Tanner Banks looking forward to 2026 with new additions to bullpen
Spencer McKercher sits down with Tanner Banks as he gears up for 2026 after a strong 2025 season out of the bullpen.
Tanner Banks looking forward to 2026 with new additions to bullpen originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Video Transcript
Banks trying to close it.
The one-two, got him!
Ball game's over, as Tanner Banks gets his first save of the season.
I'm really looking forward to '26.
I, outside of family stuff, like, I'm, I'm excited for what's in store for the team.
We've got some great guys coming back and some awesome dudes that we've signed.
You know, guys I've gotten to pitch against- Mm-hmm.
in Adolis Garcia, and guys I've played with, like Brad Keller.
Mm-hmm.
A full-time Duran will be, will be awesome.
But you mentioned the additions to the bullpen.
What does that do for a guy like you, where you kinda see some faces leave, but then you bring in these new faces?
What's that do for the confidence, motivation, mindset, heading into 2026?
It's cool to know that the arms that they've brought in, you know, it's, it's, it's not a next man up, it's a- it's kind of a plug and play, you know?
There's a bunch of incredible arms, and outside of Duran coming in with the, with the flames and the tarantula in the ninth, like, we've got, you know, Keller- ... and Kerkering, and Alvarado, to name a few.
How the rest shakes out, I don't know.
Wherever I fall into there, like, I've said it before, you know, when, when Topper calls down or Caleb calls down and says, "Hey, get Banks going," like, whether that's the sixth inning or the eighth inning or the 12th inning, like, doesn't matter.
Right.
As long as we win, that's all that matters.
Exactly.
But, I'm happy to pitch whenever I get a chance.
Heading into this season, too, right, there's a lot of kinda outside space, talking about the windows closing, but then there's so much young talent coming up.
I will just interrupt you here.
Of course.
There's more than one window, brother.
Love that.
What's your message to Phillies fans, though, for you personally, that says that?
For me personally, about the window?
Especially being in a, in a veteran-led clubhouse, but also these young guys kinda It's ascending to now being in the big leagues.
I, I have a lot of, like, corny dad jokes- ... and one-liners.
Like, I, I don't take anything too seriously- Yep ... until I have to.
Mm-hmm.
what I will say is, sometimes you gotta close the window for things to heat up.
You don't wanna let all the air out, you know?
Maybe it's not about the window.
And what gives you Is it the all-star level guys, like Bryce, Trey, Kyle?
What gives you that confidence that this team can get to that stage?
A lot of it is timing.
Yeah.
So how can we you think about, like, a track star getting ready for the Olympics.
Mm-hmm.
Like, if the World Series is your aspiration, what are you doing to prepare?
Yeah, you have to kick butt all season long to qualify to get to the Olympics.
Mm-hmm.
Same thing for us in the postseason and the World Series, but how do we get to that peak right at the right time, where everything's clicking on all cylinders, and then you steamroll?
Mm-hmm.
And you celebrate, and everyone's like, "Whoa-" ... "that team kicked it into a new gear."
Mm-hmm.
'Cause, like, when we're not going good, we're still a freaking crazy team.
I mean, imagine, like, we're a- we're an F1 car.
If two of our cylinders are firing, like, the car's still gonna go.
It might not compete in the race the way you want it to, but it will.
Yep.
So if you can get that cyl- like, all eight or 12 or 16, I don't know how many cylinders are in a race car.
But, but you get them all going at once, and it's like, "Stay out of the way-" Watch out ... "because they're coming, and they're coming fast."
