“I really didn’t (realize he would be facing Ohtani). I saw him on deck, so obviously, I knew I was going to face him. That’s just how the game is up there. You have a lefty, righty, lefty. You’re going to prepare for what you’re going to prepare for,” McFarlane noted. “Obviously, it was awesome facing him, especially with my first hitter, getting your feet wet.”
The confrontation lasted just one pitch as Ohtani looked to jump on a first pitch fastball and when he got it, looked to do some damage. Ironically, the pitch and the exit velocity were almost identical with the pitch coming in at 100.3 mph and the exit velocity to center field being 100.5 mph. The ball was caught deep in center by Derek Hill for the first out of McFarlane’s MLB career.
The only blemish was a two-out single by Freddie Freeman, who went 3-for-4 in the game. The other two outs were on groundballs.
More than just heat
While McFarlane is known for throwing heat, one of things that makes him special is the ability to mix speeds. Against Andy Pages, McFarlane threw a pair of 100-plus mph sinkers and then threw an 87 mph sweeper. He used a 99.7 mph sinker on a 2-1 count to get a groundball out. Against Max Muncy, McFarlane missed with a 100.2 mph four-seamer and came back with a pair of mid-80s sliders for a called strike and a swing and miss. He finished him off with a 99.8 mph four-seam fastball for a groundball to first.
Recovering from Tommy John and transitioning to the ‘pen
From having major elbow surgery to making the change from being a starter to working out of the bullpen, McFarlane has had a lot to deal with. The 25-year-old has learned to take things in stride and just adapt to whatever he needs to do to make himself better. He credits members of the Phillies player development department for helping him to transition successfully to become the pitcher that he is now.
“Just allowing myself to change routines recovery-wise, making sure I stay healthy is the main priority when going from starting to relieving. And just making sure I get my routines down with my weight training and just staying healthy in the training room,” McFarlane explained. “Routines in the bullpen, obviously, they’re going to vary as opposed to what day you’re going to pitch, but the transition was great. The organization did a good job allowing me to transition into the bullpen.”
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