Joey Votto’s comments about the Phillies’ rotation being close to the Dodgers’ drew a sharp reaction, and it didn’t take long for the backlash to spread.
NBC has leaned on several MLB names as analysts this year, including Chicago Cubs icon Anthony Rizzo, Los Angeles Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw and former NL MVP Joey Votto. Votto has long carried the reputation of being one of baseball’s sharpest and most thoughtful voices, but this particular take landed badly.
The comparison at the center of the uproar was simple enough: Votto was putting Philadelphia’s starters - Jesus Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola - in the same conversation with a Dodgers group that includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. That was enough to set off fans who thought the gap was obvious.
“Did I hear correctly that Joey Votto said the Phillies starters aren’t much of a step down from the Dodgers?
I beg your biggest pardon
- Scott Geirman (@scottgeirman) October 2, 2026”
The Dodgers side of the argument has plenty of ammunition. If Skubal’s NLDS Game 1 outing was any clue, the Phillies don’t have a pitcher who comes close to matching that level. And the same question hangs over Yamamoto, who authored one of the most notable postseason performances of all time: does Philadelphia have anyone with that kind of standing?
The Phillies’ rotation did turn in a strong regular season. Luzardo, Sanchez and Wheeler finished 2026 ranked 9th, 11th and 12th in ERA among qualified MLB pitchers, respectively. But that hasn’t stopped the Dodgers from looking like a different tier entirely.
The postseason numbers only sharpen the contrast. Since 2025, Luzardo, Sanchez, Wheeler and Nola have gone 0-3 in the playoffs, while Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell and Glasnow posted a 9-3 record in last year’s postseason. Philadelphia’s group has delivered three quality starts in seven postseason games since 2025; the Dodgers starters have piled up 11 in 16.
That backdrop matters, especially with Phillies fans already frustrated after their team’s disappointing Wild Card Series loss to the Atlanta Braves. In that light, Votto’s praise for Philadelphia’s starters looks even more out of step with how the fan base sees things. He clearly thought more highly of the Phillies rotation than plenty of people around the game do.
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