Zack Wheeler is ranked 4th among starting pitchers
Staff workhorse Zack Wheeler has earned this spot, and I think he should even be above Corbin Burnes, whom CBS has at No. 3. Wheeler inspires total confidence, and fantasy players shouldn't hesitate with him at all, as he's given no indication of slowing down since he came to the Phillies. No objections here.
Aaron Nola is ranked 14th among starting pitchers
I realize Nola's value to the Phillies, but I still don't see enough to slot him this high. Chris Towers even has him 11th, ahead of Tyler Glasnow and George Kirby. Ultimately, a big part of Nola's fantasy allure is his durability. His floor is as safe as any starting pitcher outside of the elite group. But he still strikes me after all these years as a fringe top-20 SP.
I'd be a little uneasy with him as my SP2, but there is always risk. If you believe in trends, you could be encouraged by the fact that Nola's ERA yo-yos wildly between even and odd years, so he's due for a good performance there in 2024.
Cristopher Sánchez is ranked 60th among starting pitchers
Cristopher Sánchez is catching on in fantasy communities, and I can see the appeal. If you've already built a strong staff, you can afford to take the plunge on him as your SP5. His starting spot doesn't appear to be in any danger, so it seems reasonable that he can pile up enough innings to justify this ranking. If I had to go one way or the other, I wouldn't put him this high, but when we look back at the end of 2024, he should be within the top 70 SPs.
Ranger Suárez is ranked 96th among starting pitchers
Oh, the disrespect. I realize that Ranger isn't exactly a top target, but people seem to be sleeping on his talent level after an uneven 2023 that got off to a late start. With a clean bill of health this time around, I fully expect Suárez to be a top-75 starting pitcher when all is said and done this year. Health can never be assumed, of course, but solid ratios and a dozen wins are nothing to sneeze at from your team's SP5, which is what I view him as in a standard-sized league.
José Alvarado is ranked 23rd among relief pitchers
If you're only counting saves and not holds or SOLDS (saves + holds), the Phillies simply don't offer the high-end locked-in closer that will win you the category. And so the highest-ranked of their bullpen arms is Alvarado, who figures to toss his usual high strikeout numbers to accompany however many saves he'll compile.
It's anyone's guess if he runs with the job and can rattle off 25+ or if this bullpen turns into more of a committee and he barely gets 10. Such is the dilemma. Either way, this is an accurate ranking to reflect that uncertainty.