Inside The Phillies

Mind-Blowing Stat Proves Phillies Rotation Is On Another Level

This stat proves the Philadelphia Phillies have the best starting rotation in baseball.

Tyler Maher

Jun 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch.
Jun 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch. / Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports
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The Philadelphia Phillies keep winning, and their starting rotation is a big reason why.

The Phillies won again on Wednesday, blanking the Milwaukee Brewers 2-0. The victory completed a three-game sweep of the first-place Brewers, improving Philadelphia's record to an MLB-best 44-19.

The Phillies' pitching staff was superb, yielding just two total runs in the three games. Philadelphia's starting pitchers led the way with Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Aaron Nola allowing only two runs in 20 innings combined.

Wheeler fired seven innings of one-run ball in the series opener, lowering his ERA to 2.23. Sanchez followed him with six innings of one-run ball in the middle game, improving his ERA to 2.71. Nola outdid both of them with seven scoreless frames in the series finale, bringing his ERA down to 2.77.

And with that, the Phillies now have four of the National League's top six starting pitchers in ERA. Interestingly, the Chicago Cubs have the other two.

Early Cy Young candidate Ranger Suarez leads the pack at 1.70, followed by Cubs ace Shota Imanaga at 1.88. Wheeler is third at 2.23, with Chicago's Javier Assad (2.27) right behind him. Sanchez is fifth at 2.71, barely ahead of Nola's 2.77.

Philadelphia's fifth starter, Taijuan Walker, has one of the worst ERAs in the league at 5.73, so he's the only one not carrying his weight. Even Spencer Turnbull, who filled in for Walker until he returned from the injured list, was phenomenal, posting a 1.67 ERA in six starts before moving to the bullpen.

With four great starters who are routinely dominating opposing lineups, it's no wonder the Phillies are winning so many games. With their potent lineup, they have a chance to win almost every night.

Baseball has devalued starting pitchers over the last few years with its increasing reliance on relief pitchers, but Philadelphia is proving why having a deep, talented rotation is still important.

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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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