The stage is officially set: the Philadelphia Phillies will host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series, starting at Citizens Bank Park.
The third-seeded Dodgers advanced after dispatching the sixth-seeded Cincinnati Reds in a two-game Wild Card sweep, setting up a best-of-five showdown with the No. 2 seed Phillies. With the opponent confirmed, attention now turns to roster construction.
Manager Rob Thomson and his staff face key decisions in finalizing the 26-man roster for the NLDS. The rotation appears straightforward — Cristopher Sánchez is slated for Game 1, followed by Ranger Suárez and Jesús Luzardo. The tougher choices will come in shaping the bullpen.
The Phillies usually opt for 12 pitchers rather than the full 13, which opens up nine bullpen spots for the NLDS roster. A handful of relievers are locks — Jhoan Duran, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Tanner Banks, and David Robertson — but beyond that, the picture becomes less clear.
One of the Phillies’ biggest roster questions centers on veteran starter Aaron Nola after a rocky season. His strong outing in the season finale makes it hard to imagine him being left off the roster for the opening round, but as Rob Thomson noted late in the year, Nola has never pitched out of the bullpen. Even so, the longtime Phillie has said he’s willing to fill whatever role the team needs, including relief work.
Walker Buehler, a late-season addition on Aug. 31, logged just three appearances but impressed with a 0.66 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. He also brings valuable postseason relief experience into October.
Taijuan Walker spent significant time working out of the bullpen this year, throwing 20 innings in relief with a 3.15 ERA. After being left off last year’s NLDS roster, a return in 2025 would serve as a redemption story for the veteran right-hander.
Beyond those arms, Thomson and his staff must weigh left-hander Tim Mayza and right-handers Lou Trivino, Max Lazar, Seth Johnson, Alan Rangel, and Michael Mercado. Meanwhile, Jordan Romano — who ended the season on the injured list with a nerve issue — appears to be the longest shot to contribute this postseason, though he remains on the 40-man roster and with the club.
Phillies’ bench for NLDS roster coming into focus
The bench picture looks more straightforward. Utility man Edmundo Sosa is essentially a lock, as is Rafael Marchán in the backup catcher role. Carrying a third catcher like Garrett Stubbs — or picking Stubbs instead of Marchán — would be an unexpected move by the Phillies.
With Johan Rojas sidelined by a quad injury, the Phillies will likely turn to Weston Wilson and Otto Kemp to round out the roster — assuming they go with 14 position players for the NLDS.
Wilson, a right-handed option capable of playing both infield and outfield, hit only .198 in 125 plate appearances this season and slumped to a .171 average in September.
Kemp, another versatile right-handed bat, posted a .234 average with a .709 OPS across two stints in the majors. He finished strong, though, batting .250 with an .856 OPS, four homers, and 11 RBIs over 57 September plate appearances — his most productive stretch of the year.
Phillies’ outfield rotation remains a puzzle heading into NLDS
The last major question for Rob Thomson is how he’ll configure the outfield. All four players from the late-season rotation are locks to make the roster, but the starting assignments and playing time distribution are still uncertain.
Harrison Bader has all but secured the everyday role in center field, leaving Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler, and Nick Castellanos to cover the corners. Marsh primarily manned left field in September, while Kepler and Castellanos shared duties in right. Kepler also made four of his 17 late-season starts in left.
Thomson’s alignment will likely hinge on matchups, particularly the handedness of the Dodgers’ starters. Among their potential options, Blake Snell is the lone left-hander.