Philadelphia Phillies Can Rival Los Angeles Dodgers for Best Rotation in Baseball

The Philadelphia Phillies have a starting rotation that could go stride for stride with the stars the defending World Series champions have amassed.

Nick Ziegler | Feb 23, 2025

Oct 5, 2024; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) reacts in the seventh inning against the New York Mets in game one of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia Phillies

With spring training games starting up for the Philadelphia Phillies, the franchise is getting prepared to hopefully make a run at the World Series in 2025.

Even though the Phillies looked like a true contender heading into October last year, the team ultimately came up way short of their goals.

Coming into 2025, the core is still the same for the team and they should once again be one of the best teams in the National League.

This winter, Philadelphia didn’t make any major signings, but they put together a solid offseason to add to what they already had in place.

Overall, the team is looking really solid, but one area could be what makes them one of the best teams in baseball.

Todd Zolecki of MLB.com recently wrote about the starting rotation for the Phillies had highlighted the upside that the unit has.

“Everybody thinks the Dodgers have the best rotation in baseball, but the Phillies will try to make the argument they are better," he wrote.

Seeing who has the better rotation throughout the year will certainly be something worth monitoring between the two teams. As two of the best in the National League, they could be destined for a showdown sometime in October.

For Philadelphia, their starting five consists of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Christopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, and the newly acquired Jesus Luzardo. Top to bottom there is talent and at the very top, there is a potential Cy Young candidate in Wheeler.

For the Los Angeles Dodgers, their rotation is excellent and has a lot of potential, but there are some question marks. Currently, they have Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow, and Tony Gonsolin.

However, they did recently bring back Clayton Kershaw and they also have Shohei Ohtani expected to be back on the mound sometime in May.

The depth and high-end talent of Los Angeles can be scary, but it could take time for things to fall into place for them.

With some pitchers returning from injury and some never pitching in the Majors yet, the Phillies might have the edge to start the season. However, when things matter most, the Dodgers’ rotation might be great.

For Philadelphia, while their lineup is good and they hope the bullpen is improved, it will be the starting rotation that is the best part of the team.

Deciding to not go into the season with Taijuan Walker as the fifth starter was a good decision Furthermore, the Phillies rotation might get even better as the season progresses if top prospect Andrew Painter gets called up.

Overall, these are two of the best rotations in baseball and time will tell which one ends up being better. Perhaps a head-to-head matchup in October will be what settles the debate.

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