Do Philadelphia Phillies Have Best Rotation In Baseball?
The Philadelphia Phillies' starting rotation has been sensational this year.
It's been an uneven start for the Philadelphia Phillies, who have yet to fully take off. While their pitching's been outstanding, their offense has struggled to get going, costing them several winnable games in the early going.
On Tuesday, though, everything finally came together.
Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto keyed the offense with two-run homers, while Ranger Suarez mowed down the Colorado Rockies, tossing a complete game shutout in the Phillies' 5-0 victory.
It was yet another brilliant performance from Philadelphia's rotation and Suarez in particular.
All five Phillies starters have been lights-out this year, causing some experts to wonder whether the team has the best rotation in baseball.
Starting at the top, Zack Wheeler has been tremendous, averaging six innings, two earned runs and over seven strikeouts per start. Unfortunately for him, Philadelphia has scored a grand total of six runs in his four outings so far, which explains his 0-3 record despite a 3.00 ERA, 2.56 FIP and 1.04 WHIP.
Aaron Nola got shelled by the Atlanta Braves in his season debut but has been remarkable since then. He's allowed just three earned runs over his last three starts combined (all Phillies wins), flashing a 1.42 ERA and a .141 opponent batting average during that stretch.
Suarez might be the best No. 3 starter in the game, at least according to Harper. After Tuesday's shutout, he's now 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA and a 27:4 K/BB ratio in 26 innings.
That's quite a trio, and the back of the rotation has been just as good.
Cristopher Sanchez's 3.52 ERA is the highest on the staff, even though he's averaging a strikeout per inning and has a 2.64 FIP. Meanwhile, Spencer Turnbull looks like a great pickup with a 1.80 ERA, a 0.93 WHIP and 16 strikeouts in 15 innings.
All five of Philadelphia's starters have essentially pitched like aces thus far, and yet the team is only two games over .500.
If the offense starts hitting like it should and the rotation stays healthy, the Phillies should have no problem getting back to the playoffs this year.
