Philadelphia Phillies Pitcher Having an Underrated Season

Which Philadelphia Phillies starter is having an underrated season?

May 13, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Christopher Sanchez (61) delivers a pitch against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia Phillies get closer to winning the National League East, it has been an excellent season for the franchise. 

With October nearly here, the Phillies are looking like a true contender to win the World Series this season. Between their starting rotation, bullpen, and lineup, there isn’t much not to like about Philadelphia this season. 

Considering they have a lot of strengths on the team, it’s not easy to pinpoint exactly what their greatest strength is. However, their starting rotation is one to fear this season and could cause a lot of problems for opponents in October. 

With Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, and Cristopher Sanchez, the Phillies have arguably the best rotation in baseball. Wheeler and Nola are regarded as two of the best pitchers in baseball, and their value has overshadowed Suarez and Sanchez this season. 

Recently, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report spoke about Sanchez being one of the most underrated players in baseball pitching behind the two aces of Philadelphia. 

“In stark contrast to last season (16 HR allowed in 99.1 IP), Sánchez has become one of the best in the business at keeping the ball in the yard, allowing just eight dingers in his 165 innings pitched. That 0.44 HR/9 ratio would rank No. 1 in the majors if Sale (8 HR in 166.2 IP) didn't have a marginally better ratio of 0.43.”

The young southpaw has had an excellent 2024 season for the Phillies. This year, the talented young lefty has totaled a 10-9 record, 3.33 ERA, and WAR of 4.6.

Sanchez has certainly been overshadowed by the big-names on the Philadelphia staff, as he has a better ERA than Nola this season, and has the same WAR as Wheeler. Considering Wheeler seems like the unanimous choice to finish in second for the National League Cy Young, it shows the great season the young lefty is having. 

If Sanchez was able to have a slightly better record, he would likely be getting some more attention for the great season that he is having. However, with October coming up for the Phillies, he will have the chance to make a name for himself in the playoffs. 

While the southpaw might be underrated right now, he is certainly starting to garner some more attention. In big games in October, Sanchez could become a household name like Wheeler and Nola with a few good starts in the playoffs.