MLB fans in awe of Orion Kerkering's father's emotional outpour as son makes Phillies debut - "Baseball is so good"

Philadelphia Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering drew tears from his father's eyes as he made his MLB debut against the New York Mets on Sunday. The Phillies went on to win 5-3 on the night as their debutant pitched a scoreless inning to help his team to a victory. The 22-year-old's father could not contain his emotions on the momentous day and MLB fans resonated with him on social media.

Orion Kerkering was selected by the Phillies in the 2022 MLB draft and soon went on to make his professional debut for them. This year, he has shown a huge improvement, climbing up four levels of the minor leagues to being called up to the major league at one of the most critical points of the season.

Kerkering could not have hoped for a better start to his MLB career than the one he made on Sunday. Coming on to relieve starting pitcher Christopher Sanchez on the night, there was still a lot to be done.

The Mets were catching up the the Phillies lead but the youngster's impeccable performance kept them at arm's length and helped his team over the line. His father could not contain his tears after his son's impressive performance, and the fans also took the opportunity to share their reactions.

"Baseball is so good," wrote one fan on Twitter. "I'm not as tough as I thought," added another.

Orion Kerkering's performance strengthens the Phillies' bid for Wild Card spot

While the Philadelphia Phillies may not be anywhere near the top of the NL East leaders, they currently hold a Wild Card spot and have strengthened their bid after the weekend. They have completed a sweep of the New York Mets over four games and have six games remaining in their schedule in the MLB regular season.

20-year-old debutant Orion Kerkering showed that he's ready to mix it up in the big leagues with a convincing performance and could go on to play a crucial role in the coming weeks.