The Philadelphia Phillies are the hottest team in the NL East. As the Mets falter and the Braves scrap their way back from a horrid start, there is a lot of momentum on Philadelphia's side right now. It helps when a new starter emerges from the chrysalis on a primetime, "Rivalry Week" stage.
On Sunday afternoon, Philadelphia beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, in a classic pitching duel. Paul Skenes took the mound for the opposition and did what he does best, racking up eight strikeouts in eight innings and giving up a single run. It took an equally special performance to hand him the L; that was supplied by none other than 23-year-old Mick Abel.
In the middle of a rigorous portion of the schedule and absent the recently injured Aaron Nola, Philly called up Abel for a single start. He would make his MLB debut against Skenes, then book a ticket straight back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Not exactly ideal circumstances for a young player looking to gain a foothold in the big leagues.
Abel did the thing, though. He went six scoreless innings against Pittsburgh, recording a Phillies record nine strikeouts in his debut. He did end up back on a bus to Lehigh Valley, but that feels like a minor pitstop at this point. Abel has earned his spot on the MLB roster, and it will happen sooner than later.
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Mick Abel puts on star-level performance in electric Phillies debut
Abel was brilliant against Pittsburgh. There are a few important caveats, of course: It was just one start; it was also Pittsburgh, a truly abysmal offensive team. The Pirates are 3-5 in Skenes' 10 starts this season despite his 2.44 ERA, so this is not exactly new territory for the Bucs.
That said, it's hard not to feel great about Abel's progress. He has a 5-2 record and a 2.53 ERA through eight starts in Triple-A. Compare that to last season, when there was a real sense that Abel might bust. He puked up a 6.46 ERA in 24 starts, allowing 119 hits and 78 walks in 108.2 innings. The narrative has flipped completely.
This feels like a logical progression for Abel, however. Last season was the fluke. He lost his command and was mentally rattled. Now, after a few months of intense contemplation and hard work, he's back on the star trajectory and dropping Tyrese Maxey-coded quotes, which is sure to fire up the locals.
"It took a lot of reflection, it took a lot of understanding who I am as a person and as a man," Abel told ESPN. "I think the biggest thing is redefining what my version of success is, and how I can go out there and try to get one percent better every day."
Abel's stuff was flawless in Pittsburgh. He mixed high-90s heat with a wipeout curveball, which made Oneil Cruz dip his line in the water. The man went fishing.
Once the 15th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Abel has long been propped up as a future star. Now the moment has arrived in Philadelphia. The only complicating factor is the Phillies' rotation depth, which is the best in the National League.
There are four top-of-rotation guys in the mix already in Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez. Nola is hurt (and has struggled this season), but he's on a $172 million contract and he has been essential to Philadelphia's success for years. Even Taijuan Walker looks good right now. There is just a lot of competition, and that doesn't even factor in another potential breakout star in Andrew Painter, Philly's No. 1 prospect and a widely projected midseason addition to the MLB roster.
It may take a while for the dust to settle and for a role to emerge for Abel, but it's coming. How can it not after Sunday's outing. Abel put himself in the Phillies history books with a single start. Now comes the waiting game ...