The Philadelphia Phillies could have the greatest group of players in baseball when it comes to front-of-the-rotation starters. Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo, the team’s star lefty, can provide a 1-2-3 punch behind Christopher Sánchez’s front-running quest for the Cy Young Award.
Even though you need at least four starters to make it to the postseason, that squad should be strong enough to defeat most teams. The default No. 4 is Aaron Nola, but he has battled so much that it would be difficult to trust him in critical situations.
The Phillies are dangerously lacking in pitching depth, even if Nola manages to turn things around. The only other healthy starters on the 40-man roster right now are Andrew Painter and Alan Rangel, which is a worrisome prospect considering some of the aforementioned players’ injury histories.
Because of this, Painter’s growth is even more crucial; if he stabilizes the team and demonstrates that he can pitch like a mid-rotation starter, the front management might feel comfortable sticking with the status quo. However, Dave Dombrowski and company might have to utilize part of their valuable prospect depth to add another arm if he keeps faltering.
Nola has more of this responsibility than anybody else because of the size of his contract and his long history of achievement. Asking him to be a reliable No. 4 starter shouldn’t be too much, even though he isn’t the three-time top-10 Cy Young finisher he once was.
Nevertheless, Nola’s finest days are definitely behind him. He has around 1,800 innings on his arm, is 33 years old, and suffered a serious ankle injury last year. Any advancements he makes from this point on are probably going to be insignificant.
Painter, on the other hand, is a rookie with a lot of unrealized talent and a lively arm. His 6.21 ERA and 5.08 FIP on his record are the result of his inconsistent play throughout this first campaign. He has, however, also shown flashes of genius, such as his three-start stretch in mid-May during which he gave up just five runs in 17.1 innings.
The proof of concept is there, even though his most recent attempts against the White Sox and Dodgers have been much less spectacular. The Phillies should be secure enough in their rotation to devote the majority of their attention to hitters in the run-up to August if he can simply put together quality starts and get rid of the blow-up outings.
The proof of concept is there, even though his most recent attempts against the White Sox and Dodgers have been much less spectacular. The Phillies should be secure enough in their rotation to devote the majority of their attention to hitters in the run-up to August if he can simply put together quality starts and get rid of the blow-up outings.
