Philadelphia Phillies National League Wild Card Series Roster Prediction

The Philadelphia Phillies have a litany of roster decisions to make in the crunch down to their 26-man postseason roster.

Clear your calendars, because for the first time since 2011, the Philadelphia Phillies will appear in a postseason game on Friday. Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series between Philadelphia and the St. Louis Cardinals will begin at 2:07 p.m. EST at Busch Stadium.

Winners of the NL Central, the Cardinals yield the no. 3 seed in the NL while the Phillies possesses the final Wild Card spot at no. 6. While the two teams may seem unevenly matched on paper, taking a closer look reveals how perfect of a matchup this is for both teams.

Starting rotation:

RHP Zack Wheeler: Wheeler's last outing on Oct. 2 against the Washington Nationals saw him toss five innings of shutout baseball. He struck out seven batters, allowed just two hits, and walked none. It was Wheeler's third outing since returning from the injured list, and he looked sharp. He will be coming off of nearly five-days rest when he starts Game 1 against the Cards on Friday.

RHP Aaron Nola: Nola's last start was one of the important of his career, and the longest-tenured Phillie delivered. Against one of the best offenses in baseball in the Houston Astros, Nola shoved 6.2 innings and surrendered just two hits to his nine strikeouts. He had a perfect game going until the seventh inning, which was broken up by Astros' DH Yordan Alvarez. He will look to carry that magic into Game 2 of the NLWCS.

LHP Ranger Suárez: While Suárez has had his struggles this season, he's mostly lived up to the bar he set for himself last year. He's been able to perform against "good" teams, including a 3.41 ERA when facing teams with a .500 or better winning percentage. Game 3, if necessary, will be his first start against the Cardinals this season.

Bullpen:

José Alvarado, LHP: Alvarado has quickly become the best reliever in the Phillies' bullpen, not that he wasn't already fearsome. His 102 mph sinker was always a scary pitch to face, but now with his new command, he's downright unhittable. Since July, he has allowed just one run, and has 35 strikeouts to four walks.

Seranthony Domínguez, RHP: Domínguez has fallen by the wayside. Since coming back from injury Sept. 11, his ERA is 11.57. He's had three blow-up outings since his ERA reached a low of 1.57 after Sept. 13, now that figure is 3.00. It will be hard for Thomson to continue going back to him to close out games.

Zach Eflin, RHP: Eflin has allowed just one earned run in relief since returning from injury, so he's fit quite nicely into his new role in relief. He picked up his first save on Monday, and is likely to handle high-leverage appearances in the NLWCS.

Zach Eflin throws a pitch / © Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

David Robertson, RHP: Robertson has taken a step back over the last few weeks, as the 37-year-old was fatigued due to an increased workload in 2022. It was a wise decision by the Phillies to rest him up for the playoffs, and will be ready to take the mound in the NLWCS. Robertson also possesses ample postseason experience.

Brad Hand, LHP: Hand has been on the injured list, but according to The Athletic's Matt Gelb, he's on the comeback trail. Hand didn't have the strongest season in 2022, but the Phillies need another lefty reliever out of the 'pen, and he is the strongest option.

Andrew Bellatti, RHP: Bellatti had, perhaps, the most surprising season out of any Phillie this season. He was signed to a minor league contract in Nov. 2021, and pitched to a solid 3.31 ERA in 59 appearances.

Bailey Falter, LHP: Down the stretch, Falter proved himself to potentially be a strong candidate for the Phillies' rotation in the future, but for this series, he will pitch out of the bullpen. He offers Philadelphia another left-hander out of the bullpen.

Noah Syndergaard, RHP: Syndergaard will also appear in the NLWCS out of the bullpen. "Thor" was serving as Wheeler's piggyback after returning from injury, but with Wheels back to form, he will serve as a strong relief option.

Noah Syndergaard will appear out of the bullpen / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Gibson, RHP: Gibson had an awful September. It's entirely possible Gibson won't appear in the NLWCS at all, but the Phillies will likely throw the veteran a bone and place him on the roster for the series anyway. Should they advance, his role remains a question mark.

