For the past two seasons our Philadelphia Phillies have been blessed with great starting pitching. No matter who is on the mound, the team has a chance to win. With mainstays in Nola and Wheeler, the emergence of Sanchez and Suarez, and the addition of Luzardo, the Phillies have a wall of starters defending the front line.
Zack Wheeler
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K/BB | K/BB per 9 |
| Zack Wheeler | 7-3 (16 starts) | 2.55 | .929 | 99 | 126/25 | 11.5/2.3 |
Zack Wheeler is doing what Zack Wheeler does. Once again the Phillies ace is having a Cy Young season. A man who should already have at least one Cy Young is doing it again for the Phillies. Wheeler is 7-3 with a 2.55 era. He continues to be the ace of the staff and one of the best in the league. He is near the top of the league in strikeouts with 126 (3rd). He avoids the free pass, issuing 25 walks in 99 innings.
Wheeler is arguably the Phillies best free agent signing of all time, for sure for a pitcher. Wheeler’s rise to stardom has been a driving force behind the Phillies World Series window. Who knows how the team would have shaped out if Zack didn’t turn into the dominating pitcher he is today. He has truly been unbelievable for the Phillies and you shouldn’t take him for granted for one second. Make sure to enjoy each one of Wheeler’s starts because you are watching an all time Phillies great.
Jesús Luzardo
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K/BB | K/BB per 9 |
| Jesús Luzardo | 7-3 (16 starts) | 4.08 | 1.373 | 90.1 | 104/29 | 10.4/2.9 |
What a free agent acquisition. Luzardo, another nasty lefty, has really bolstered the staff. The Phils only had to give up two prospects for Luzardo. Like JT coming over from Miami, this trade has worked in the Phillies favor. Luzardo has been brilliant so far. He has been able to use his fastball-sweeper combo to dominate hitters all season. And just like Wheeler, he’s able to get strikeouts without walking a lot of guys. The addition of Luzardo has pushed the Phillies rotation to another level. A massive boost with the bullpen struggles this season.
Ranger Suarez
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K/BB | K/BB per 9 |
| Ranger Suarez | 6-2 (10 starts) | 2.08 | 1.031 | 65 | 59/16 | 8.2/2.2 |
The guy is a stud. Ranger just goes out there and pitches. After coming off the IL he had a shaky first start, but has been lights out since. Ranger is back to the Ranger we all know and love. Not many of his pitches reach 95+ MPH, but it doesn’t matter. The use of the four-seam, cutter, and change up has been downright scary. Don’t forget his Gold Glove level defense either.
Like his rotation partner, Christopher Sanchez, Suarez also utilizes a devastating change-up. A weapon that is key to his success. Ranger’s ability to hit spots and keep hitters off balance is special. The Phillies would be silly to let him walk this offseason and he needs to stay in Philadelphia.
Cristopher Sanchez
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K/BB | K/BB per 9 |
| Cristopher Sanchez | 6-2 (15 starts) | 2.87 | 1.186 | 87.2 | 92/28 | 9.4/2.9 |
Sanchez continues to be the Phillies secret weapon. In the past, the names of Wheeler, Nola, and Suarez have kept Sanchez out of the spotlight. But he is arguably just as good as those three pitchers (ok maybe not Wheeler). With one of the best change-ups in baseball Sanchez may be the best 4th(?) starter in the league. Do we even have a 4th starter? Kinda feels like they are all in the 1 spot with the way we are pitching. Regardless, my vote for the most underrated player in baseball goes to Cristopher Sanchez. He is a horse that makes the Phillies rotation go. There is no break for other teams. Sanchez provides valuable staff depth making sure opposing teams will face at least one great pitcher each series.
Mick Abel
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K/BB | K/BB per 9 |
| Mick Abel | 2-1 (5 starts) | 3.47 | 1.157 | 23.1 | 18/4 | 6.9/1.5 |
Abel has been solid since joining the Phillies staff. He dazzled in his first few starts, but has come down to earth a little bit. He has been bitten by the long ball recently but that’s what happens when you don’t throw high velocity and the tape starts to get out there. Look for the rest of the season to be up and down for Abel as he manages his first big league outings.
Regardless of his last two starts, Abel has brought stability to the Phillies 5th spot. Both Nola and Walker were unable to provide anything positive to start the year. Abel has done just that. He won’t be able to match the level of the other starters but Abel will be a key part of the staff the rest of the year.
Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker
| Pitcher | W-L | ERA | WHIP | IP | K/BB | K/BB per 9 |
| Aaron Nola | 1-7 (9 starts) | 6.16 | 1.51 | 49.2 | 52/16 | 9.4/2.9 |
| Taijuan Walker | 2-5 (8 starts) | 3.99 | 1.369 | 49.2 | 44/19 | 8/3.4 |
Both Aaron Nola and Taijuan Walker have struggled for this Phillies this season. When pitching, Nola didn’t look like he belonged on the mound. You could say the same for Walker. The only positive I can take away from these two is that maybe Nola will find his form post injury. He has been an ace on this staff for years and a big playoff performer that last three seasons. The Phillies will need him if they want to make a championship push.
Looking Ahead
We all know the story of the Phillies postseason losses. The offense has sputtered, the hitting disappeared and so did the wins.
But we also know how important pitching is to winning a World Series. The Fightin’ Phils certainly have the fire power on the mound. This staff is poised perfectly for the playoffs. This staff gives the team three advantages.
- They have guys who can go deep into the games and save bullpen arms.
- They have enough talent to pick and choose when someone pitches.
- They have enough depth to use starters for bullpen help.
As the Phillies push to the playoffs we should be looking forward to watching the starting pitcher every night. When you are caught up in the emotions of the season it is easy to lose sight of what we are actually watching. Talent like this doesn’t come around for the Phillies that often. Make sure to savor each start and appreciate what these guys are doing on the mound.
Photo Credit: Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
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