In the movies, there’s always that one background character who’s got such an interesting storyline you can’t help but focus on them. While the protagonist is on some wild life-changing journey, the side character is silently fighting their own battles and making their own progress. And in the end, the protagonist needs that side character to complete their quest. Think: Jim Craig in Miracle, Marla Hooch in A League of Their Own, or... Mushu in Mulan.
It’s a weird comparison, but Jose Alvarado was that background character for the 2022 Phillies. While the stars of the show were fighting their own battles (Harper’s injuries, Segura and Realmuto’s quests to finally reach the playoffs, the entire infield’s rivalry with playing defense, etc.