The Big Pitch

by Marc Narducci | Aug 20, 2025

For much of the season, the Phillies had one of the top starting pitching staffs in all of the MLB. Zack Wheeler, looked like an early Cy Young candidate. Jesus Luzardo seemed to be matching Wheeler in the early going. Then Cristopher Sanchez began hitting his stride and has remained one of the top pitchers in baseball. Ranger Suarez also looked like one of the better pitchers in baseball after joining the team following missing the first month due to injury.

Since then, so much has changed. The report over the weekend that Wheeler had a Right Upper Extremity Blood Clot, just put another question in the rotation. Wheeler has been put on the 15-day injured list. Whether he is able to pitch at all the rest of the season, at press time, was anybody’s guess.

Suarez has slumped recently. Luzardo has been up and down. Aaron Nola just came off the IL and was shelled on Sunday, allowing six runs in 2.1 innings during an 11-9 win over the Washington Nationals.

One of the Phillies more reliable starters lately has been Taijuan Walker, who many people wanted off the roster. Over his last four starts over 23.2 innings, Walker has a 1.90 ERA.

The Phillies had originally wanted top prospect Andrew Painter to join the club sometime in late July, but he has struggled for consistency at Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Granted, he is coming off Tommy John surgery and has missed two seasons, but in his first 17 starts for the IronPigs, he has a 5.31 ERA.

The Phillies were originally going to have a six-man rotation with Nola re-joining the team, but with Wheeler’s injury, it will now go back to five.

If Suarez can regain his form and Luzardo continues to pitch the way he has recently, the Phillies will still have a formidable starting rotation in the postseason. Should we dare say that Walker could be a No. 4 starter if Nola isn’t effective?

Either way, the bullpen, which was considered among the worst in MLB early in the season, may now be a strength. Could the bullpen carry the team in the postseason?

The addition of Jhoan Duran has made all the difference for the Phillies. He is the closer, no questions asked. Following Sunday’s win, he had saved all five chances since coming to the Phillies in the trade with the Minnesota Twins.

Before that, Phillies manager Rob Thomson used a bullpen by committee in late-inning situations. Now having Duran settles the end and Thomson can mix and match in the seventh and eighth innings.

Tanner Banks has proven to be a solid long reliever. He began the week with a 3.00 ERA in 54 innings, which is a lot of work at this stage. Orien Kekering (2.51 ERA) had been the Phillies best reliever until the arrival of Duran.

Matt Straham, has been a little up and down, but has pitched well recently.

Recently signed David Robertson could also be a key late inning addition.

Plus Jose Alvarado has pitched well in his rehab starts for the IronPigs as he is eligible to be activated Aug. 19 from his 80-game suspension following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.

Due to MLB rules, Alvarado won’t be eligible to pitch in the postseason.

Still, he should be a big contributor to the bullpen for the rest of the regular season.

Even without Alvarado, the Phillies may be able to play shorter games in the postseason (providing they get there, which should happen). They may not be able to rely so much on the starters, who carried the team for so long.

All of a sudden the bullpen is one of the Phillies’ strengths over the final six weeks of the regular season and into, as expected, the postseason.

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Photo: Phillies reliever Tanner Banks / Marc Narducci

Author: Marc Narducci

The Big Pitch

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