Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Top of Phillies' rotation is elite, but also comes with questions

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Feb 2, 2026 10:54 AM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies were the second-best team in the National League behind the Milwaukee Brewers (97-65) to finish the regular season last year (96-66). In 2026 they will try to three-peat as National League East champions.

To do so, the Phillies will rely on their starting rotation, which ranked as the second-best in baseball last season in starters' ERA (3.53 ERA). The staff will be led by ace Zack Wheeler, who will be coming off thoracic outlet syndrome surgery, and Cristopher Sanchez, who finished second in NL Cy Young voting. Both found themselves ranked in the top 10 for the best starting pitchers in baseball, per MLB Network Radio.

Sanchez (2.50 ERA) ranked fifth overall, while Wheeler (2.71), who finished under 30 starts (24) for the first time since 2022 (26), ranked ninth.

Despite finishing second in the Cy Young Award voting and 15th in MVP voting, Sanchez was not an All-Star, which was one of the bigger snubs as he went 8-2 with an ERA of 2.50 before the All-Star break.

Who is the of the best for 2026?

The best starting pitchers in baseball, as voted on by our hosts and analysts:

For back-to-back years, @TarikSkubal tops our list

Agree? Disagree? Let’s hear it #MLBNRTopTen | #Tigers pic.twitter.com/RNTgKBkIM8
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 2, 2026

The Phillies will be relying on their rotation to carry them in 2026

Sanchez enters 2026 with lofty expectations to replicate is 2025 season, while being counted on to be the ace of the staff with Wheeler likely to miss the start of the season. Wheeler is expected to return to the team sometime around May or June, but at 35 and closing in on the end of his career, the Phillies will slow walk his progress.

Most pitchers struggle once they return from having the surgery that Wheeler had. However, new teammate Brad Keller had the surgery and had the best year of his career last season with the Cubs (2.07 ERA), which landed him a two-year contract ($22 million) with the Phillies. Keller’s success after having the surgery in 2023 is a good sign that Wheeler could bounce back.

Having Sanchez and Wheeler as their top two in the rotation is a strong foundation, but the pair comes with some questions as well. If they can't return to their form, the Phillies could be headed toward a disappointing season.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. When I’m not writing, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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