President of Baseball Operations David Dombrowski made the announcement today that the Phillies have extended left-handed reliever José Alvarado’s contract for a total of three years, which includes a club option for 2026 and will keep him in place through 2025.
With 59 appearances in 2022, Alvarado, 27, tied for the team lead with a 3.18 earned run average and 81 strikeouts in 51.0 innings. He also limited opponents to a.203/.296/.289 slash line with just two home runs. In his final 22 appearances of the regular season, he gave up one run in 21.0 innings and had an earned run average of 0.43. Alvarado had the most strikeouts per nine innings of any Phillies reliever ever to pitch at least 50.0 innings in a season, ranking fourth among qualifying major league relievers, and he led all Phillies relievers with 1.7 fWAR in 2022. The Venezuelan native has pitched 106.2 innings in 123 appearances over his two seasons with the Phillies, going 11-3 with seven saves, a 3.71 earned run average, and 149 strikeouts.
Alvarado threw 207 pitches in 2022 at 100.0 mph or higher, the most of any left-handed pitcher and sixth most in baseball, according to Statcast data. Aroldis Chapman is the only southpaw with more career pitches at 100.0 mph or higher than Alvarado’s since pitch tracking began in 2008.
