This year's Phillies team wasted one of the best rotations
The Phillies went into the 2024 season knowing they had one of the top 1-2 starting pitching duos in the majors. Zack Wheeler and Nola are the aces of the staff and have been for years.
Ranger Suárez showed promising signs as a starting pitcher in 2022 and 2023, so the organization hoped to see further improvement in 2024. The left-hander exceeded expectations and established himself as a Cy Young favorite through June 25. He was 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 99 strikeouts and opposing batters were hitting just .199 against him.
Suárez struggled for the rest of the season and missed about a month with a back injury. He finished the season with a 12-8 record, 3.46 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 150 2/3 innings pitched.
The pleasant surprise in the Phillies starting rotation was Cristopher Sánchez. The 27-year-old was entering his fourth season with the Phillies after not being anything more than a reliever and spot starter in the past.
Sánchez enjoyed a breakout season in 2024 in which the lefty was named to the first All-Star Game of his career and was nominated for All-MLB honors. He owned an 11-9 record with a 3.32 ERA and allowed only 11 home runs in 31 starts. Sánchez tossed two complete games, including a complete game shutout on June 28 against the Miami Marlins.
The Phillies rewarded Sánchez with a four-year extension for his impressive season.
The Phillies starting rotation ranked third in fWAR and was tied for the sixth-lowest ERA in 2024. It was a dominant rotation even with Suárez’s struggles and the abysmal No. 5 starter spot. There’s a chance Wheeler wins the Cy Young Award, but it seems like Atlanta Braves starter Chris Sale might have the edge over him.
The most important thing was that the Phillies avoided serious injury to Wheeler, Nola and Sánchez. The team’s three best pitchers were able to stay relatively healthy and perform at a high level.
Not every team is fortunate enough to have a starting rotation like the Phillies. The Phillies hadn’t had a rotation like this since the “Four Aces” in 2011. The organization can’t help but feel disappointed for wasting one of the best rotations in baseball.