Phillies starting rotation did their job in 2020 season
The rest of the Phillies rotation was good enough.
Once again, Jake Arrieta went down with an injury. His numbers were pretty bad and there is no excuse for it. However, he wasn’t awful enough to be the reason this team lost when he was out on the mound. The problem is that he imploded versus Atlanta and allowed seven earned runs in 1 1/3 innings. If you take that game out, he would have a 3.77 ERA right now.
Unfortunately, that game did happen and it can’t be taken out of the equation. Outside of that though, he did keep this team in games and the bullpen usually ruined it. He allowed four earned runs or less in eight of his nine starts and three earned runs in six starts. The bottom line is that while he isn’t living up to his contract, he still gave this team a chance to win in the majority of his outings. That’s all you can ask for at this point in his career, especially with his recent injury history.
Zach Eflin made some big strides this year. Although he needs to be more consistent from one start to the next, each of his pitches improved once again. He also fixed some of his mechanics, specifically with his curveball. Unlike last year, he was able to listen to his pitching coach with confidence and receive reliable advice. Eflin also kept this team in games as he never gave up more than four runs in a start this year. He limited the damage even when he didn’t have his best stuff. Once again, he flashed his ceiling with a few outings that were flat out incredible. He’s done this in previous years as well but this year he did it when it was needed the most.
On August 29, the Phillies were in their final series versus the Atlanta Braves and needed a win to tie up the season series. Eflin pitched seven innings allowing just one earned run on four hits and no walks while striking out eight in a 4-1 win. His last two starts of the season were also a sight to behold. In a doubleheader versus the Toronto Blue Jays, who recently clinched a playoff spot, Eflin went the distance in Game 1. He shut out Toronto in seven innings, while allowing just four hits and walking two to go along with nine strikeouts.
Most recently, he went eight innings in a must-win game versus the Washington Nationals with just six hits, one walk, and three earned runs allowed. Not to mention, he struck out nine. He also allowed just one earned run until fatigue set in and he allowed a two-run shot to Juan Soto. Take that out, and Eflin’s season ERA would be down to 3.85. Unless he pitches out of the bullpen this weekend, his season is over. He finished with a 4-2 record, 4.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .267 batting average against, and 70 strikeouts in 56 1/3 innings.
Under pitching coach Bryan Price, Eflin is finally going to have a capable pitching coach for the future who can develop him properly. He’s still just 26-years-old and should continue to make strides, especially in a full season in 2021.
The Phillies couldn’t find a fifth starter, but still managed.
Spencer Howard has work to do, but it’s important to remember that he pitched just six games in Double-A before his big-league debut. Consider that, there shouldn’t be much reason to worry about Howard. He showed flashes of dominance in 2020. Once his command gets nailed down, he’ll be ready to pitch at the top of the rotation. Expect big things from him in the next few years. This was a tough season since the Phillies couldn’t get him some more experience in the minor leagues, but it was good that they got him some action.
Lastly, Vince Velasquez had another forgettable season. It’d be better to move him to the bullpen for the future. It’s frustrating that he is still in the starting rotation after all of these years. The Phillies can’t expect to win games with how high his pitch count gets so early in games. He went more than four innings in four of his eight starts, and he went more than five innings just once.
If there is anything positive to take away from his season, it is that he pitched efficiently in his final two starts. Last week versus Toronto, he helped the Phillies get a big win with six innings of work and just two hits, three walks, and one earned run allowed. He also struck out six in the 3-1 victory. The Phillies desperately needed that performance from Vince..
In the opening game of the final series of the year with a playoff spot on the line, Velasquez pitched well early on against the Tampa Bay Rays. He got through four innings of work with just three hits and one earned run allowed. Unfortunately, he ran into trouble in the fifth inning, and considering what is at stake, manager Joe Girardi couldn’t risk leaving him in. Tommy Hunter came in to try and keep the lead the Phillies had built, but instead he allowed the Rays to tie it up.
Velasquez’s outing doesn’t look great in the box score for this one, but he did keep the Phillies in it. Despite trailing 1-0 early, he kept the Rays quiet for a few innings and allowed the Phillies offense to come back and take a 4-1 lead. The offense went quiet for the rest of the night, though, and the bullpen blew yet another three-run lead. Even with Velasquez’s poor season, he could’ve been a lot worse in his final two starts.
This starting rotation wasn’t anything flashy outside of the front two guys, but they put this team in a good position to win more often than not. There weren’t too many times where the starters cost this team a win compared to the countless amount of times that the bullpen did. Nola and Wheeler paved the way and the rest of the guys scattered solid performances to help this team win series.
If the Phillies add one more experienced starter this upcoming offseason and Howard continues to develop, they’ll be in a great spot for 2021.
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