Phillies bring back Tim Mayza, re-signing the left-hander on a one-year deal

Philadelphia has agreed to keep veteran southpaw Tim Mayza in the bullpen for another season, following a 2026 run in which he delivered career-best workload and was among the top Phillies relievers by bWAR.

By The Apex Times Newsroom1 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Phillies have re-signed left-handed pitcher Tim Mayza to a one-year contract, the club announced Friday through President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski.

Mayza, 34, appeared in 60 games for Philadelphia in 2026 and logged a career-high 67 1/3 innings. He finished the season with a 3.48 ERA.

According to the team, Mayza used two distinct roles in 2026. He posted a 3.72 ERA (4 ER, 9.2 IP) across six games as an opener, and then posted a 3.43 ERA (22 ER, 57.2 IP) over 54 relief appearances.

The Phillies credited Mayza’s sinker for much of his effectiveness. They said Statcast credited the pitch with a run value of 14, which ranked among the most valuable single-pitches in baseball in 2026, and that he limited hitters to a.236/.288/.319 slash line overall, with left-handed hitters held to a.211/.253/.254 line.

Philadelphia also noted Mayza’s performance in leverage spots, where he held batters to a.038/.167/.115 line with runners in scoring position and two outs, while opponents were 1-for-26 in those situations against him.

Why It Matters

Re-signing Mayza gives the Phillies another proven left-handed option for late innings and high-leverage outings, including a swing role that can start games as an opener.
By returning a reliever who logged the team’s second-highest bWAR among Phillies relievers, Philadelphia is reinforcing a bullpen identity built around performance across both workload and matchup leverage.
The additional sinker-focused capability the Phillies highlighted can help the team maintain diversity in how it attacks different hitter profiles, especially left-handed opponents.
Mayza’s existing familiarity with Philadelphia’s mix of roles may reduce volatility as the club reshapes its relief group in the offseason.

Sources

Key Facts

Tim Mayza was re-signed by the Phillies on a one-year contract.
Mayza appeared in 60 games in 2026 and made 67 1/3 innings his career high.
He posted a 3.48 ERA in 2026.
The Phillies said Mayza worked both as an opener (6 games, 9.2 IP) and in relief (54 appearances, 57.2 IP).
Philadelphia cited Mayza’s sinker as a key swing-and-miss and run-prevention weapon, including a 14 run value for the pitch in 2026 (Statcast).
The club reported strong results against batters with runners in scoring position and two outs (a.038/.167/.115 line and 1-for-26 allowed).