For over ten years, Alan Rangel had envisioned a night like Friday.
So when his long-awaited Major League debut finally arrived, not even a one-hour and 23-minute rain delay—or a shaky start—was going to derail it.
The 27-year-old right-hander, called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley earlier that day, overcame early struggles to give the Phillies three steady innings in a 5-4 walk-off loss to the Pirates at PNC Park. It was the team’s first bullpen game of the season, and Rangel provided some much-needed innings.
“I’m just incredibly happy to be here,” Rangel said through a team interpreter. “I’m proud of the job I did. It’s truly a dream come true.”
That dream nearly turned into a nightmare early on. Taking the mound in the fourth inning with a two-run lead, Rangel opened with a four-pitch walk to Alexander Canario, followed by a game-tying two-run homer from Henry Davis.
Phillies pitching coach Caleb Cotham came out for a quick mound visit. After allowing another hit, Rangel settled in—inducing a double play and a flyout to escape the inning without further damage.
“He was a little nervous, like most guys are in their debut,” said manager Rob Thomson. “But after Caleb’s visit, he seemed to calm down and pitch well. He looked composed from there on.”
Rangel went on to notch his first big-league strikeout in a scoreless fifth, then worked around a two-out double from Davis in the sixth to complete a clean inning. In total, he gave up two runs on three hits and two walks, striking out one.
Those three innings were crucial. The Phillies had already committed to a bullpen game for Friday and were short on fresh arms after Jesús Luzardo lasted just 2 1/3 innings the previous night. That’s when they turned to Rangel, who quickly shared the life-changing news with his wife as they scrambled to get to Pittsburgh.
“I was nervous at first,” Rangel admitted, “but I think that’s just part of the journey.”
And Rangel’s journey has been a long one. It began on July 2, 2014, when the Braves signed him to a Minor League deal. He spent several years climbing through the lower levels of Atlanta’s farm system, remaining in Single-A from 2017 through 2019.
The pandemic wiped out the 2020 Minor League season, but Rangel returned to action in 2021, pitching well enough at High-A Rome to earn a late-season promotion to Double-A Mississippi. He spent most of 2022 there and got a brief call-up to the Majors on Sept. 24—but was sent back down without making an appearance.
He split time in 2023 between Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett before becoming a free agent. Rangel signed with the Angels in November 2023 but was released by July 1, 2024.
Fifteen days later, he signed with the Phillies and began pitching for Lehigh Valley—until getting the call that changed everything.
“It’s a beautiful story,” said Thomson. “The guys in the clubhouse know how hard he’s worked. They remember their own debuts, and it’s special to see one of their own finally get his shot.”
Even a star like Trea Turner—who debuted just a year after being drafted 13th overall in 2014—can relate to the perseverance Rangel has shown through the years.