Philadelphia Phillies Breakout Star Pitcher Is Due for Massive Season Next Year

The Philadelphia Phillies appear to have developed another future superstar pitcher in the rotation.

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies have possessed one of the best rotations in baseball for years now, and a huge part of the reason why is the fact they have one of the best development systems to get the most out of their talented young arms.

From Aaron Nola to Ranger Suárez, the list of players who the Phillies have brought up through their system is extremely impressive.

Already possessing a very good rotation, the unit reached another level in 2024 with the emergence of another star in his first full season of work on the staff.

Cristopher Sánchez showed reasons to be encouraged during his 18 starts in 2023, but in 2024 he took the next step in his career and showed why he is a key piece of Philadelphia's future in his first-ever All-Star campaign.

In a recent article naming breakout stars from 2024 who could be ready to explode next season, Will Leitch of MLB.com named Sánchez as someone to watch.

"That’s all the Phillies needed: Another quality starting pitcher, falling to them out of nowhere," he wrote. "The Phillies were so impressed with him that, in the middle of their trip to London this summer, they negotiated a four-year, $22.5 million extension that includes team options for 2029 and ‘30. Sánchez may end up outlasting every other notable pitcher in this rotation."

He made 31 starts in 2024 and posted a 3.46 ERA over 181.2 innings pitched with 153 strikeouts, finishing 10th in the National League Cy Young vote.

There's reason to believe the 28-year-old has not even reached his peak yet since 2024 was approaching double the amount of innings he's previously thrown.

The Phillies acquired Sánchez in 2019 via trade in exchange for Curtis Mead and he would make his MLB debut two years later.

2023 was the first time he stepped into a major role in the rotation, and he showed enough last season to make Philadelphia confident enough to trust him with a major role this past campaign.

That confidence paid dividends, and by the looks of it, the Phillies have another elite left-handed arm in their rotation for years to come.

While Philadelphia tries to get over the playoff hump and bring a World Series banner back to the City of Brotherly Love over the next several seasons, Sánchez certainly figures to be a huge part of the plan.