Although the Phillies recently signed Walker Buehler, their moves haven't ended there. On Monday the team called up longtime backup catcher and fan favorite Garrett Stubbs. In addition to Stubbs, the Phillies also acquired veteran left-hander Tim Mayza.
Stubbs has spent four seasons with Philadelphia and was on their World Series roster against the Houston Astros in 2021. For Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Stubbs has produced this season tallying eight home runs, 50 RBIs, and 70 hits. Stubbs also provides solid speed as a catcher with five stolen bases and sprint speed ranked in the 67th percentile. He will make a valuable defensive replacement for the Phillies, ranking in the 92nd percentile in pop time and in the 77th percentile in Caught Stealing Above Average.
The Phillies also acquired veteran reliever Tim Mayza via waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mayza carries a career 3.84 ERA over eight seasons and a 2.61 ERA this season. Throughout his career, Mayza averages nine SO/9, providing swing and miss stuff out of the bullpen.
In the final month of the regular season, Garrett Stubbs will hope to beat out Rafael Marchan as the team's No. 2 catcher heading into the postseason. With only two other left-handed relievers in the bullpen, Tim Mayza is likely to make the postseason roster with solid performances throughout September.
Currently, the Phillies remain five games ahead of the Mets in the National League East division race and hold the No. 2 seed in the National League overall. If Philadelphia remains a top two seed, they will not have to play in the Wild Card series altogether and will advance straight to the Division series.