The Philadelphia Phillies have finally locked up the division and are officially headed to their third straight postseason. The benefit of securing a spot in the playoffs with five games to go is the manager can give rest to some of the everyday players but also shuffle the starting rotation to how he sees fit.
And manager Rob Thompson will do just that. He will give his starting rotation a good, hard look and make sure that he sets the order in the most optimal way in order to put the Phillies in the best position to make a deep playoff run.
Phillies Power Rankings: Starting rotation in flux heading into the postseason?
The Phillies' starting rotation has performed incredibly well for the majority of the season. In fact, three of four pitchers who will start games in the postseason were named All-Stars this season. But just because the Phillies came in with a particular order for the starting pitchers and just because some have more pedigree or experience than others, Thompson and the coaching staff will surely look at who’s performing the best at this moment to set the order.
No. 4: Ranger Suárez
Ranger Suárez is a bit of a postseason legend in Philadelphia. He has played a vital role in both playoff runs having made seven total starts and two bullpen appearances, including the save that got them to the World Series in 2022. His postseason ERA is 1.62 over 33 1/3 innings.
There were lofty expectations for the 29-year-old left-hander coming into the 2024 season. And for the first 12 starts of the season, he far exceeded those expectations. From March 31 to June 1, he made 12 starts, recording a 1.70 ERA with 79 strikeouts, and held his opponents to a .167 batting average. He was in the conversation for Cy Young and named to his first All-Star Game.
But in the second half of the season, Suárez battled some injuries, and something has seemed “off” for him. Over his last 14 starts, from June 8 to Sept. 21, he has pitched to a 4.65 ERA with 60 strikeouts, and his opponents are batting .297 against him.
Suárez has shown glimpses of finding his form, but it's hard to see Thompson looking at his recent performances and feeling comfortable putting him higher in the pecking order in the rotation. There even may be an opportunity to use Suárez out of the bullpen if the series is hanging in the balance and they need his versatility.