Who has the most wins in a single Phillies postseason?

The Philadelphia Phillies have existed since 1883, and many great players have worn the uniform. It’s hard to imagine a franchise with such a long history only making it to the playoffs 17 times.

The Phillies have had countless dominant pitchers take the mound from Grover Alexander to Robin Roberts to Jim Bunning to Steve Carlton to Cole Hamels and now to Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler. Not every pitcher has had the opportunity to make their mark in the playoffs, but some have been fortunate enough to find success in October.

Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee are tied for the most wins in a single Phillies postseason

Hamels is tied for No. 1 in franchise history with the most wins in a single Phillies postseason after winning four games in 2008. He was a four-time All-Star and a 2008 World Series champion. The left-hander was named both the NLCS MVP and World Series MVP for his dominant performance in that postseason. He posted a 1.80 ERA in 35 innings pitched to help deliver Philadelphia its first World Series since 1980.

Hamels is a Phillies legend. He was drafted by the Phillies at No. 17 overall in the 2002 MLB Draft and made his major league debut in 2006. He was a homegrown talent who spent the first 10 seasons of his career in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Phillies made another deep run in the playoffs in 2009 that ended just short of back-to-back World Series championships. The Phillies acquired veteran Cliff Lee from the then-Cleveland Indians before the 2009 trade deadline to go along with Hamels in the starting rotation. This was the first of two stints for Lee in the red pinstripes.

The trade to bring Lee to Philadelphia proved to be effective as the left-hander had a dominant 2009 postseason. He tied Hamels for the most wins in a single Phillies postseason with four which was set the year prior. Lee posted a 1.56 ERA in 40 1/3 innings pitched but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies fell to the New York Yankees in the World Series in six games.

Three players are tied for the second most wins in a single Phillies postseason. Hall of Fame pitcher Carlton won three games in the 1980 postseason to help deliver the organization its first World Series championship. Wheeler and Nola both won three games during the 2023 postseason for the Phillies. There are 11 pitchers tied for the third-most wins with two wins in a single postseason for the Phillies.

The Phillies play their first playoff game on Saturday against either the New York Mets. Wheeler will take the mound to kick things off in the 2024 postseason. Will anyone on the pitching staff set a new record for the most wins in a single Phillies postseason? Only time will tell.