Phillies: Where does the starting rotation stand?
Where does the Phillies pitching staff stand as we wait for opening day?
With the MLB season most likely being put on pause for the next couple of months, baseball fans everywhere are asking a lot of questions. When will Opening Day be? How will this affect the postseason? Will the regular season be shortened? How will the Phillies starting pitchers perform???
You like that seamless transition? In all seriousness, the COVID-19 pandemic has gripped the globe, and has found its way into our beloved summer pastime. Baseball is projecting to be delayed till around June/July, and a lot of players around the league have already packed up and left their spring training sites.
With that said, there’s still plenty to talk about in terms of Philadelphia baseball. The MLB season will hopefully be back sometime this summer, and when it comes to the Phillies, their starting rotation is always a hot topic to discuss.
One-two punch at the top
Since the departure of Cole Hamels in 2015, the Phillies have really relied primarily on just one elite pitcher to hold down their staff. They tried to add a bonafide ace in Jake Arrieta prior to the 2018 season, but that obviously hasn’t really worked out in Philly’s favor.
For the most part, it’s been Aaron Nola against the world over the last couple of seasons.
Finishing third in the Cy Young voting during the 2018 campaign, Nola honestly was good enough to carry a depleted Phillies pitching staff. He posted a 2.37 ERA and won the team 17 games. However, as 2019 rolled around and the pressure began to mount on the young righty, he showed clear signs of struggle.
His ERA shot up close to a 4.00 and his win total dropped by five. It became ever so clear that he desperately needed a legit “number two” paired next to him to alleviate some of that pressure.
Enter Zack Wheeler.
The 29 year old was locked up to a very lucrative 5-year deal right at the start of free agency, and the Phillies haven’t looked back since. Prying him away from their division rival in the Mets, the Phillies are clearly banking on Wheeler finally developing into a solid #2 or even a 1B in their rotation.
Wheeler has long been a fan favorite when it comes to analytics and projection metrics, mainly based on how hard he throws. If he can unlock some of that untapped potential, the front two in the Phils’ rotation will be a force to be reckoned with.
Overall grade? A-
Disappointment in the middle
After Nola and Wheeler, there is a considerable drop off in talent when you start looking at the #3 and #4 spots in the rotation. Currently, it’s looking like Zach Eflin and Jake Arrieta will be holding down those positions.
Like previously mentioned, the Arrieta signing has turned out to be a colossal failure for the Philadelphia Phillies. Over the course of two seasons with the Phils, Arrieta has posted an ERA of 4.26 and a WHIP of 1.369. He’s repeatedly been the cause of disputes in the clubhouse, has publicly criticized his teammates, and overall has had a sour attitude about his time in Philly.
Arrieta was off to a horrifically bad start to the 2019 season last year before ultimately being shut down due to bone spurs in his elbow.
The former Cy Young winner was electric during his time with the Cubs, spanning from 2013 to 2017. He was awarded multiple accolades and was one of the major driving forces in the organization winning the World Series in 2017.
Obviously, he’s been unable to recapture that same form wearing the red and white pinstripes.
On the other hand, while Zach Eflin’s story is quite the polar opposite of Arrieta’s, the disappointment surrounding him as a player is about the same.
Debuting in 2016, many amongst the Phillies organization felt he was the future #2 behind Aaron Nola. Despite all the high praise, Eflin struggled to really ever get off the ground, maintaining a career ERA of 4.73. Things got so bad for him last year that he was even sent to the bullpen for a few weeks.
The Phillies desperately need at least one of these two to finally show up in 2020. #3 level production, 10-12 wins, and an ERA in the mid-3.00s would be monumental in the team’s push to end their playoff drought.
Overall grade? D+
Major questions at the end
Whether it’s Vince Velasquez, Nick Pivetta, Ranger Suarez, or even someone like Cole Irvin, the #5 spot in the rotation still appears to be completely up in the air.
Guys like Velasquez and Pivetta have been given a plethora of chances to prove their worth as a major league starter, and overall have disappointed. “Vinny Velo” has long evoked loud groans from Phillies fans around the world as he takes two hours to deliver 90 pitches, across just 4 innings…
Pivetta on the other hand, despite long being hailed as an elite prospect (and even a Cy Young sleeper candidate), has somehow been even worse than Velasquez. Owning a career ERA of 5.34, Pivetta has monumentally struggled with his pitch control and his self confidence. Multiple occasions have arisen of him looking completely lost on the mound, and it’s resulted in poor outings and even midseason stints in AAA.
Cole Irvin got a brief shot as a starter midway through the 2019 season before ultimately losing it due to continued bad performances.
Lefty Ranger Suarez, on the other hand, has very recently emerged as a potential front runner for a back-end starter job. During his few Spring Training appearances, he did nothing but impress.
The one major wild card to all of this is Phillies current #1 pitching prospect Spencer Howard. Ranked as a top 30 prospect across the entire minor league system, Howard appears to be the real deal. Once he is fully ready for major league action (which could take some time due to the delayed season start) Howard will no doubt be kicking someone out of the rotation.
Based on how everyone is playing, even Eflin or Arrieta could be at risk for losing their spots…
Overall grade? C-
Overall grade with Howard? A+