2021 report card: Cam Bedrosian

I tried really hard to find something fun to say about Cam Bedrosian. Here’s what I came up with:

You probably already knew that Cam Bedrosian is the second-best player with the last name Bedrosian to play for the Phillies, the first being 1987 NL Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian (a.k.a. Cam’s dad).

What you might not have known, however, is that Cam Bedrosian is also the second-best player with the first name Cameron to play for the Phillies, the first being Cameron Rupp, which says more about Cam Bedrosian’s mediocrity than it does about Cameron Rupp’s talent.

The Phillies have also had one player with the middle name Cameron, and some might consider him the best of the bunch. Here’s a list of all players named either ‘Cameron’ or ‘Bedrosian’ to play for the Phillies, ranked by bWAR with the team.

1. Chase Cameron Utley, 62 bWAR
2. Steve Bedrosian, 4.2 bWAR
3. Cameron Rupp, 2.9 bWAR
4. Cam Bedrosian, 0.1 bWAR
5. Cameron Perkins, -0.9 bWAR

Anyway, let’s get to the report card.

2021 stats (with the Phillies)

11 games, 10.1 IP, 4.35 ERA, 6.17 FIP, 6.39 xFIP, 6.97 K/9, 6.10 BB/9

The good

All things considered, Cam Bedrosian did what was expected of him. A 4.35 ERA in 10.1 innings by a middle reliever you picked up in July? That’s just fine. His peripheral numbers were not good, but all things considered, he never really hurt the team. He only gave up runs in 3 of his 11 appearances, and the Phillies went on to win two of those three games anyway.

The bad

Cam Bedrosian’s walk rate with the Phillies was horrendous and he allowed two homers in just 11 appearances. However, the worst thing about Cam Bedrosian’s time with the Phillies was that it happened at all. The Phillies signed him off the scrap heap after he’d already been dropped by two other teams this season, and he ended up being a major contributor to their bullpen in September. Here are his numbers in September compared to Archie Bradley’s (who was the Phillies’ only major offseason bullpen acquisition):

• Cam Bedrosian: 9 IP, 5.00 ERA
• Archie Bradley 9.1 IP, 4.82 ERA

Every time Joe Girardi called for Cam Bedrosian to come out of the bullpen, it was a sad reminder of the Phillies’ lack of bullpen depth.

The future

Is Cam Bedrosian worth another chance in 2022? For some team, absolutely. But for the Phillies? Probably not.

Bedrosian was actually a very solid reliever up until this season. From 2016 to 2020, he posted a 3.20 ERA in 225 IP. Then, in 2021, he totally imploded. His K/9 was more than a full strikeout lower than his career average, his BB/9 almost doubled, and his HR/9 more than doubled. If there’s a team out there that thinks they can fix whatever went wrong with Cam Bedrosian, he could be an excellent bounce back candidate for 2022. The Phillies, however, need to focus on improving their bullpen with proven, reliable talent this offseason. No more scrounging around in the bargain bin for key contributors, Dave.

The final grade: C+

He didn’t have a good season, but Cam Bedrosian didn’t hurt the team either. I can’t give a grade lower than a C+ to a middle reliever who pitched to a 4.35 ERA in just 10.1 innings. I wish him the best trying to turn things around in 2022.

One more Cam Bedrosian fun fact

While Steve Bedrosian was an All-Star, Cy Young, and World Series champion, and his son has been a largely forgettable journeyman reliever, Cam Bedrosian actually has a lower career FIP than his father. Cam’s is 3.84, while Steve’s is 3.86.