Phillies 2023 Report Cards: Grading the starting pitching
By Jake Huber
When looking back over the Phillies throughout the 2023 campaign, the offense obviously comes to the forefront. The Phillies' new "ball goes boom" mantra has taken the spotlight off of some impressive performances and overall seasons from the pitching staff. After an unexpected and disappointing finish, how did the rotation perform?
The Phillies starting rotation ended the season 15th in the league in overall ERA (4.30), which regressed from last year's 3.80 ERA. While the entire league ERA jumped nearly .4 of a run, it's still a representation of the shortcomings during the regular season.
However, they did a good job at limiting baserunners, posting a 1.22 WHIP, which was good for fifth in the league. The starters' postseason ERA was an incredible 2.19, which was first in the league and .75 of a run away from the next-best team. It was an unsustainable mark that came in a limited amount of games, but for our grades and in concept, nothing matters more than the postseason.
The rotation was excellent in the postseason, showing that they could live up to the moment (for the most part) when it mattered most. But when looking back over a full 162, where did the starters fall short? What improvements were made? What needs to be changed looking ahead to next season?
Six starters made a major impact starting games in 2023. Let's break down and grade each individual starter's season and recap their best and worst moments.