Which Phillies Starting Pitcher Earned Surprising MLB-Wide Top 100 Ranking?

The Philadelphia Phillies starting rotation is so stacked with talent that even the team's fifth starter is seen as a top 100 player in MLB by prominent analysts.

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) throws a pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park. | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

There's no question that the Philadelphia Phillies boast one of the most stacked rosters in MLB.

With superstars like Bryce Harper and Trea Turner in the infield, elite veteran contributors like J.T. Realmuto, Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber and above-average role players like Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh rounding out the roster, there's no shortage of position player talent on the Phillies.

The team's starting rotation is even more loaded. Ace Zack Wheeler is a perennial Cy Young contender. There are few veteran starters more reliably good than Aaron Nola.

Southpaws Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez bring both crafty, advanced pitching savvy and high-end stuff to the group, too.

Then there's Cristopher Sanchez, who entered the season as the fifth starter but has the chance to become the x-factor the team needs to get over the hump in the postseason and bring home a World Series championship.

After struggling in his first long-term taste of the Major Leagues in 2022, Sanchez has done nothing but pitch at a top-of-the-rotation level.

His 3.44 ERA over 19 games in 2023 helped buoy the Philadelphia staff and established him as a quality arm, and his 2024 effort earned him a 10th place finish in National League Cy Young award voting.

He dominated the Washington Nationals in his first start this season, and now analysts around the league are taking note of his ascension.

ESPN released its top 100 player rankings for 2025, and though Sanchez is deserving, it's still surprising to see him take the No. 79 spot with how easy it can be for him to get lost in the shuffle on the Phillies.

ESPN's analysis notes the increased velocity on Sanchez's sinker as a reason for optimism, pointing out that he delivered such excellent results in 2024 even as batters hit .345 against his primary offering.

Staff writer David Schoenfield is even more bullish on Sanchez than his employer's ranking suggests, going out on a limb with a bold prediction.

"The hype is real," Schoenfield wrote. "Remember when the Curtis Mead-for-Sanchez trade was panned when Mead developed into a top prospect for the Rays? No longer. Sanchez finishes in the top five of the Cy Young voting."

Sanchez has yet to strike out more than a batter per inning in any of his seasons as a full-time big leaguer. Against the Nationals, he fanned seven in 5.1 innings of work.

If he can keep that up and push his K/9 rate over 10 in 2025, there's no reason he can't contend with Wheeler and the other favorites around the league for Cy Young honors.