Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Pitching Stars Already Dominating Spring Training

The Philadelphia Phillies' top pitchers have hit the ground running in spring training.
Tyler Maher|
Feb 27, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at BayCare Ballpark.
Feb 27, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the first inning against the New York Yankees at BayCare Ballpark. | Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Phillies

It's only the beginning of March, but the Philadelphia Phillies' pitching staff already appears to be in midseason form.

Several Phillies pitchers have hit the ground running in spring training, starting at the top of the rotation.

Team ace and last year's NL Cy Young runner-up Zack Wheeler picked up where he left off in his spring debut against the New York Yankees on Thursday.

He tossed two scoreless innings against the reigning AL champions, striking out four of the seven batters he faced.

Wheeler turns 35 in May but has shown no signs of slowing down. He's also entering the first season of his three-year, $126 million extension, so Philadelphia is counting on him to provide his usual elite production this season.

Fortunately, they have plenty of starting pitching depth around him, including left-handers Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo.

Sanchez, 28, is hoping to build off a breakout 2024 where he made his first All-Star team and set personal bests in numerous categories.

He also fired two shutout innings in his spring debut against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, striking out three of the seven batters he faced.

Luzardo is a newcomer to the Phillies' rotation after coming over in a rare intra-division trade from the Miami Marlins.

Looking to bounce back from a disappointing and injury-plagued 2024, he made a good first impression with his new team on Friday with two scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox.

While the rotation is outstanding, Philadelphia needs its bullpen to step up in 2025 after struggling in back-to-back postseasons.

That includes new closer Jordan Romano, who is eyeing a rebound after a poor 2024 campaign of his own with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The two-time All-Star has the ability to be an elite stopper when he's right, flashing his skills with a 1-2-3 inning and two strikeouts against the Yankees on Thursday.

Building a strong bridge to Romano will be critical as well, which is where Orion Kerkering and Jose Alvarado fit in. They're set to play key roles in the Phillies' bullpen again after notching clean innings in their spring debuts against New York, as well.

With a stacked rotation and a capable relief corps, Philadelphia should have enough arms to compete for a World Series title this year.

While they looked great in February, the key will be keeping them healthy and productive enough to rely on them in October.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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