The Philadelphia Phillies have been in first place in the NL East for much of the 2024 season and sit atop the National League standings in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball.
The starting rotation has a lot to do with the overall success the Phillies have had this season.
Another mind-boggling stat that shows how good the Phillies’ rotation has been
The Phillies own the second-longest streak in MLB history with 31 consecutive wins when a starter makes it through at least seven innings in an outing, which is only behind the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals’ streak of 42 consecutive wins, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
The Phillies’ starting rotation could be argued as the team’s greatest strength this season. The Phillies had four Cy Young candidates at one point in the season. Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez make up one of the most dominant groups in baseball.
Wheeler is the true ace of this ball club. The 34-year-old is 14-6 with a 2.59 ERA and 190 strikeouts across 28 starts. He pitched seven or more innings in 11 starts so far this season and went 9-1 in those starts with one no-decision.
Nola pitched seven or more innings in eight starts so far this season and went 7-0 with a no-decision, including a complete game shutout on May 14 against the New York Mets. Sánchez has seven of those starts this year owning a 6-0 record with a no-decision and two complete games. Suárez has five starts in which he pitched seven or more innings and is a perfect 5-0 in those games, including a complete game shutout against the Colorado Rockies on April 16.
The only thing holding the starting rotation back is the No. 5 starter spot. The fifth starter has been a problem all season for the Phillies. The most recent failed experiment was 25-year-old Seth Johnson’s major league debut on Sunday in which he went 2 1/3 innings while allowing eight hits, three walks and nine earned runs in a loss to the Miami Marlins.
There’s no question that the Phillies have a special group of starting pitchers. That group might get even better with top pitching prospect Andrew Painter potentially joining the rotation in 2025 as he progresses in his recovery from Tommy John surgery.
The Phillies have 17 games left in the regular season. The starting rotation will be the key to earning a top spot in the playoffs and what the organization hopes will result in a World Series championship.