Ranking 5 Phillies Who Must Step Up in Series Against the Braves

The Philadelphia Phillies are counting on certain players to elevate their performance in the Wild Card Round.

Sep 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are set for their Wild Card Round series against their National League East rivals, the Atlanta Braves.

Getting past the Braves will be no small task, as the Phillies have come up short against them time and time again in the regular season, losing nine out of 13 matchups. Will things be different in the postseason?

If Philadelphia wants to advance, they are going to need help from players up and down the roster. Here are five Phillies who must step up for the team to defeat Atlanta in their Wild Card Round matchup.

5. Alex McFarlane

Sep 24, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Alex McFarlane (71) throws a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Philadelphia has had a lot of problems with their bullpen. Interim manager Don Mattingly’s strategy will be to go to his relief staff as few times as possible. One of the few players who has garnered some trust is Alex McFarlane.

A flame-throwing rookie, he is going to be called upon in this series. His first chance in a high-leverage, late-game situation didn’t go well, as he served up a game-tying three-run home run to Ronald Acuna Jr.

He bounced back from that outing, performed well down the stretch, and will be part of the bridge to star closer Jhoan Duran.

4. Edmundo Sosa

Sep 8, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies infielder Edmundo Sosa (33) hits an RBI double against the Houston Astros in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Luis Arraez had to exit the team’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers last week, it was Edmundo Sosa who was called upon to take his spot. He will be counted on as a regular in this series to produce, whether it is at third base or in the outfield.

Losing him from the bench will cut down on the late-game maneuverability that Mattingly has, but Sosa has a knack for coming up clutch. The Phillies will need him to do that again.

3. Right-Handed Hitting Outfielders

Aug 9, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Derek Hill (49) celebrates his walk-off RBI single during the twelfth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Philadelphia has struggled to find success against left-handed pitching in 2026. Mattingly has used right-handed-heavy lineups in those scenarios and is doing so again to start the postseason.

Derek Hill and Bryan De La Cruz are sharing the outfield with Bryce Harper. Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford are coming off the bench, which has been the case most of the season against southpaws.

Even if they don’t start, Hill and De La Cruz are going to be a big part of the team’s game plan. If they can perform, it will greatly help the team.

2. Cristopher Sanchez

Sep 20, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez (61) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is a lot of pressure on whoever takes the ball in Game 2 of the Wild Card Round. That person is tasked with either keeping a team’s season alive or pitching them to victory and advancing to the Division Series.

That responsibility will fall on the shoulders of Cristopher Sanchez. The only pitching plan for the Phillies that is set in stone is that he is starting Game 2; they will figure everything else out as they go along.

He hasn’t been super sharp in some of his recent outings, but Philadelphia has the utmost confidence in him to get the job done when the team needs him most.

1. Bryce Harper

Sep 25, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) hits a single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The team has struggled to score runs throughout the season. They looked great in August, but production plummeted in September, which is a big reason the Phillies struggled to qualify for the postseason.

Bryce Harper is the heart and soul of this squad and will need to continue putting the team on his back. He has proven this season that he remains an elite player, slightly adjusting his approach at the plate and drawing an NL-high 107 walks.

Getting on base and setting up his teammates is important, but Philadelphia needs him to do some damage with the bat as well. He has been the team’s most consistent source of offense throughout the campaign, and he needs to step it up to help them advance in the playoffs.