abel-getty.png
Getty Images

Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Mick Abel had a successful big-league debut on Sunday, tying a franchise record across six shutout innings versus the Pittsburgh Pirates (GameTracker).

Abel struck out nine Pirates and surrendered five hits and zero walks to the 22 batters he faced. He relied heavily on his fastball-curveball combination with those two pitches accounting for a 65% usage rate. He touched 99 mph with his heater and generated 15 total swinging strikes with those offerings. Abel also coerced a whiff with his slider and two with his sinker.

The Phillies turned to reliever Orion Kerkering to begin the seventh, lifting Abel after 84 pitches.

Abel's nine strikeouts tied him for the most in a big-league debut in franchise history with Curt Simmons (Sept. 28, 1947). Three other Phillies pitchers struck out eight in their MLB debuts: Carlton Loewer (June 14, 1998); Charles Hudson (May 31, 1983); and Lowell Palmer (June 21, 1969). Abel's performance represents the most strikeouts a debuting Phillies pitcher has notched since Cole Hamels punched out seven Cincinnati Reds in May 2006.

Abel, 23, was recalled prior to the start of the game to fill in for injured starter Aaron Nola. (The Phillies optioned reliever Daniel Robert to clear a space on the active roster.) Originally the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Abel started eight times this season in Triple-A, compiling a 2.53 ERA and a 2.68 strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of 46 ⅓ innings pitched.

Abel is expected to be demoted back to the minors after the game. The Phillies have already had an eventful Sunday from a transactions point of view: closer José Alvarado was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. The Phillies, subsequently, activated veteran reliever José Ruiz from the injured list.