The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the most talented rosters in Major League Baseball. The starting rotation in particular was one of the best in the majors during the 2024 season.
The Phillies’ starting rotation featured three All-Stars and the National League Cy Young runner-up. The rotation tied for the sixth-best ERA (3.81) and the fifth-best WHIP (1.22). The starters struck out the eighth most batters (851) and logged the fourth most innings pitched (903). They led the league with five complete games and four shutouts.
Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez produced one of the best seasons among a starting rotation in Phillies history. It’s even more impressive given Suárez’s second-half struggles and the No. 5 starter issues all season.
A Phillies six-man rotation this season will feature Andrew Painter and Jesús Luzardo
It was hard to imagine the Phillies upgrading their starting rotation heading into 2025, but the organization did just that. The Phillies acquired left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins in December to put the No. 5 starter nightmare from a season ago to rest.
Luzardo became a full-time starting pitcher when the Marlins acquired him from the Oakland Athletics in 2021. The 27-year-old had back-to-back sub-3.60 ERA seasons in 2022 and 2023, but he struggled in 2024 while missing extended time with elbow and back injuries.
The Luzardo acquisition rounded out the Phillies’ starting rotation heading into 2025. The group will undoubtedly be the team’s strength assuming everyone stays healthy.
Baseball is seeing an increasing trend of teams using six-man rotations rather than the traditional five-man rotation, per MLB.com's Mike Petriello. The Phillies opted for a six-man rotation at times over the last few seasons, which created mixed reactions among the pitchers and their routines, most notably Wheeler and Nola.
The Phillies may not have a choice other than to utilize a six-man rotation at some point in 2025. The starting rotation is set heading into the new season, but top pitching prospect Andrew Painter could make his major league debut sooner rather than later.
Painter injured his right elbow during spring training in 2023, leading to Tommy John surgery that July. The former first-round pick had high expectations and had an opportunity to make the big league team that season before his injury.
Painter began throwing to batters in September for the first time since before his surgery. It was a big step in his recovery process, and he’s been taking bigger and bigger steps since. The right-hander pitched in the Arizona Fall League to get competitive innings under his belt and shake off some rust, and he ended up being named the Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Year in the process.
The Phillies don’t want to rush their 21-year-old prodigy, so Painter may continue to rehab and pitch in the minor leagues to begin the year. It may start as a five-man rotation for manager Rob Thomson and the Phillies in 2025, but they’ll be one of the teams to use a six-man rotation sooner rather than later.