Can Philadelphia Phillies Dominant Starting Rotation Power Them To October Success?

Is the starting rotation enough to cover up other areas for the Philadelphia Phillies?

Oct 10, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski watches a team workout for the NLDS at Truist Park | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With the season off to a bit of a mediocre start for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team is trying to build some momentum after a tough stretch.

Even though the Phillies are a few games over .500 and have won three in a row, there have been some issues early on that are very concerning.

In the playoffs last year, the team was exposed with struggles coming from their bullpen and the bottom of the order.

This winter, the team tried to address these issues, but the result have been mixed.

So far, their new closer Jordan Romano has already lost the job after a dreadful start to the campaign.

Romano was brought in when the Phillies let both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez walk in free agency. After the first month of the season, that looks like a massive mistake.

In addition to concerns about the bullpen, the bottom of the batting order has also yet to yield results.

Despite the issues, Philadelphia is still one of the best teams in the league and is a realistic contender for multiple reasons, mainly due to the strength of their starting rotation.

“Zack Wheeler is the most consistent ace in baseball, Jesus Luzardo is pitching like the best version of himself, and coupled with Cristopher Sanchez's continued ascent, the starting pitchers all combine to make the Phillies a dangerous squad come October,” Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote.

Even though the Phillies have been without All-Star Ranger Suarez to start the year, the starting rotation has still been a great strength of the team.

Currently, that unit ranks sixth in the league in ERA.

Despite those impressive numbers, the unit has the potential to get even better.

Not only will they be getting Suarez back at some point in the near future, but the normally great Aaron Nola has struggled to start this campaign with an 0-5 record and 5.40 ERA.

Fortunately, his last start was a good one, and that will hopefully be a sign of things to come.

Top prospect Andrew Painter is expected to make his debut at some point this year, too.

With elite talent and depth in the rotation, Philadelphia is built for success come October.

The question remains if that part of their roster is enough to mask the issues that are present in other areas and have come back to bite them the past two postseason appearances.

If the Phillies can fix those issues, they have a rotation capable of winning a World Series.