The excitement is in the air for Philadelphia Phillies fans as the regular season is just days away. Major League Baseball continues to release all sorts of countdowns, from players to team rankings. The latest from MLB.com is the Top 10 pitching staffs, according to writer Anthony Castrovince.
To nobody’s surprise, after the offseason, the Los Angeles Dodgers check in at the top at No. 1. Even with what some fans consider a questionable and disappointing offseason, the Phillies enter at No. 2 in the rankings.
In addition to the top-tier talent the Dodgers possess, it's the depth that they continued to add through the offseason that gives them the No. 1 spot.
Phillies' pitching staff among the best in the game but depth is the question
The Phillies, on the other hand, have a lot to be excited about from the top spots of the roster.
“They don’t have the crazy amount of depth that the Dodgers possess," Castrovince writes about the Phillies. "But pound for pound, a healthy Phillies staff could outpitch L.A. and anyone else.”
Obviously, there's a lot of positivity that this team can go toe to toe with the Dodgers' pitching staff. It makes the head turn that he says the Phillies can outpitch anyone in the league when healthy but that he still finds a way to throw the Dodgers at No. 1 due to their depth.
Even from the positive aspect of it, Phillies fans will cringe for multiple reasons on the other side of view. The first one is that all offseason, all fans were asking for was another reliever to build depth after losing two key back end of the bullpen options. There were plenty of players out there in free agency getting passed on while the Dodgers signed Blake Treinen, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates. Phillies fans could see the depth lacking for a while, and this proves the fans' case even more, with arms like David Robertson still available.
Secondly, this spring, the Phillies have already been without an All-Star reliever from a season ago, Matt Strahm, due to an injury. With his Opening Day status in question, the depth of the bullpen could be tested early on in the season.
Finally, the third reason that will make fans cringe is bringing back the thought of last year when the Phillies looked for depth all over, trying to find a fifth starter after injuries to Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull. The organization mixed in eight different starters outside of the top four, featuring Walker, Turnbull, Tyler Phillips, Kolby Allard, Orion Kerkering (opener), Michael Mercado, Tanner Banks (opener) and Seth Johnson.
Overall though, the Phillies' starting pitching, with the acquisition of Jesús Luzardo, might be looked at as one of the best in baseball by season's end. The Phillies have the runner-up for the 2024 NL Cy Young award, along with All-Star pitchers Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez.
The Phillies' bullpen has question marks. But if Jordan Romano returns to his old form from before last season's injury, José Alvarado continues his spring training dominance, and Orion Kerkering takes the next step in his development. This Phillies pitching staff will be perfectly fine and demonstrate why they were picked second by MLB.com. The pitching offers a lot to be excited about if you are a Phillies fan.