Phillies Top 30 Prospects No. 17: Alex McFarlane Finds Feet in Bullpen

This is the fourteenth in a series of stories breaking down the Philadelphia Phillies’ Top 30 prospects heading into 2026.

2022 fourth round pick Alex McFarlane migrated from the starting rotation to the bullpen during his three year career with the Miami Hurricanes, starting four of six games as a true freshman — a fast start in a power conference — before starting just four of 27 games during his final season.

McFarlane stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 215 pounds, a right-handed pitcher with an electric fastball that sits in the mid 90s and tops out at 99 miles per hour. He also throws a high-80s slider that can make batters look silly, along with a touchy mid-80s changeup. Command is the chief issue for all three offerings but McFarlane also succeeds at keeping the ball out of the air, limiting damage when opposing batters manage to connect.

The Phillies decided to gamble on his starting upside, but he struggled through 16 starts with Single-A Clearwater in 2023, posting a 5.72 ERA with 69 strikeouts and 38 walks in 50.1 innings. McFarlane missed all of 2024 with Tommy John Surgery and took his lumps once back on the mound last season with High-A Jersey Shore. The BlueClaws moved McFarlane to the bullpen in August, kicking off the best stretch of his professional career. McFarlane posted seven consecutive scoreless relief outings, prompting a promotion to Double-A once the season ended.

Averaging three innings per start won’t cut it in the big leagues — nor did it in the minors — but switching to the bullpen should allow McFarlane to throw his best stuff instead of needing to meter his performance across multiple trips through the rotation. Now a member of the 40-man roster, his strong finish to 2025 should draw plenty of attention this season.