Phillies Core Unsurprisingly Sees Drop in Rankings

The updated MLB core rankings features the Philadelphia Phillies heading in the wrong direction.

Sep 5, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) fist bumps first baseman Bryce Harper (3) after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the fourth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For years, the Philadelphia Phillies have had a pretty top-heavy roster, relying on a lot of star power to carry them through the season.

However, that core was starting to age rapidly. There are a lot of regulars in the Phillies' starting lineup and on the pitching staff who are on the wrong side of 30 years old, approaching their mid- to late 30s even.

It is why the team has perpetually been in win-now mode, looking to get the most out of their veteran core. Another year older, it should come as no surprise that Philadelphia is dropping in the MLB core rankings shared by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.

In the previous edition, the Phillies were ranked No. 3 in baseball, which made sense. Shortstop Trea Turner was in the midst of a monster season in 2025, Bryce Harper remained one of the most complete players in the game, and Kyle Schwarber was slugging his way to a career season ahead of free agency.

Where do Phillies land in updated MLB core rankings?

Sep 7, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo (44) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the starting rotation, the team had Aaron Nola, Jesus Luzardo and Ranger Suarez as support behind their co-aces, Christopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler. At the back end of the bullpen was Jhoan Duran, acquired from the Minnesota Twins.

While most of those players remain in the mix, the team has seen its ranking drop. They are barely holding onto a spot in the top 10, coming in at No. 9. There is still star-level production coming from key players, but the “Solid’ tier of players is lacking compared to years past.

Wheeler, Duran, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh aren’t eligible based on the rules in place for the pieces, so that hurts. Their young emerging pieces, such as Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford, struggled out of the gate. But at least they have gotten things on track and are playing, which wasn’t the case for their top prospect, Aidan Miller, until a few days ago.

The performance of Nola, Turner and Realmuto has regressed overall. Jonathan Bowlan has emerged as a great bullpen piece, joining the “Solid” tier in a surprise, but it will take more than a middle reliever upgrading to a setup man to make up for the regression.

Jesus Luzardo has joined Cristopher Sanchez as elite player

Sep 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sánchez (61) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What has kept Philadelphia in the top 10 has been the emergence of Luzardo, who is going to receive Cy Young Award votes in the best season of his career. He could make some impressive MLB history with his dominance on the road.

Sanchez remains an elite ace as well, sharing the “Elite” tier with Luzardo as the most dominant left-handed starting pitching duo in baseball. In the “Plus” tier, Harper and Schwarber continue to do their thing as the centerpiece of the offense.

This team still has plenty of talent to make some noise in the National League playoff picture. But there isn’t much margin of error to operate with. This offseason, Dave Dombrowski has to figure out a way to get younger at some spots and improve the team’s defense; there is only so much their dominant rotation can do to carry the team.

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