The Philadelphia Phillies were dealt a huge loss toward the end of the regular season last year. Zack Wheeler needed to undergo season-ending surgery for venous thoracic outlet syndrome. However, the Phillies' starting rotation had plenty of talent, as Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo played a huge role.
We now know for sure that Wheeler won't be ready for Opening Day. Sánchez, who was the runner-up to the NL Cy Young Award in 2025, and Luzardo will each be counted on heavily while the experienced veteran works his way back. But that's okay, because MLB.com's Jared Greenspan ranked Sanchez and Luzardo as the third-best starting pitching duo in MLB.
Sánchez and Luzardo are projected to combine for 8.3 fWAR in 2026, according to Greenspan. They are the Phillies' starting pitchers who present the fewest concerns entering spring training.
Phillies' Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo rank as one of the most formidable pitching duos entering 2026
The Phillies look to have a new ace of their rotation in Sánchez. He finished with the third-most fWAR (6.4) among all pitchers last year. The 29-year-old finished with career bests in ERA (2.50), wins (13), strikeouts (212), and innings pitched (202) in 2025. They will need him to repeat his exceptional year, given the rotation concerns entering the regular season that they haven't had in previous years.
Luzardo will also be counted on to assume a bigger role in his second season with the team. He rebounded from an injury-plagued 2024 season in his first year with Philadelphia with a career-best 5.3 fWAR. Greenspan notes that the left-hander finished with career highs in strikeouts (216), wins (15), and innings pitched (182 2/3).
Greenspan also notes that FanGraphs projects Wheeler to throw only 127 innings this year. Not including the shortened 2020 season, it would be his fewest innings since 2017. He is projected to total 2.9 fWAR, which is lower than the projections for Sánchez (4.8 fWAR) and Luzardo (3.5 fWAR). If Wheeler manages to surpass the predicted innings total by a significant margin, it will increase the Phillies' pitching depth.
There are other concerns with the rotation. Ranger Suárez signed with the Boston Red Sox in free agency, and Andrew Painter is anticipated to deal with some inconsistencies in his first major league season. How Aaron Nola will do following a bad, injury-plagued year in 2025 is also a key question that will impact how effective the starting rotation will be.
Wheeler remains a key part of the Phillies' starting rotation despite not being fully healthy yet. If Sánchez and Luzardo lead the rotation as anticipated, and Wheeler works his way back to his former self throughout the regular season, Philadelphia will have three dependable starting pitchers. However, until then, Sánchez and Luzardo look to be capable of anchoring the Phillies' rotation this year.