Connor Brogdon, RHP: Brogdon has also been ineffective as of late, which was unlike him. He sported a 1.93 ERA in the first half, compared to a 4.26 ERA in the second half. The 27-year-old is still probable to make the roster, however.

Infielders:

Rhys Hoskins, 1B: Hoskins is a streaky player. That much is certain. But at his best, the first baseman can carry the Phillies offense. Against the Cardinals this season Hoskins has slashed .360/.414/.800 across seven games.

Rhys Hoskins rounds the bases / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Alec Bohm, 3B: Bohm ended the 2022 season with the highest batting average on team at .280. He managed a BA above .250 every month this season, outside of September. Bohm also mashed against lefties, supported by a whopping .935 OPS, meaning he should tee-off against José Quintana in Game 1.

Jean Segura, 2B: By reaching the postseason, Segura was no longer the leader in most games played without a playoff appearance in MLB. That's sure to motivate the 32-year-old in his first career postseason series.

Bryson Stott, SS: The rookie turned 25 years old on Thursday, and will celebrate by participating in his first-ever postseason series. Stott has impressed both offensively and defensively this season, and although it wasn't always pretty, his ability to grow and learn was obvious. 

J.T. Realmuto, C: Realmuto just completed one of the best seasons in his career in 2022. The "best catcher in baseball" stepped up in a major way during Bryce Harper's absence, finishing the season with a .276 BA and .820 OPS, alongside 22 home runs and 84 RBI. His defense looked stellar as well, with 30 runners caught stealing.

J.T. Realmuto is congratulated by teammates / © Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Harper, DH: If there's one Phillie that needs to breakout this series, it's Harper. Since being reinstated from the injured list in August, Harper hasn't quite lived up to expectations. Prior to hitting the IL in June the 2021 NL MVP was on fire (.318 BA and .985 OPS.) If he can reach that level of production in October, Philadelphia will be in great shape.

Outfielders:

Nick Castellanos, RF: Castellanos has dealt with his fair share of offensive struggles this season, although his second-half—prior to injury—wasn't bad at all. He managed a .288/.320/.418 slash line with five home runs and 16 RBI. It would be huge for the Phillies offense if he could get it going this weekend.

Brandon Marsh, CF: Marsh has proved to be an incredibly serviceable addition to the Phillies—both on the field and in the clubhouse. Marsh has quickly made adjustments at the plate since arriving in Philly at the trade deadline and has batted .288 with a .773 OPS. His speed and arm have been a vast improvement in center field as well.

Brandon Marsh celebrates with Seranthony Dominguez / © Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Schwarber, LF: Schwarber took home the crown for NL home run king with 46 long balls on the season. He's a fantastic leader in the clubhouse and has acted as spark plug for the team all season long. Along with his prior postseason experience, he's sure to have a big series for Philadelphia. 

Bench:

Matt Vierling, OF: Interim Manager Rob Thomson already reported to the media that Vierling would get the start in center field in Game 1 against Cardinals' left-hander Quintana. Vierling, a St. Louis native, has found much success against lefties this year, sporting a .295 batting average and .760 OPS. 

Garrett Stubbs, C: It's clear Stubbs acts a great presence in the clubhouse, and he was pumped up to make the postseason. He will serve as a serviceable back-up to Realmuto, just as he has all season.

Darick Hall being congratulated in the dugout / © Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Darick Hall, INF: It will be interesting to see how the Phillies utilize Hall. It's no secret he can mash baseballs, hence his nickname "Long Ball Hall." Should he make the roster, he would be a left-handed bat available off of the bench.

Nick Maton/INF Edmundo Sosa, INF: It's a toss-up between Maton and Sosa for the last roster spot. By all accounts, it seems Sosa should be returning from injury in time for the series, but it's not certain just yet. That would mean Maton would be handed the final spot.

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