The Milwaukee Brewers have spent all season acting like the standard in the National League, and the numbers back it up. At 94-57 in mid-September, they own the best record in the big leagues. ESPN views Milwaukee as the team to beat in the NL, with the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs listed as the club’s biggest challengers.
If you’re looking for the one team that can match up with the Brewers in October, the case for Philadelphia starts on the mound. The Phillies’ rotation is the kind of weapon that can flatten a playoff series before it ever gets rolling, and an American League executive didn’t mince words about how dangerous that staff looks.
"Unfortunately, we faced the Phillies more recently, instead of early in the season when they were going bad,” the AL executive said. “They pitched really well. I know how good the Dodgers and Brewers are, but I'm not betting against Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo -- not to mention Bryce [Harper] and [Kyle] Schwarber.”
That trio at the front of the rotation gives Philadelphia a different kind of edge. Cristopher Sánchez has pushed himself into the NL Cy Young conversation with a 2.93 ERA, a 17-6 record, 215 strikeouts and a 7.5 bWAR in 31 starts.
Jesus Luzardo has been right there with him, going 14-5 with a 2.87 ERA, 221 strikeouts and a 5.5 fWAR across 29 starts. Both left-handers have cleared 200 strikeouts and are in the middle of career seasons.
Then there’s Zack Wheeler, the steady veteran who keeps the whole thing grounded. He’s 12-5 with a 3.14 ERA, 172 strikeouts and a 1.07 WHIP in 25 starts. Wheeler has also finished in the top 10 in Cy Young voting four times, including two runner-up finishes.
That’s the part of Philadelphia that makes opposing teams nervous: there isn’t much breathing room, and there isn’t much of a drop-off. The executive put it plainly when discussing how that rotation changes the postseason equation.
“They're one team that doesn't HAVE to have the bye because of those pitchers,” the executive said.
Even if the Phillies have to go through a Wild Card Series, the rotation still gives them a real path. It doesn’t lose its bite just because the calendar says October.
For most teams, avoiding a bye can be a problem. For Philadelphia, the staff is strong enough to keep them dangerous either way.
And the Phillies aren’t leaning on pitching alone. Their lineup still has plenty of punch, starting with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Harper has 28 homers, 31 doubles, 83 RBIs, a .384 OBP and an .881 OPS in 151 games, and he has started every game for Philadelphia this season. Schwarber has been even louder in one category, leading all of baseball with 45 home runs while adding 95 RBIs, 90 runs, a .522 slugging percentage and an .875 OPS in 145 games.
Brandon Marsh earned his first All-Star nod after a strong first half, even though he is now in a rough slump. Luis Arraez has also given the offense another boost since arriving, and he leads MLB with a .315 batting average.
The AL executive had one last line that sums up why Philadelphia keeps coming up in this conversation.
“Remember, they've been as good as anyone for a long time now."
The Phillies did stumble out of the gate, but a change in managerial direction with Don Mattingly helped steady things. They may still wind up in the Wild Card rather than taking the division, but the ingredients are there for a deep run and a return to the World Series for the first time since 2022.
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