NEW YORK — Taijuan Walker has made a habit of standing at the top step of the Phillies’ dugout. For the better part of two years, he’s been stationed there, with his legs stretched out, and his right arm on the railing. He likes to talk to hitters before they take their at-bats. Sometimes, he’ll give words of encouragement. Other times, he’ll ask how they’re doing, or if they’ve seen a pitcher before, and if so, what they’ve got on him.

His teammates enjoy it, so when manager Rob Thomson told Walker he had been left off the postseason roster, he presented him with a choice. Walker could go to Florida to keep his arm fresh, or he could stay in Philadelphia for the National League Division Series. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind.

“You should always be a good teammate first,” Walker said. “And just because I didn’t make the roster … I mean, I had a bad year, and it’s all my fault. But I’m not going to change what I’ve been doing for 162 games. I’m not going to pout about it and go hide in a corner. I’m going to be the same teammate I’ve been all year.”

Walker has been that, and more. For Games 1 and 2 of the NLDS, he’s been posted at his usual spot. When Zack Wheeler walked off the field on Saturday, with a 1-0 lead after seven innings of one-hit ball, Walker was the first to shake his hand. When Tanner Banks allowed an RBI single in the Phillies’ eventual 6-2 loss to the Mets, Walker gave him a consolatory slap on the leg.

When Castellanos was preparing for his at-bat in the sixth inning of Game 2, Walker approached him. The right fielder was 0-for-2 and palpably frustrated.

“I need something from you right here,” Walker told him.

“Alright,” Castellanos replied. “I got you.”

He walked up to the plate, took a sweeper, and drove the next one 425 feet to left-center field, going back-to-back with Bryce Harper’s two-run shot. In the eighth, Walker approached him again. The Phillies were down, 4-3, with one out and Harper on first base.

“I don’t mean to be greedy,” Walker said, “But I need another one. You got another one in you?”

“We’re about to find out,” Castellanos replied.

Again, he saw two pitches, and again, he capitalized on the second one, lining a single to right to move Harper to third ahead of Bryson Stott’s two-run triple. Walker thought about approaching Castellanos a third time in the ninth, moments before his walk-off single, but decided the outfielder didn’t need it.

“He was already locked in,” Walker said.

Like any player, the right-handed pitcher would prefer to be on the playoff roster, but he understands why he’s not. Walker, 32, is coming off the worst season of his 12-year career. His ERA was higher than it’s ever been (7.10 across 83⅔ innings). His strikeout rate plummeted to 15.2%, while his walk rate hasn’t budged.

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He allowed more hard contact in 2024, and his fastball velocity sat at an average of 91.2 mph — a career low. The Phillies have tried everything. Walker was moved to the bullpen, back to the rotation, and back to the bullpen again. He did weighted-ball exercises and added muscle. He tinkered with grips and mechanics. Nothing worked.

It’s been frustrating for everyone involved. When Walker left the Mets as a free agent and signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Phillies in December of 2022, he was a different pitcher. He was one year removed from an All-Star appearance, and arrived in spring training with a guaranteed spot as the fourth starter. But he could never find consistency, and in 2024, he hit new lows.

“I’ve had good seasons,” Walker said, “and I’ve had average seasons. But I’ve never had a really, really bad season. So, this is the first time I’ve gone through it. I’m ready for a reset. I want to get to the offseason and work on some things, and get ready for next year. I’m not giving up on this year, but I’m ready to reset and show the fans, the team, the front office, the type of pitcher I really am.

“The fans want to win, and they expect you to be great every time out, and to perform. And when you get paid a lot of money, you have a job to do. And the job is to go and be good. I don’t think anyone expected [me] to be Wheeler or Nola or any of those guys, but [they expected me] to do what I’ve been doing the past four or five years. And this year just wasn’t that year.”

He added: “I don’t feel like I’ve earned a spot in the rotation, or to pitch [out of the bullpen]. Would I like to pitch? Obviously. Everyone wants to pitch in the postseason. But I know I didn’t have a great year. I had a really, really bad year.”

Walker is on the taxi squad and has continued to work with the Phillies pitching coaches throughout the playoffs. He’s dropped his arm slot to try to be more deceptive. He’s been throwing bullpen sessions, and plans to resume his weighted-ball routine once the season is over.

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But whether he makes a playoff appearance or not, he still wants to contribute. And he believes that even if he’s not pitching, there is a way he can do that.

“These games are high-stress games,” Walker said, “So, I just try to ease their mind. Because going up to bat, especially in the playoffs, can be nerve-racking. You want to do too much. You’re tense. So, if I can just get their mind off of that for a second … I think it helps.”

His teammates certainly think so. Walker took his spot at the top of the dugout in last year’s postseason, too. Many players felt they benefited from it.

“He’s a gangster for doing that,” said outfielder Brandon Marsh. “He’s a gangster. I love it. I feel like when you go up there, and you’re at the plate by yourself, you’re on an island. It’s you vs. two, three, counting the umpire. So, having Tai up there to give you a little tap, it’s like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go get ‘em.’”

“He’s in it to win it, regardless of how his performance is, or how his year has gone, or whatever,” Castellanos said. “He’s always selfless with his time. He’s always going out of his way to have relationships with all of the guys, to pick them up, to say something here or there if need be. He’s an asset.”

This wasn’t the way Walker drew it up. Maybe next year will be different; maybe not. But no matter the outcome, he plans to be back at his post next spring.

“I’ll be the first to tell you I didn’t have a good year,” he said. “But I try to stay positive for the guys. I try to bring good energy.”

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