Who among their roster of stars is the one essential player the Philadelphia Phillies cannot afford to lose in the 2025 MLB playoffs? It’s a source of contention among fans and journalists, especially because the team is already without the one player who would undoubtedly increase their World Series chances, starting pitcher Zack Wheeler. If the Phillies fail to win the championship, Wheeler’s absence will play a significant role.
Injuries to other core players would make winning the Fall Classic even more difficult. Throughout the regular season, the Phillies dealt with injuries to Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Aaron Nola. If a team loses one or more key players during a postseason series, their chances of winning the World Series are considered to be slim. Without Wheeler, losing Cristopher Sánchez would significantly reduce the Phillies’ chances of winning a title.
Phillies won’t be able to withstand an injury to Cristopher Sánchez in the postseason
Sánchez improved dramatically during the regular season, emerging as one of baseball’s best starting pitchers. With Nola’s troubles and time on the IL, he emerged as the Phillies’ second-best starting pitcher before to Wheeler’s injury.
After Wheeler’s season was cut short due to thoracic outlet surgery, Sánchez took over as their ace. Wheeler, the rotation ace, has been critical to the team’s success in recent years. Sánchez will face a difficult assignment in getting the team off to a solid start in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.
He finished with a career high 13 wins, a 2.50 ERA, 202 innings worked, and 212 strikeouts. Sánchez had the fifth-highest strikeout total among National League starters and ninth overall. He also finished third in MLB innings pitched and seventh in ERA. The 28-year-old is vying for the NL Cy Young Award in 2025.
Following Sánchez’s start in the regular-season finale, Phillies manager Rob Thomson praised the left-hander’s career improvement.
“It goes back several years. Just his stuff, the evolution of the changeup. His command. The power. “The poise,” Thomson told the journalists after the game. “He’s simply a complete pitcher right now, and that has evolved over the previous several years. When [Wheeler] went down, we advised everyone to just be themselves, which they did, particularly [Sánchez]. He didn’t strive to do too much. He just went out and did his stuff, and he’s been great.”
If Sánchez is injured, Philadelphia will need to rely on Nola, Jesús Luzardo, Ranger Suárez, Walker Buehler, and Taijuan Walker as starters to compete in the postseason. While Nola, Luzardo, and Suárez can all be reliable, they have had more inconsistencies than Sánchez this season.
Suárez has a history of injuries and averted another when a 106 mph line drive hit him on the left thigh during his final start of the season against the Minnesota Twins. Luzardo dealt with pitch-tipping concerns earlier this year, which raised his ERA.
Sánchez will be tasked with anchoring the starting rotation for a Phillies club that is facing its final chance to win the World Series with this core of players. An injury to the left-hander would jeopardize their prospects of ultimately winning the World Series.